66 replies to this topic

[gcoupe]

Anyone know where I can report this issue? The link paulnj posted above is not working.

You need to have an account registered at Microsoft Connect for access to the WHS section. That's probably why the link isn't working for you.

So far, 28 people have reported that they are seeing this bug. Microsoft have ackowledged the problem and stated that

this alert is caused by an internal error "Object reference not set to an instance of an object", we are investigating the root cause, a quick workaround is you could "Ignore" this alert, do not "Delete".

Edited by gcoupe, 25 February 2012 - 07:27 AM.

[jmwills]

Wow, what a resolution! Ignore it, even I knew that.

[gcoupe]

Yep, useful, isn't it? And, I don't know what they mean by "do not Delete" - I don't see any "delete" function for the alert...

[jmwills]

To me it seems like they really know what the issue is, but the fix is more costly than the cure, Server 8.

[ikon]

I like how they say, "you could 'ignore' it"..... IOW, we don't recommend it, but you could ignore it.

[geek-accountant]

It seems to me that the quality control on this one was bad to none. With this many people getting the error, what kind of testing did they do before pushing this out?

[ikon]

Hah! Thought I had the bug again on my main w7 desktop (the computer I'm typing this on), then checked my System Tray. Oops! Whadya know, I really did have updates to apply. Did that; now my Launchpad icon is green again. I guess that means Launchpad did what it's supposed to: it got my attention and I updated my system

BTW, how does MS consider a signature update to MSE to be an optional update?

[pcdoc]

And you guys thought it was just me.... Great advice to ignore it....NOT. I solved my issue by removing the roll-up. Painful having to go to each machine and remove and re-install the connector but I refuse to see this error and the update did not offer me anything since I do not use remote access or the media streaming. Third party streamers such as Air Video or StreamToMe support many more formats and do a much better streaming content. Once they fix it I will put it back in but for now it offers me nothing.

[ikon]

pssst, guys. I think pcdoc is in one of his paranoid phases again - don't say anything to rile him up... shhhhh.





Seriously pcdoc, I can't imagine anyone here thinking it was just you.

[Shoop]

Did the updates released today help anyone out with this situation. Mine is still a problem.

[jmwills]

I was hopeful, but no.

[Joe_Miner]

I haven't seen it pop up since March 2nd.

[jeffla]

I uninstalled the rollup a while ago. I assumed it would have been fixed by now, but oh well. I learned my monitoring error was due to my archived backup, which I have no desire to delete.

[pcdoc]

Have not put mine back in either.

[ikon]

Hmmm, I still have not had any issues with erroneous popups on my client PCs.

[pcdoc]

Hmmm, I still have not had any issues with erroneous popups on my client PCs.

Then you must have some unique conditions. I did not get it on my VM setup but immediately on my production setup.

[ikon]

Then you must have some unique conditions. I did not get it on my VM setup but immediately on my production setup.

Yeah, it's weird. I must have somehow channeled Microsoft's test labs and created the same 'atmosphere'

[pcdoc]

As was mentioned, we covered this in HSS 175. The error is caused only when you have an archive backup. The error goes away if you delete the archives. So happended I did not need them so I dumped mine. They said a fix would come in 30-60 days.

[msawyer91]

What exactly is an "archive backup?" My machines back up automatically daily, although sometimes I kick off a manual backup, and they're all set to be managed automatically. And yet this error comes and goes on most of the machines.

The alert that bugs me more is the "A new hard drive should be backed up." This little bundle of joy shows up on both my work-issued laptop and my personal one, and it used to show up on what is now the Windows 8 box (which hasn't been connected to the server).

It didn't take me long to realize that the "new" hard drive was the USB drive(s) attached to each PC were the guilty parties. The best I can figure is that because, unlike "internal" (SATA/eSATA/SAS/IDE) disks, USB disks encrypted with BitLocker do not auto-unlock at boot time even when auto-unlock is enabled on them. They unlock when the user who enabled auto unlock logs on. Since the WHS services start before the user logs on, I'm guessing the service sees a drive letter/mount point but the file system is unreadable (since it's locked).

WHS v1 took this in stride, and just logged an error if the server tried to kick off backup and the disk was locked. WHS 2011, however, notifies the server, which lovingly disables backup on that disk, so the next time the disk is unlocked, the alert appears. The only way to fix it is to go into the Dashboard and re-enabled backup on that disk -- it apparently isn't smart enough to see that the disk is back. If they can automatically disable it, why can't they automatically re-enable it?

Interestingly, if I boot the machine without the disk(s) attached, log in and attach the disk(s) after logon, this problem does not occur.

Some might say the easy solution is to not use BitLocker, but I say nay-nay. That's akin to leaving a Mercedes parked in a rough neighborhood with the keys in it and the windows down.

[pcdoc]

What exactly is an "archive backup?" My machines back up automatically daily, although sometimes I kick off a manual backup, and they're all set to be managed automatically. And yet this error comes and goes on most of the machines.

The alert that bugs me more is the "A new hard drive should be backed up." This little bundle of joy shows up on both my work-issued laptop and my personal one, and it used to show up on what is now the Windows 8 box (which hasn't been connected to the server).

It didn't take me long to realize that the "new" hard drive was the USB drive(s) attached to each PC were the guilty parties. The best I can figure is that because, unlike "internal" (SATA/eSATA/SAS/IDE) disks, USB disks encrypted with BitLocker do not auto-unlock at boot time even when auto-unlock is enabled on them. They unlock when the user who enabled auto unlock logs on. Since the WHS services start before the user logs on, I'm guessing the service sees a drive letter/mount point but the file system is unreadable (since it's locked).

WHS v1 took this in stride, and just logged an error if the server tried to kick off backup and the disk was locked. WHS 2011, however, notifies the server, which lovingly disables backup on that disk, so the next time the disk is unlocked, the alert appears. The only way to fix it is to go into the Dashboard and re-enabled backup on that disk -- it apparently isn't smart enough to see that the disk is back. If they can automatically disable it, why can't they automatically re-enable it?

Interestingly, if I boot the machine without the disk(s) attached, log in and attach the disk(s) after logon, this problem does not occur.

Some might say the easy solution is to not use BitLocker, but I say nay-nay. That's akin to leaving a Mercedes parked in a rough neighborhood with the keys in it and the windows down.

Interesting find. To answer your question, an archive backup is if you removed a machine and saved the backup files. If you look directly under the computers you have backed up, there is a section called Archived backups. Click the arrow and if you have anything there that is the issue. "IF" you do not need them you can delete them and the error goes away.