Importing Backup records by device (to import all backup records for the entire device, either on a 'Local Backup' device or a 'Cloud Backup' S3 device) (21.x and newer versions)

Note: For a more in depth version of this condensed (and combined FPI device types) KB article, we have a separate KB article for 'Cloud Backup' device type Import here, and we have a separate KB article for 'Local Backup' (Local drive path, or a UNC network path) device type Import here. There are unique aspects per each of those two FPI device types to know about.

Importing backup records (otherwise known as "restore index records") from an entire 'Local Backup' (Local drive path, or a UNC network path, but if UNC network path please read special note at the bottom of this KB article about a caveat or special mention about that to know about), or 'Cloud Backup' device (we have a separate KB article for Cloud Import here), which has to be a non-Legacy backup device in that case, may be necessary, if your machine crashes or you wish to restore a backup created on one computer to another computer (for instance if you want to clean install the backup client on a replacement computer but that replacement machine with the client that you installed on it has no index records in the "Restore" dialog, which will require an import to get those restore index records back. The process is simple. To get the backup restore index records contents into the current selected device in the Restore UI dialog, after clicking on the correct device type that already does exist in the "Media View" list, to select that device, which either can have no restore index records in it, under that device name, or it can have restore index records in it, but which may not be complete (or that could be corrupt due to a machine crash), back into the local NovaBACKUP client app database (and therefore be able to select files, folders and drives for restoration), follow these steps: From the Restore tab, first click on the "Import" button located near the bottom of the "Restore" dialog. Note: In order for a device import to work, you would have to first re-create the either 'Local Backup' device type, or the 'Cloud Backup' S3 device type first, and for a 'Cloud Backup' S3 device type you would have to be sure in the "Optional Settings" tab for that device that you will create, to specify the "Domain:" and "Computer:" name values correctly, otherwise the restore won't be able to associate from the correct original computer name in that case, for instance if this Import of Backup records by device is being done on a replacement computer, that does utilize a different computer name than the original computer name that had produced the backups in the first place, and note that this requirement to do that is not present for a 'Local Backup' device type at all (for the computer name/domain name values to be already specified at the device level in that case).

If you run the import from the Restore Tab, you will receive an Import Source selection screen, that asks you to select the correct "Device" (that would match the 'Local Backup' or 'Cloud Backup' device that already does exist in the "Device" tab list, which you would have to create in the Device tab if it does not already exist, but which may not have any restore index records in it in that case, in this example we do have 3 total restore index records in the device but that may not always be the case, and certainly if this were a clean install of the backup client you would have no restore index entries listed under the correct device that is already selected in the main Restore dialog, before you clicked on the "Import" button in that case, so be sure that you have clicked on the correct already existing device before you click the "Import" button to then select that same device in the list that will present to you):

Browse to the entire either 'Local Backup' (this replacement local drive or UNC network location device type was first added in NovaBACKUP 21.0) or 'Cloud Backup' (S3) device that you would like to import, and select it, as the entire device to import the backup (restore index) records from. Click OK to switch to the job status view and start the import process.

After importing the media, it may be necessary to press the "Refresh" button on the Restore tab. All imported backups will appear under an "Imported Backups" heading in the Media View.

For a good example of why you may need to perform an Import backup records by device, described here, see the Hybrid enabled Import example in the other "Restore of Hybrid enabled backups" topic, starting at the paragraph in that topic that begins with "On another subject,". That is a good use case example of why that may be needed in the future. You can also read the KB article that we have on the subject of Import backup records on a Cloud S3 device here.

Importing vs. Restoring

It is important to know the difference between importing and restoring. The import process does NOT restore your data to your hard drive. What it simply does is import a "listing" of available data on the imported media. This information is imported into the database and enables NovaBACKUP to create a tree listing of the data in the Restore view. From there, you will be able to select the data you would like to restore from the media and complete a restoration just like you would any other restoration.

Special Note about Importing from a 'Local Backup' device that utilizes a UNC network path and you want to do an Import from a device like that:

If you need to import from a 'Local Backup' device that utilizes a UNC network path (not a local drive path), as in the backups are stored on a UNC network path in that case that now need to be re-imported (re-indexed) in the Restore tab, via the "Import" function, then please read this special note here as a caveat or special mention about that to know about, as otherwise the Import may fail with a "Invalid device was specified" type of error.:

1. It may be required (but it certainly is not always the case) for device Imports from a Local Backup device that does utilize a UNC network path as its target, that you will need to specify a Default Job Run As setting, which you can do in the "Default Settings > Run As" tab by defining a local user with admin rights in the "Run As Specified User" setting, which will be able to apply to the FPI (which are the modern FPI engine backup devices, that include the 'Local Backup' and 'Cloud Backup' device types only in that case) device Import process once that setting is defined a single time (that can apply as the default to all job runs, including new backup jobs, new restore jobs, and device Imports (device Imports does not have its own way of defining the Run As Specified User setting, so in this case this must be done in the Default Settings > Run As dialog to define that user that all future FPI device Imports will utilize.
2. In the backup client go to the "Default Settings > Run As" tab and switch it to "Run As Specified User" and specify a username and password value (the domain name value is optional) that is a user that has admin rights (in the local "Administrators" group, and in the "Domain Admins" group if on a Domain) on the client machine and Full Control permissions on the local machine in the "C:\ProgramData\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\FPI\" folder (or the exact folder that you had defined the "FPI Data Dir" folder value as, if it isn't the default path value, that is stated above). Also make sure that the "SYSTEM" user and the "Administrators" group that is a local group on the client machine (and the "Domain Admins" group if the client machine is on a Domain) all have Full Control permissions to that FPI folder. If the Default Settings > Run As Specified User isn't set correctly, even if the current user running the backup client has admin rights, that could lead to Import failure due just to the lack of local folder permissions in that FPI folder in that case.
3. Exit the backup client to make sure this takes effect on the next Import attempt.
4. Run the backup client again and go back to "Default Settings > Run As" tab, and make sure that the same "Run As Specified User" setting value is in place as you had prior saved in Step 2.
5. Perform the Restore > Import function and it should now utilize the Run As Specified User setting that you had defined in the "Default Settings > Run As" dialog then (and in the future, until you change that Default Setting).
6. This should allow the device Import process to be able to complete this time with the Success status, and then list the restore index records under that imported device in the Restore tab in that case, as long as the Local Backup network based device properties also contain the correct and current domain name/username/password credentials inside the device that you are importing here. And it should also allow restores of files on a Local Backup device, that uses a UNC network path as the device target network based path, to complete (if restoring to the local machine, but possibly not to a network path, if restoring to a network path you will likely have to define the Restore Job Settings to use a different Run As user then).