CrashPlan is Reporting Inaccurate Information (When and How to Clear Your Cache)
Affects
CrashPlan+ and CrashPlan PRO
Symptoms
CrashPlan reports there are no files to restore, or some files look missing from the Restore window. CrashPlan is unable to connect to backups. CrashPlan is reporting incorrect information about your backup status or reports that it is backing up your entire computer all over again.
Diagnosis
CrashPlan has a cache of temporary information that it stores on your computer, much like a web browser does. This cache is built based on the backup information on all of your destinations, what data you have on your computer, and lots of other settings to help keep CrashPlan running fast. Sometimes this data becomes outdated or gets modified by another process on your computer and CrashPlan starts reporting inaccurate information about your backup status, what files are available to restore from your backup destinations, or any number of other things that CrashPlan will present to you.
Solutions
Clearing the cache is a quick procedure for our customers to use and is always a great step in troubleshooting issues in CrashPlan. It does not affect the data stored in your backups or change your settings.
CrashPlan Central
If you are seeing discrepancies with information about your backups on CrashPlan Central, just follow the steps below:
- Open the CrashPlan desktop application
- Double-click the CrashPlan logo in the upper right
- CrashPlan+ US customers, type in the following: backup.replace 42
- CrashPlan+ Australia customers, type in the following: backup.replace 61
- Press Enter on your keyboard
CrashPlan will immediately erase its cache files on your computer and start synchronizing your file selection to your backup destinations to create a new set of information about the status of your backups, what files are available to restore, and how to connect to the CrashPlan Central servers. Please allow CrashPlan time to complete this process.
CrashPlan PRO Online
If you are seeing discrepancies with information about your backups on CrashPlan PRO Online, just follow the steps below:
- Open the CrashPlan desktop application
- Double-click the CrashPlan logo in the upper right
- CrashPlan PRO Online US customers, type in the following: backup.replace 41
- CrashPlan PRO Online Australia customers, type in the following: backup.replace 62
- Press Enter on your keyboard
CrashPlan will immediately erase its cache files on your computer and start synchronizing your file selection to your backup destinations to create a new set of information about the status of your backups, what files are available to restore, and how to connect to the CrashPlan PRO Online servers. Please allow CrashPlan time to complete this process.
Friend (Peer-to-Peer) Backup, Local Backup, Manual Cache Clearing
If you are seeing discrepancies with information about your backups on Friend computers, you will need to clear the CrashPlan caches manually. Follow the steps below:
- Stop the CrashPlan Backup Engine
- Instructions on stopping the engine can be found here: http://support.crashplan.com/doku.php/recipe/stop_and_start_engine
- Navigate to the following directory depending on your operating system:
- Mac OS X – /Library/Caches/CrashPlan
- Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 2008 – C:\Program Files\CrashPlan\cache
- Windows XP / 2003 – C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\CrashPlan\cache
- Linux – /usr/local/crashplan/cache
- Delete all files and folders found within this folder.
- NOTE: If you are only having trouble with Friend (peer-to-peer) or local backups, delete all files and folders that are not numbered 41, 42, 61, or 62.
- Empty your trash
- Start the CrashPlan Backup Engine
- Instructions on starting the engine can be found here: http://support.crashplan.com/doku.php/recipe/stop_and_start_engine