Troubleshooting the Backup Client
Data Backup
and Personal Firewalls
Error: not
able to validate username or password
Using the data
backup client with AOL
Trouble with customized
versions of the data backup client and Personal
Firewalls
Some clients running Zone Alarm as a personal
firewall with the data backup client software have
had a few false alarms and concerns
of "unknown software" running on the client
machine. Trouble is, when Zone Alarm alerts users to
a new port being accessed, the
software is identified as "NovaNet-Web Client".
There are a number of these personal firewall
applications including BlackIce, Zone Alarm and
Norton that will give the same
notification. Most of them give you the option to
register "safe" applications.
To correct this, you will need to add "NovaNet-WEB
Client" as a permitted, "safe" application within
your personal firewall software.
| Error:
not able to validate username or
password
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Some backup service users are getting an error
such as "Error: not able to validate username or
password" when trying to authenticate
their accounts. If you are receiving this error,
it is most likely due to a changed default setting
in the data backup client software.
To correct this error, run the data backup client
and click "View" - "Options" - "General". On the
lower half of the screen
(shown at right) that you opened is a
section called "Backup Server Authentication".
Select the radio button that reads
"Specify credentials for authentication"
and add your UserID and Password. The option to "Use
current credentials" will not authenticate
the account.
| Using the
data backup client with AOL
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There are special considerations when using the
data backup client with American Online (AOL). The
following information
addresses two problems identified when using AOL
as your dial-up connection:
The first problem most people experience is the
inability to dial an AOL connection directly from
the data backup client.
The second is problem that results in the AOL
connection being dropped because of the inactivity
timeout function built into AOL.
Since AOL uses a proprietary dialing scheme, you
will NOT be able to utilize the standard dial-up
"Connection" options in the data
backup software. For that matter, many
applications that would typically dial directly to
an ISP will experience the same problem, so
the following workaround may also be appropriate
for those applications as well.
First, you must configure a default dial-up
connection that launches AOL anytime an Internet
connection is required. To do this,
follow these steps:
- Open Control Panel (Start->Settings->Control
Panel), and launch the "Internet Options"
dialog. /li>
- Select the "Connection" tab.
- Highlight the AOL connection in the "Dial-up
settings" list
- Click the bullet next to "Always dial my
default connection" to select it
- Click the "Set Default" button
- Click "OK" to save the changes and close the
dialog.
You must next configure the data backup client to
NOT dial AOL directly. Steps follow:
- Launch the data backup client
- From the menu, select
"View->Options->General"
- Click on the "Connection" tab to select
- Uncheck "Connect to the server using Dial-up
Networking"
- Click "OK" to save the changes and close the
dialog
TThis should now run either manually (Backup Now),
or from the scheduler, and use AOL as the connection
to the Internet.
The "inactivity timeout" problem occurs because
AOL does not recognize any Internet "activity" that
occurs outside of the normal
AOL application. Again, many applications share
this same problem, so this workaround would be
appropriate for them as well.
In order to "trick" AOL into "thinking" that
there is activity occurring, you must download and
install a 3rd party utility. There are a
number of such utilities available over the
Internet. However, be aware that NOT all work with
every version of AOL. Many,
for example, will work with version 4 and 5, but
NOT version 6. Further, while some of these
utilities are free (freeware) other vendors
charge for enhanced functionality that may be
desirable.
That said, for the basic requirement of
maintaining an AOL connection, you may want to use
the freeware utility called
"Momo's AOL Anti-idle". The latest version can be
downloaded at:
http://www.cosmicat.com/software/antiidle/
Note: We make no claims or guarantees as to
the appropriateness, usability or functionality of
this utility, and presents it here
solely for the benefit of its customers.
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