"Error occurred while reading the file" is a VERY BAD error message in CPHO
When I tried to back up recently using Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (CPHO), the backup failed during the scanning stage with the message ""Error occurred while reading the file. Check for a solution." (That's a link to the actual page.)
This is a very poor error message. It's inconsistent with usability, supportability, and maintainability. It presents no helpful information to the person who is trying to troubleshoot it.
A Possible Fix For This Problem
A friendly support person, Vishal, pointed me to the log file that provides a hint:
C:\ProgramData\Acronis\CyberProtectHomeOffice\Logs\ti_demon
In that folder, there are log files for backups.
(This is very, very poorly documented on the Acronis site. The location of the log files is not in the user manual. Knowledgebase entries refer to log locations for Acronis True Image, but not for CPHO.)
Look for the log file timestamped with the failed backup attempt. In that file, there's a hint that's useful to support people and to people who've been through this process. Here's an example:
| Path: \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy29\Users\Michael\iCloudDrive\Downloads\FAKE_AI\Fake AI.mobi
Notice that the path to the file that was causing trouble is embedded in that string (I've put it in bold). The support person recommended that I add "C:\Users\Michael\iCloud" to the Exclusions list, which is available as a table under Backups/Backup, and the Options button at the bottom of the screen.
That seems to be have addressed the problem for me so far.
Why This Is A Bad Error Message
The software stumbles over a particular file. The software has, in memory, the path to that file. The software stores a record (somewhat cryptically) of the file that's causing it problems.
The software could relay this information to the user.
Better yet, the software could post a prompt that says "We're having trouble reading the file foo in the folder c:\foobar\bar. Would you like to add this folder to the exclusion list?" and continue.
Arguably better yet, the software skip this file, proceed through the backup, and then post a report noting which files or folders were skipped, and THEN ALSO ask if the files should be added to the exclusion list.
The best error message is the one you never see, because the software handles the problem invisibiy and gracefully.
The next best is the one wherein the software deals with the problem and moves on, and reports the problem to you clearly.
The next best is the one that, when the product gets stuck, tells specifically what the problem was (instead of "Error occurred"), and which file was involved "while reading the file", and provides you with a link to an actual knowledgebase entry. That's pretty bad already, but it's not the worse.
The wost error message I can imagine is a hang with no information at all. But "Error occurred while reading the file" is damned close to that.
Thank you for that reply, Steve.
Now: would someone who actually works for Acronis like to offer a reply, or is it the case that the company simply doesn't care?
---Michael B.
Michael Bolton wrote:Thank you for that reply, Steve.
Now: would someone who actually works for Acronis like to offer a reply, or is it the case that the company simply doesn't care?
---Michael B.
Please don't hold your breath Michael...!