Notification Emails Fail to Work!

Same problem here; working fine before latest update.

I've reported it via the 'Feedback Form' together with a copy of the 'System Report', so let's see what they come back with.

Mine suddenly stopped working as well.  I swear they continued for a bit after I updated.

I'm sending notifications to a gmail addy.  Thinking maybe gmail did something

Folks, my notifications also stopped working recently with Gmail, I have them working again by changing the SMTP server port and security from 465 SSL to 587 TLS.

Note: You need to click on TLS first as it will reset the port to 465 when selected, then manually change the port to 587.

Thanks Steve.  That appears to have fixed things.

How did you come up with this?

Bob, I am using a mix of Gmail and Outlook accounts for email notifications, where the latter uses port 587 and TLS by default.  I started getting the failures for my Gmail accounts so tried switching to TLS 587 and test messages were successful again!  At other times, I have had to switch back to using port 465 and SSL for Gmail, so not sure why this keeps fluctuating other than it being something at the Gmail end of the chain!

FYI, the reason this issue just came up is because of this Gmail change.

In theory, Acronis could release an update to not use SSLv3 and RC4, but what would be the point when the user can just switch to TLS (on port 587).

Thank you for sharing the link to the Google change web information, I have posted this as a Security Issue in the private MVP Forum.

My email notifications started to fail yesterday and I decided to do a quick search of the forums. This fix works for me also. Very impressed not only that the fix was here but the background on why the fix was necessary was also here. Thanks so much for your posts on this topic. They are very much appreciated!!

I to, would also like to add my thanks to those who have posted on here with the fix to this problem and the background as to what caused it in the first instance.  It is very much appreciated.

My notifications are once again working having now made the suggested change to 'TLS'.

Thanks again.

Graham

 Acronis True Image 2015 Email notification stopped working June 23. Have tried port 465 SSL and port 587 TSL. Neither worked. Back up is working fine. What to try next? 

Nancy, are you using Gmail for your Email Notifications or a different email provider?

The current discussion has mainly focussed on Gmail due to increased security changes that they introduced.

If you have Gmail, then you need to set encryption to TLS first, then change the port to 587 and do this in that order, as selecting TLS will reset the port back to 465!

If you are using a different email provider then you may need to check if they too have introduced any changes?

I changed to TLS 587 and notifications are working.  Curious, as I'm still using SSL 465 with Outlook for my G-mail, and it's never had a problem.  Why is Outlook still working with SSL 465 if the failure was due to a G-mail change?

Nancy, do you have a firewall that restricts outgoing ports?  I have a Sonic Wall Hardware firewall and I had to open TCP port 587 outgoing before notifications would work.

Thanks,
Joe

Joe, the issue is with the version of SSL that is used under the covers in ATIH that Google Mail have now stopped from being used due to security concerns, hence Outlook uses the more secure versions that ATIH doesn't.

See https://googleappsupdates.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/disabling-support-for-sslv3-and-rc4-for.html

Hello,

Tried to do it in the described way using Gmail: Chanced to TLS and afterwards to port 587. But it also doesn't work with this parameters.

Same message "Versenden der Testnachricht fehlgeschlagen. Authentifizierung fehlgeschlagen." by using the test message.

Backup was working well today.

Has someone any further idea?Thanks

Wolf

Update: filled all fieds like address and password again and used TLS/587 and now it works - whyever   :-)

Thank you for your tips

Thanks Steve, that explains it.

Joe

Hi,

I started to encounter this problem last week.  The suggested change to port 587 and TLS worked fine on my Windows 7 system, but I continue to receive error messages when attempting to send a test message on my three Windows 10 PCs.  The Windows 7 PC is using ATI 2013 and the Windows 10 PCs are using ATI 2015.  I've reentered all of the notification information and that didn't work.  I created a new backup, and I've turned off my Norton Security Suite firewall for a test.  Nothing works.  I thought the Comcast router firewall might be causing the problem, but then the Windows 7 PC should fail.  I'm not certain what to try next.

Gary

Gary, if you have this working on your Windows 7 system but not on Windows 10 when using the same email provider (ISP), credentials and settings, then I am puzzled also as to why this won't work for you!

Have you tried setting up a new backup task on one of the Windows 10 systems, even if for just a single folder and test your email settings with that?

I still have this working with a mix of ATI 2015, 2016 & 2017 Beta with Gmail, Outlook.com and my private ISP at 1and1.co.uk when using TLS / 587.  Out of interest, there was another forum thread I saw which suggested trying port 567 for TLS that one of the Acronis support folk wrote, that may we worth a try if all else fails.  587 works fine for me.

Steve,

I'm puzzled and frustrated.  I created a new backup task on a PC where I did a clean installation of Windows 10 last week.  I haven't installed many products on it; ATI 2015, SyncBackFree, Norton Security Suite from Comcast, Adobe Reader PC, and a genealogy program.  After setting up the notification portion of the new backup task, I tried the Send Test Message and received the same Network Error message.  I tried port 567 with TLS, and it gave me a Mail Server Error.  I'll probably open an issue with Google to see if they have a way to determine the cause of my Network Error.  I also looked at Event Viewer, and there was nothing for the time of the last test email attempt.

I also looked at the Mail App from Windows 10.  I had never configured it or tried to use it because prior to Windows 10 it didn't work with Gmail.  I'll probably look at it a little more.

If I remember correctly, ATI 2015 doesn't keep a copy of the log on disk, so the log is only available from email.  Are you aware of a place a log may be kept?

Gary

Gary, to answer the last question first, please download the Log File Viewer app from the forum which will let you look at the logs for ATIH 2015 / 2016.

If you are using a Google Mail account for your email notifications, then please see the attached document on setting up Gmail access for less secure apps (which Acronis is treated as!).

Steve,

Thanks for all of your help.  I've opened an issue with Google.  I tried everything on the pdf.  Access for less secure apps was already turned on, so I turned it off, tried, and turned it back on.  All network errors.  I allowed access to my Google account, and I still get a network error.

From a Google search I've also seen issues with port 587 and Windows 10, and some of them were resolved wth the Nov Windows 10 update, which I have installed.

The Log Viewer app works fine, so I will use it until this gets fixed(if ever).

Gary

Gary & Steve

I don't believe anyone has come up with the definitive answer to this problem.

My experience is as follows. I am still using ATIH 2011 - I tried ATI 2016 but found it the interface almost unusable! Anyway, I started getting the problem with email notifications to gmail about two weeks ago. I was using the 587/TLS combo with gmail set to allow access to less secure apps.

I hav tried evry combination of port/encryption with no success. But here's the thing. ATIH 2011 has ATI on-line integrated and it allows email notification. I have set email notification within ATI online to 587/TLS and it works flawlessly; this is the case for two machines on the same network.

So this seems to me to eliminate as the cause anything to do with gmail security, network and firewall settings, and other software etc. I have done just about everything I can think of - setting up new tasks, ATI repair install, reinstall, restore from system image and so on, but zilch! And, of course, becasue AATIH is unsupported its nothing to do with Acronis updates. So I'm guessing it has something to do with Windows updates which affect the main application but not the online application.

Any ideas?

Jim D

Jim, I have just tested this on my Windows 10 / ATIH 2016 build 6571 system with a new backup task and email notifications going via SMTP.GMAIL.COM using TLS Port 587 and was able successfully send a test message on my first attempt.  I also have this working fine with smtp-mail.outlook.com​ and the same TLS 587 settings, plus also with auth.smtp.1and1.co.uk for my web host ISP email server.

Steve and Jim,

I have uninstalled and reinstalled ATI 2015 and no success.  Google replied that the error code is a Windows update error, and think there is a configuration error causing the problem.  I've opened an issue with Microsoft, and so far the replies have been questions.

I remembered that I also have email with Comcast, so I created a new backup using Comcast with port 465 and SSL.  No problems with that send of the email.  I'm looking at what may be needed to use port 587 and TLS with Comcast.

Gary

Hi Gary & Steve

Thanks for getting back to me so promptly.

I have been doing some additional testing on this problem but without reaching a resolution. Here is where I am at:

I have three machines in my network. All are configured as near as possible to be exactly the same so that we can use them interchangeably if we have problems. The basic set up is: Windows 7 Home Premium, Outlook 2010, AVG Antivirus, Windows firewall, ATIH 2011 for incremental backups, disk imaging and online backups (I use another product for file syncing as my basic backup method!). So:

1. All three machines display the same symptoms ie ATI message notification works fine with the online component with the 587/TLS setting, but will not work with file & disk backup tasks.

2. I thought ATI might not be altering its scripts properly but have checked that this OK. The logs for completed tasks show that they are being completed correctly.

3. ATI notification used to work with the 465/SSL combo before the gmail changes. But now none of 587/TSL 465/TSL or 465/SSL will produce a test message. This includes new file backups. As Steve has already noted Outlook will send on either 465/SSL or 587/TSL.

4. I have run sfc /scannow to repair Windows which turned out to be fine.

So is a possible explanation that 465/SSL stopped working because of the gmail security changes. And that 587/TSL has never worked for file backups in older ATI products? If so why does it work for the online component?

Baffling eh!

Steve and Jim,

I tested with port 587 and TLS using my Comcast email.  It worked fine.  The Microsoft Community person I've been working with feels that with the Comcast account working my issue is solved, but he has indicated I might have some configuration issues with my email account.  I'm going to pursue with him.

Google asked about the error code for the network error.  I told them that I didn't know if the error code was an Acronis error code or something that Windows 10 produced and Acronis just passed it on in their message.  Is there a way to find out?  Google also said I should have POP or IMAP enabled, and I have both enabled.  I'm asking them if that is a problem.

As along as I use the Comcast email account, I receive the ATI emails.  Very confusing as to why Gmail doesn't work.

Gary

Gary, in your Google account, you may need to disable 2-step verification if it is enabled.  Or, you may need to allow "less secure apps" in Google. 

I haven't enabled 2-step verification for Google and I've already allowed "less secure apps".  The Microsoft Community member has a number of questions, so I'll continue to pursue with him.  My ATI full image backups from yesterday and today all successfully sent emails.  The Win 10 PC used the Comcast email account, and the Win 7 PC used the Gmail account.

Gary

Hi Gary & Steve

Gary - glad to see that you at least have made some progress.

As for myself, I think I have pretty well exhausted all options. I know I am using an old version of ATI and this is the wrong forum. But I think my build of ATI 2011 (the latest) does not support TLS apart from the on-line component. My grounds for thinking this are that If i try to send a test message with 587/TLS as parameters I receive an error, and the related event log displays "sslv3 alert handshake failure" in the resultant log every time I try. The online component succeeds and doesn't generate an event log.

I have tried every option suggested in this forum withou success, even copying and pasting the parameters from the TI online component (which works!) to a new file backup (which then doesn't). So, unless anyone can throw any extra light on this I guess I'll just have to live with it.

I tried ATI 2016 and found an early version practically unusable after ATI 2011. I don't wish to upgrade simply to resolve this problem, but I guess I might have to steel myself for an eventual upgrade.

Steve - could you suggest the most practical upgrade path bearing in mind that I wish to retain access to my existing backups - lots of archive .tibs and online backups.

Thanks in advance.

Jim D

Jim, 

I am not sure that there is a practical upgrade path from your ATIH 2011 to ATIH 2016 or later, due to the stated backward compatability of archive files between different versions of ATIH / Acronis products.

See KB document: 1689: Backup Archive Compatibility Across Different Product Versions which shows the following:

This shows that you would need ATIH 2015 to maintain compatibility with your ATIH 2011 archive .TIB files, including those in online storage.

One thing that I am not sure about is whether the online storage you have for ATIH 2011 is the same as the Acronis Cloud storage servers used for ATIH 2015 - 2016 and later?  You would need to reach out to Acronis Support to confirm if that is so or not.

It may be worth trying out a trial of ATIH 2016 (on a spare computer if you have one) and test to see if it can read your 2011 .TIB files or not?  Although the above tables / KB document state it doesn't have backward compatibility to that version, other users have found that 2016  can open / read such files from older versions though Acronis would not guarantee this and probably haven't tested it.

Thanks so much!!! Acronis support has been jerking me around for the past 1 1/2 months about this. Their latest suggestion was to install Thunderbird and/or open a Gmail account... hrmpph.....same isp, same settings, and somehow that's supposed to fix things??? LOLOL. As with everyone else in here, the problem began with the latest build for Acronis 2018, Build 11530.

My email notifications worked fine for a couple years and then suddenly didn't work. So I was told to set them up from the online dashboard. That worked for a short time and then also began failing.

Seems to me it has nothing to do with any of our email clients. Seems to me that when a problem occurs for many that are using different email clients, and the problem pops up immediately AFTER an Acronis update....hmmmmm...ya think it might be an Acronis problem??

Anyway, thanks so much Steve!! I changed from SSL to TLS and now the notifications are being sent successfully from my local machine. I havn't bothered to check out the online dashboard... right now I am so tired of this problem and overall am totally disgusted with Acronis support.

Hello Raean,

thank you for taking the time to post about the issue!  I'm sorry to know about the difficulties you had to experience in order to get the issue resolved. We'll review your ticket internally and make sure all involved engineers receive feedback from the quality team. Hope the things continue to be normal for you and backups will be running smoothly.