Skipped files: why a run finished amber
Completed with skipped files means the run finished but some files were not stored. The reasons, what to do about each, and the three buttons under the list.
On this page
An amber block in a job's Last 14 runs means Completed with skipped files: the run finished and wrote its set, but some files are not in it. The report lists every one with its reason.
Two tabs to read#
- Skipped: files the run could not read from your PC.
- Errors: files that were read but not stored, files that failed the check after the run, and source folders that could not be read at all. An amber run can have entries here too, so look at both tabs.
The reasons on the Skipped tab#
| Reason | What happened | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| In use by another program | the file was open and there was no snapshot to read it from | let the job take a snapshot; see Needs administrator. A browser cache being skipped is harmless. |
| Access denied | Windows would not let the agent read the file | restart the agent as administrator (Settings ▸ Advanced ▸ Restart as administrator), or exclude the folder |
| Deleted or moved before it could be read | the file went between the scan and the copy | nothing; it is gone from the source too |
| Could not be read | any other read error, for example a damaged file or a disk with bad sectors | check the source drive; run the job again |
| Only in the cloud; could not be downloaded | a OneDrive or Dropbox file kept online only, and the computer was offline or the sync app was not running (or the backup ran with nobody signed in) | nothing: the next backup tries again. Start OneDrive if it is closed. See OneDrive, Dropbox and Google Drive folders |
| Only in the cloud; not downloaded, its drive is short of space | downloading it would have left less than 2 GB free on its drive | free some space on that drive |
| Only in the cloud; this job leaves such files out | the job's Back up files that are only in the cloud is off | turn it on in the job's settings (Settings step ▸ Advanced) if you want them |
| Too large for the backup drive | the backup drive is FAT32, which holds files under 4 GB | back up to an NTFS or exFAT drive, or turn compression on (a file that compresses well may fit) |
Files a filter leaves out are not skipped. They never appear here; the wizard's estimate counts them as Excluded.
The reasons on the Errors tab#
| Reason | What to do |
|---|---|
| The stored copy failed verification | run the job again; see Verification failed |
| Could not be written to the destination | check the destination drive or share |
| Its drive was disconnected during the run | reconnect the source drive and run the job again |
| This source folder no longer exists; its earlier backups are kept | a whole source folder is gone: edit the job and remove or replace it |
| Its drive isn't connected; its earlier backups are kept | the source is on a drive that is unplugged: plug it in and run the job again |
| Access to this source folder was denied; its earlier backups are kept | restart the agent as administrator, or remove the source |
A run that ran out of space on the destination does not finish amber: it fails with E-DEST-002.
The three buttons#
Under the list:
- Add a rule for these opens the job's editor on the What step with the filter editor open and an exclude rule for each listed file. Click Save changes and they stay out from the next run. Right for caches and temporary files.
- Ask Genie why opens Ask Genie with a question already typed: the job, how many files were skipped and the first file's path. Nothing is sent until you press Ask; then it uses one prompt. It needs a sign-in.
- Retry just these starts a run that tries only the listed files. Good after you closed Outlook, or plugged in the drive the files were on.
Should I worry?#
Read the list once. If it is caches and lock files, add a rule and forget it. If it is your Outlook mailbox every night, fix open-file support. If it is Access denied on a folder you care about, act on it today.
The notification When a backup finishes with skipped files is on by default. Turn it off under Settings ▸ Notifications once the rules are tidy.