A File and Folder backup job produces either or both of the following errors: "Invalid permissions to file: ___" or "Access denied to file: ____." The files mentioned in the error do not get backed up and the error may occur repeatedly.
Explanation
These errors indicate our software is unable to work on the files being backed up. The most common causes for this are the following:
- NTFS or Share Permissions - The Backup Agent service, by default, will use the "Local System" account. If a file or folder's NTFS permission levels do not permit the "Local System" account to access a file, you will need to run the Backup Agent service as a user who does have access.
For shared files and folders, you should have been prompted for share credentials when adding the share to a File and Folder backup set. If you need to change or add share credentials after the share has been added, you can do so by editing those credentials in the Share Manager. - Encrypted Files and Folders - Files and folders that are encrypted cannot be accessed by the Backup Agent. These files and folders must be decrypted in order to be backed up. You can usually tell if a file or a folder is encrypted when its name is green in Windows Explorer.
- Files and Folders Copied from Other Machines - If you attempt to back up files or folders that have been copied over from a non-NTFS file system or a machine running a non-Windows operating system, there may be complications in how that file or folder's properties/attributes are translated which prevent the Backup Agent from accessing them normally. Fixing this may just be a matter of reapplying NTFS/share permissions.
Resolution
To avoid permission barriers getting in the way of the Backup Agent, it is recommended you run the Backup Agent service as an administrator, especially a domain administrator in the case of backing up shared files and folders. Instructions for changing the Backup Agent service permissions are here.
If you want to edit the share credentials the Backup Agent has stored in the Share Manager, you can do that using the following directions.