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NovaBACKUP 22 Cannot Connect to the NovaBACKUP Service

If NovaBACKUP 22 opens but shows no data and the Dashboard icon reads Disconnected, the application cannot reach its background service. Here is how to fix it.

Applies to: NovaBACKUP PC Agent and NovaBACKUP Server Agent, version 22.

If NovaBACKUP 22 opens but shows no devices, jobs, or status, the application has probably lost its connection to the NovaBACKUP service that runs in the background. This article explains how to recognize the problem and how to fix it.

Symptom

The NovaBACKUP 22 window is a front end. A Windows service named Backup Client does the work, and the application reaches it on this computer at http://localhost:5000. When that connection is down:

  • The icon beside Dashboard in the menu turns into a red alert icon. Hovering over it shows Disconnected. While the application is trying to connect, it shows a spinning icon and Connecting....
  • Pages stay empty or do not load their data.

The application tries to reconnect on its own every few seconds. As soon as the service is reachable again, the icon turns green and shows Connected. You do not need to restart the application.

Note: Scheduled backups run in the service, not in the application. They keep running while the application is disconnected, as long as the service itself is running.

Cause and solution

Work through these checks in order.

1. The service is not running

  1. Open Services (services.msc) as an administrator.
  2. Find Backup Client. Its Startup Type should be Automatic, and it should log on as Local System.
  3. If its status is not Running, select Start.

In a PowerShell window opened as administrator, run Get-Service -Name "Backup Client" to check the service and Start-Service -Name "Backup Client" to start it.

2. The service is slow to start the first time

Right after an installation or upgrade, antivirus software may scan the new program files while the service starts. The first start can then take longer than usual. Wait a minute and watch the icon beside Dashboard. If this happens on every start, add the exclusions in Antivirus and EDR Exclusions for NovaBACKUP 22.

3. Security software is blocking NovaBACKUP

Antivirus or EDR software can quarantine a NovaBACKUP file, stop the service, or block the local connection between the application and the service.

  1. Check your security software's log or console for blocked or quarantined NovaBACKUP files and processes.
  2. Restore anything that was quarantined, and add the exclusions in Antivirus and EDR Exclusions for NovaBACKUP 22.
  3. Make sure local connections to localhost:5000 are allowed.
  4. Start the Backup Client service again.

4. Another program is using port 5000

The service listens on port 5000 by default. If another program already uses that port, the service cannot start.

  1. In a PowerShell window opened as administrator, run Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 5000 -State Listen | Select-Object OwningProcess, and then run Get-Process -Id <OwningProcess> to see which program uses the port.
  2. Either move the other program to a different port, or move the NovaBACKUP service:
    1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Backup Client.
    2. Create a Multi-String Value named Environment (or edit it if it already exists), and add the line ASPNETCORE_URLS=http://localhost:5050, replacing 5050 with any free port you choose.
    3. Restart the service: Restart-Service -Name "Backup Client" -Force.

The application finds the service on its new port by itself. You do not need to change any setting in the application.

5. A required Microsoft runtime is missing

The NovaBACKUP service needs the 64-bit ASP.NET Core 8.0 Runtime and the .NET 8.0 Runtime. The installer does not install NovaBACKUP 22 without them, but they can be removed later, for example by a cleanup tool or another program's uninstaller. If the service fails to start and the Windows Application event log names a missing runtime, install both runtimes from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0 and start the service again.

Where to find the logs

  • Service log: C:\Program Files\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\Service\Logs\BackupClient.Service-<date>-<number>.log
  • Windows: the Application log in Event Viewer, which records service errors
  • Log Collector: select About > Run Log Collector to collect all logs into one archive on your desktop. If the application does not respond, run LogCollector.exe from C:\Program Files\NovaStor\NovaStor NovaBACKUP\ as an administrator.

If none of the checks above solves the problem, open a support ticket and attach the Log Collector archive.

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