Win 10 client not found after wake-on-lan

[robr]

Hello. I have a Windows 10 client running client version 15.6.1. Recently its nightly backup has been failing with error -530 (backup client not found). After some testing, it looks like the client becomes inaccessible after the computer is awakened from sleep via wake-on-lan.

If I reboot the computer, the client is accessible. If I manually put it to sleep then wake it by pressing a keyboard key, the client remains accessible. But if I manually put the computer to sleep, then wake it with a python script sending the magic packet to its MAC address, the computer wakes, but the retrospect client is inaccessible. At this point, restarting the computer lets Retrospect access the client again.

Anyone have suggestions where to look to debug or fix this problem? I have another Windows 10 computer that wakes and backs up properly, so I think it's specific to this one client. Thanks.

[DavidHertzberg]

robr,

You don't say what version of the Retrospect Windows "backup server" you are running, nor do you say whether this particular Windows "client" is being backed up with a Backup script or a Proactive script.  In addition, you don't supply any information about what makes the other Windows "client" different from this Windows "client".

This 2012 post says, for Retrospect Windows 7.7, "If the computer is already asleep, then retrospect will not run. There are 2 places to enable 'Wake on Lan' in retrospect, but I have found that it does not actually work (and yes, WOL works on my machine from other apps and is enabled in the bios)."  Presumably that is why you are waking your "clients" with a Python script.  Moreover, in spite of the fact that the Retrospect Mac Sources category has a checkbox under Client ->Options for enabling Wake-on-LAN, Retrospect Tech Support in 2016 verified my report that it wasn't working for Retrospect Mac 12 (equivalent to Retrospect Windows 10).

However the cumulative Retrospect Windows Release Notes say, for 15.1.0, "Windows Client: Fixed Wake-On-Lan (WOL) for upgraded Windows client (#7358)".  I suggest that you Remove that particular  "client" machine's Retrospect Client from the "backup server", uninstall and re-install its Client program, and then re-Add the "client on the "backup server" (pages 277-293 in the Retrospect Windows 16 User's Guide)—after which you will have to re-Add it in each script that backs it up and drag its name into the appropriate sequential position (page 178 in the UG) .  However it may be sufficient to do what this recent post in another thread says, which is that the Remove and re-Add etc. in the "backup server wasn't needed—only a clean Client delete and re-install.

[Nigel Smith]

Does the failing PC have wireless, ethernet, or both?

If it was working and now isn't, you haven't made any changes to Retrospect client or server, and you also have a PC that it *is* working on... I'd say the first thing to do is to play "spot the difference" between the two PCs -- why are they behaving differently to the same cues?