Acronis suddenly asks for Windows credentials
I went to make changes to a backup and suddenly I'm being asked for my Windows credentials. I entered them and I keep being asked for them. I've entered every pair of usernames and passwords that I can think of and I keep being asked. I've never been asked for the creds. before. I've been using Acronis for three years. I even entered my network credentials since my backup drives are plugged into my router, to no avail. Any ideas?
I just figured it out. I'd forgotten that my router doesn't let you choose a username, and the username that's required is "admin". They did confuse me, however, by asking for "Windows" credentials. My backup drives are shares and require logging in for access.
Alright! Glad you found your reason. Please provide screenshot here about the ATIH message it should not state Windows credentials, if the target is not a Windows device.
Since I entered the correct credentials for Acronis True Image to gain access to the shares on my external HD's, the sign-in window no longer will show up. It most definitely said along the top border of the window to enter my Windows credentials, however. As I said, that's what got me confused. I've searched for a way to log out of the shares in order to have to sign in again, but I haven't a clue as to how to accomplish that. I've looked all over the True Image program, and I've looked in the router configuration settings as well. So I,m unable to provide a screenshot. If you have any ideas on how I can log off I'd appreciate it. Why and how I got logged off in the first place is a mystery as well. I suppose I could uninstall-reinstall, but I'd rather not deal with that headache.
On my main computer, I use Storage Craft's Shadow Protect for backing up. I greatly prefer this program, but I didn't want to shell out another $100 for a license for the other computer. In Shadow Protect, when creating any backup, having to enter the router credentials is built into the process. The credentials must be entered each time. Not so with True Image. In True Image, they're entered one time only. They're not needed on any subsequent backups that are created.
I think it would be ok if Acronis would make use of the Windows Security Storage for saving network passwords so the user does not get asked for credentials every time. This makes a lot of sense. However in my described problem, the problem is that ATIH is specificially not asking for credentials, not even on a newly created job and thus the job does fails as ATIH does not authenticate. tbh why and why not this works for some computers here and some not is a miracle to me.
The only reason why my backup programs, (ATI & Shadow Protect) ask for credentials is because of the way I have my backup drives configured in my router. Each partition is a share and so it is necessary to provide credentials in order to gain access to them. When I had them plugged straight into the computer then credentials weren't necessary. ATI asks for them only the first time access is attempted. It never asks for them from then on. I'm not sure why the program no longer had access the other day and asked for the credentials once again. I did flash my bios, but whether or not that caused it to ask, I just don't know. Shadow Protect will ask for credentials for each new backup that's created, (not each time any particular backup runs). The only thing I might suggest, which I'm sure has already come to mind, is to uninstall and remove any trace of the program, then start from scratch.
Hello dcmargo54 and Karl,
It is a known issue that under certain conditions, listed below, when you want to save changes, made to backup task, or create a new backup job, dialog window with incorrect title "Enter your Windows credentials" appears, requiring you to enter your network location credentials, not Windows account credentials:
1) credentials cache HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Acronis\Connections\smb does not contain a pair of correct user name and obfuscated password
2) network folder is mapped as a network drive in Windows
3) you attempt to access the network drive by its drive letter, e.g. Z:, rather than specifying path like \\myserver\backups
In such case Acronis True Image 2016 uses Windows Credentials storage in the browse dialog, allowing you to select desired destination without prompting you for credentials. However, when you are done with modifications to backup task and want to save changes, pressing on green "Backup now" or "Backup later" buttons, the program "discovers" that HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Acronis\Connections\smb does not have valid credentials and shows dialog box, wrongly titled "Enter your Windows credentials". After you enter credentials, they are remembered in the registry and later this issue will not reproduce.
Additionally, if the registry cache does not contain correct user name and you type mapped drive letter manually in the address bar, e.g. Z: and hit Enter, you will be asked for credentials twice: first the program will show "Authentication settings" dialog asking for network folder user name and password, then allow you to browse the network resource, but when you attempt to save changes, you will still see that dialog "Enter your Windows credentials". Probably that was what happened in dcmargo54`s case and second credentials prompt caused confusion.
Karl has described a valid workaround for this issue at http://forum.acronis.com/forum/112041#comment-334760 : clear the cache. Indeed, if the program does not find correct credentials in its registry cache, it will ask for them in the browse window, when you will attempt to acccess the network resource for the first time. The dialog box will be named "Authentication settings" and you will clearly see that you are asked for network folder credentials, not Windows account`s user name and password.
A few other notes. Cache HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Acronis\Connections\smb is used only when you use program`s user interface to browse network, change backup settings or delete backup. If you have modified or deleted the cache you need to restart Acronis True Image 2016 for changes to take effect.
Credentials for running backups are stored for each task individually at C:\ProgramData\Acronis\TrueImageHome\Scripts. They are taken from "master" credentials cache HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Acronis\Connections automatically, this is why you do not need to enter credentials each time you create a new backup job.
Regards,
Slava
Thanks for the tips here ... they were a big help and the problem is now solved..
In my case I was backing up to the NAS so it wasn't WINDOWS CREDENTIALS needed but the details to log in to the NAS .. a little more about what is really required would be a big help.
My problem is solved so I am off and running with a ten minuite hiccup..I have had much worse..
Hello Trevor,
Glad to hear that backups are now running successfully.
We have published a knowledge base article about troubleshooting issues with NAS credentials: https://kb.acronis.com/node/58004/. The issue that you have faced has been included in the article.
Developers are aware of confusing title "Enter your Windows Credentials" while it actually asks for NAS credentials, and aim to correct it in next versions.
Regards,
Slava
I also keep getting the "Enter your Windows credentials" box. Why would it want windows credentials for a Linux-based NAS? I checked the knowledge base article. The directions are too obtuse for me to follow. Normally if a program can only run by editing and deleting sections of the registry I find a different program. Is it really that complicated to get this program to run? Is there a way to get a refund? Why do I even ask.
Just enter your NAS credentials instead. Acronis should remember them from then on. This is what I had to do and it worked for me.
Ditto to dcmargo54's post. The label is missing. Enter the credentials of the share/device where the data will be accessing.
If it doesn't like the standard username and password, then it woudl normally be something like:
devicename\username
Heyo. Welcome to this old discussion into 2018!
It's been more than two years, and multiple Acronis updates, but this situation is not changed/fixed.
I'd like to add another scenario/symptom for Acronis to fix:
Part 1:
I use Acronis on my notebook, with a daily backup scheduled to backup to my NAS at home. Works fine when I'm at home. When my notebook is not at home, like when I'm traveling, the Acronis schedule tried to run but it can't connect to my NAS (at home), it tries for a long time but eventually errors out on its own. This isn't a problem in itself, but when I try to shutdown my notebook during this scenario Acronis will not allow me to shutdown the notebook. The shutdown screen shows a message "... Acronis is performing operations and will shutdown after it is done in about 2 minutes". So, I have to wait... and wait... it's a pain and it shouldn't work this way.
Part 2:
After waiting, and then later booting up again, I decided to temporarily disable the backup schedule and I would turn it back on again when I return home. However, when I attempted to modify/disable the backup schedule, Acronis prompted me for my "Windows credentials". After reading this post, I attempted to use my NAS credentials, but it doesn't work because Acronis can't connect to my NAS (at home) while I'm traveling so it can't validate the username/password. So, I can't disable the schedule. So, I'm stuck in the scenario I described in Part 1 above.
Part 3:
I was able to change the scheduled backup's 'backup destination' to my local C drive, and then I was able to change the schedule without being prompted for credentials. Success! I no longer get stuck for two minutes when attempting to shutdown my notebook.
Part 4: I will need to put my backup job back together again when I get home, assuming I remember to do that.
Recommendation:
Please consider a revised approach to dealing with a NAS based backup when a notebook is traveling away/disconnected from the NAS such that it doesn't force the notebook/customer to wait for a simple shutdown.
Regards,
Dan
Dan, from what I understand of your post above, this is not directly related to this specific topic, but is rather an issue caused because your destination NAS location for a scheduled backup task is/was not available when you were away from home.
This is unlikely to be resolved by a change in the ATI product as it would require significant design changes to identify that you might be on a different network, even if the IP addresses given by your DHCP server might be in the same range & subnet.
There is a simple way around this issue, which is to use a Pre Command for your backup task that checks for your home NAS and only proceeds if the test is successful.
Please see the Useful Links > MVP User Tools and Tutorials resources where you will find a PDF file 'Pre Command Test Network Drive.PDF' which a working example of doing the above.
After I want to add a new backup in ATI2018 - I get the same box asking me for Windows credentials...
In my case this really doesn't make sense, as target for my backup is FTP server - and I have added credentials/tested connection at the time when I was selecting target...
Or course nor the ftp user/pass nor the current windows user's user/pass info are accepted...
Any ideas what Acronis wants from me?
Found a solution.... closed acronis, opened regedit, and deleted the credentials/ftp entry for this ftp site.
Restarted acronis, readded backup, and it went thru without asking me for credentials.
All good.
Jaka Mele wrote:Found a solution.... closed acronis, opened regedit, and deleted the credentials/ftp entry for this ftp site.
Restarted acronis, readded backup, and it went thru without asking me for credentials.
All good.
Thank you for taking the time to share your solution!