NovaBACKUP not loading because of IBM tape drive driver
NovaBACKUP
Last Updated: Nov 13, 2015 11:35AM PST
This issue with NovaBACKUP backup client software not starting up due to IBM tape drive will occur on certain OEM IBM tape drives, such as those tape drives that come in Dell servers. To see if this is your true issue you can go to your Windows Device Manager and then click on Tape Devices and then expand that particular section and right-click on the IBM tape drive device and then right-click on the tape drive and click on Properties and then go to the "Driver" tab. Now look to see if the "Driver Provider" shows as "IBM" and the "Driver Date" is something in the year 2015. If this is the case then you will have to Uninstall that driver from the same screen, by clicking the "Uninstall" button, when prompted answer yes to "Delete the drivers", otherwise they may come back and install again and you don't want that. You can also go to Windows Updates and remove the Tape Drive from being able to get Windows Updates, this IBM driver probably came from Windows Updates originally so you don't want it to be found again as a new driver. Un-installing the IBM tape drive device driver will then allow that driver torevert back to the Microsoft branded device driver for this tape drive. You may have to Uninstall a couple of times and possibly do a reboot of the PC to get the Microsoft branded device driver installed. To verify that it is the Microsoft branded driver then go back to Windows Device Manager and then click on Tape Devices and then expand that particular section and right-click on the IBM tape drive device and then right-click on the tape drive and click on Properties and then go to the "Driver" tab. Now look to see if the "Driver Provider" shows as "Microsoft". The IBM tape drive driver was not tested with backup software including NovaBACKUP and that is why the NovaBACKUP software and backup service (nsService.exe) hangs when it finds this tape drive driver when investigating your storage devices that are currently on the system. You will have to go to Windows Task Manager and show all processes from all users and then end the task labeled as "nsService.exe" if it is running. You can also check Windows Services (services.msc) to see if the NovaStor NovaBACKUP Backup/Copy Engine service is not running, if it is you will have to read the prior sentence to end that task as it probably will not end by stopping the service. Once you correct the driver then NovaBACKUP will load and see your IBM tape drive now utilizing the Microsoft branded device driver.