A scheduled backup did not run
Last night's backup is not there. Go down this list: each item is a reason a scheduled backup waits or does not start, with the fix.
A scheduled backup that did not run is almost always waiting for something, or was told not to run. Go down this list in order. Each check takes a few seconds.
Where to look first#
- Home. Requires attention names a job that has not completed for more than one and a half times its schedule, for example Documents & Desktop last completed Yesterday 02:00.
- The job's page (Jobs ▸ click the job) ▸ Runs: the last runs and their results.
- Activity: every run and restore, with its result.
- The agent's log: Settings ▸ Advanced ▸ Open logs folder, then the newest
agent-YYYY-MM-DD.log. Lines that start with[schedule]say what the scheduler did with each job and why, for example deferred: the destination drive H: is not connected.
The checklist#
1. The job is off, or has no schedule#
On the Jobs page, the job's On switch must be on. Disabled · needs Home or Pro means the trial ended and the job was not one of the two kept on Free. A job set to Manual only runs only when you press Run. A Once, on job ran once and has no next run.
2. The PC was off or asleep#
A backup cannot run on a PC that is off. When the PC is back on, a missed backup runs straight away if it is less than 12 hours late (the job's Run a missed backup as soon as possible, but not more than 12 hours late). Later than that, it counts as missed and waits for its next time, so a 02:00 backup does not start at 17:00 while you work.
Wake the computer to run (on by default) wakes a PC that is asleep a minute before the run, if the Windows power plan allows wake timers. A PC that is shut down cannot be woken. For a PC that is off every night, pick a time it is usually on. See Missed runs and Keeping the PC awake for a backup.
3. Nobody was signed in#
Normally the background agent runs under your Windows account, from the moment you sign in. Locking the PC is fine; signing out stops the agent, and no backup runs until someone signs in again. To back up with nobody signed in, turn on service mode (Pro). See Running backups with nobody signed in.
4. The trial ended#
When the trial is over, backups pause until you choose an edition, and GBM AI opens on the decision screen. The notification-area icon says Trial ended — backups paused. See When the trial ends.
5. Scheduled backups are paused#
Pausing from the notification-area icon (Pause scheduled backups ▸ For 4 hours and so on) holds every scheduled backup. Home says Scheduled backups are paused until … with Resume now. A backup that fell due during the pause runs when the pause ends. See Pausing scheduled backups.
6. On battery, or in quiet hours#
With Skip if the computer is on battery on, a laptop off its charger waits, and the backup starts once it is plugged in, inside the catch-up window. With quiet hours set, no scheduled backup starts inside them; the backup waits for them to end.
7. The backup drive was not plugged in#
A scheduled backup whose USB drive is not connected waits for it: the agent checks every 30 seconds and starts the backup the moment the drive is back, under any letter, for as long as the catch-up window allows. A notification says the job is waiting. After the window the run counts as missed. See Destination not connected, or not answering.
8. The rhythm is When I sign in to Windows#
This rhythm runs a few minutes after each sign-in to Windows. Waking the PC from sleep, or unlocking it, is not a sign-in, so it does not run then. With service mode on, it follows the sign-ins of the account that turned service mode on. For a laptop that mostly sleeps and wakes, Daily at a time it is usually on, with Run a missed backup on, is more reliable. See The six schedule rhythms.
9. The job was already running#
If a run of the same job is still going, or queued, when its next time comes, no second run starts: the one already there covers it. Another job's run makes this one queue and start when it finishes.
Still nothing#
If none of these fits, run the job by hand (Run on the Jobs page). If that works, the schedule is the question: open the job's Schedule tab to see its next runs. If the run fails, its report names the error and the fix; see Error codes. Then contact support with the diagnostics and a support bundle.
A missed backup, and a backup waiting for its drive, show a Windows notification even with the window closed, and Activity lists them, with waits for mains power or quiet hours, the next time you open it. The signals that always reach you are Home's Requires attention, the next time you open GBM AI, and the weekly summary email (Home and Pro, Settings ▸ Notifications ▸ Email).