Troubleshoot signing in to CrashPlan

If you cannot sign in to the CrashPlan app or console with a CrashPlan account password, the entries in this article cover the common causes, including problems with two-factor authentication (2FA).

If you sign in with single sign-on (SSO), your organization's identity provider manages how you sign in to CrashPlan, so contact your administrator.

Problems at the sign-in page

CrashPlan sign-in page problems occur before a password is checked, when CrashPlan looks up the email address entered or when the network blocks the sign-in page.

Incorrect credential fields displayed or not forwarding to SSO

The CrashPlan console shows credential fields that do not match your sign-in configuration, for example a verification code field when 2FA is not turned on, or does not forward you to your SSO provider.

Cause: The CrashPlan console did not locate your account using the email address provided, either because the address was mistyped, for example with a typo, an extra space, or a different domain, or because it was entered at a cloud-specific console address that does not hold your account.

Resolution: Start from https://console.crashplan.com and enter the exact email address associated with your CrashPlan account, so that you are forwarded to the CrashPlan cloud that holds your account. If you are not sure which email address is associated with your account, ask your administrator.

Message "An error occurred"

The CrashPlan console shows the message "An error occurred" when the email address entered has an account in more than one CrashPlan cloud.

Cause: The general console address, https://console.crashplan.com, forwards you to the cloud where your account is located, and cannot choose between two clouds that both hold the address.

Resolution: Go directly to the console address for your subscription and sign in there. If you are not sure which address your organization uses, ask your administrator.

HTTP error 400 or 431 when signing in

Signing in to the CrashPlan console can fail with HTTP error 400 or 431 on a network that uses content filtering software or a web proxy.

Cause: The content filter or web proxy blocks or alters requests to the CrashPlan domains used for sign-in.

Resolution: Ask your network administrator to add the CrashPlan domains your company uses to the content filter's allowlist. The domains are listed in IP addresses, domains, and ports used by CrashPlan.

Password problems

Account password problems apply to users who sign in with a CrashPlan account password.

Password not accepted

CrashPlan rejects the password at sign-in when it does not match the password on your CrashPlan account.

Cause: The password was mistyped, has been changed, or has been forgotten.

Resolution: Reset your password by email, as described in Change or reset your CrashPlan account password. The reset asks only for your email address, so you can complete it even when your 2FA is also unavailable. If you have already tried several times, wait 30 minutes before signing in with the new password, as described in Sign-in fails after several attempts, even with the correct password.

Sign-in fails after several attempts, even with the correct password

CrashPlan temporarily locks an account against sign-in after repeated failed sign-in attempts in a short period.

Cause: The lock lasts up to 30 minutes. During it, the sign-in page shows the same general error as for an incorrect email address, password, or 2FA code, so correct credentials appear to fail.

Resolution: Wait 30 minutes, then proceed to sign in with your credentials. If you are not certain of your password, reset it, and sign in with the new password once the 30 minutes have passed.

Password reset email does not arrive

CrashPlan sends password reset emails from noreply@crashplan.com to the email address associated with your CrashPlan account.

Cause: One of the following:

• Email filtered: The email was moved to spam or blocked by your email provider.
• Email address not found: The email address was mistyped or is not associated with a CrashPlan account.
• Wrong cloud: The reset request was submitted at a CrashPlan cloud address that does not hold your account.

Resolution:

1. Check your spam or junk folder.
2. Add noreply@crashplan.com to your contacts or allowed senders, as described in Problems receiving CrashPlan emails.
3. Request the reset again with the exact email address on your account, starting from https://console.crashplan.com so that CrashPlan opens the sign-in page for your account's cloud.

Two-factor authentication problems

CrashPlan two-factor authentication problems apply to users who sign in with a CrashPlan account password in an organization that has 2FA turned on.

2FA code rejected although it is correct

CrashPlan rejects a correct 2FA code from an authenticator app when the clocks on your devices do not agree with an internet time source. The sign-in page shows "Unable to sign in, user is unauthorized."

Cause: Authenticator app codes are valid only for a short period. If the computer you are signing in on, or the device running the authenticator app, is not synchronized with an internet time server, the code may be treated as expired.

Resolution:

1. Compare the clock on each device with an accurate time source, such as the website https://time.is.
2. In each device's date and time settings, turn on automatic setting of the date, time, and time zone.
3. Sign in again with a new code.

If a device's clock cannot be kept in sync, switch to email verification, which does not depend on device clocks. Reset your 2FA and choose Email verification, as described in Reset or change your two-factor authentication.

Authenticator app or email unavailable

CrashPlan sign-in with 2FA needs a code from the method you set up, so losing the device your authenticator app runs on, or access to your mailbox, blocks sign-in until your 2FA is reset.

Resolution: Choose the route that matches what you still have:

• Authenticator app lost or replaced: Reset your 2FA from the sign-in page with your email address and password, as described in Reset or change your two-factor authentication. If you have also forgotten your password, reset the password first.
• No access to your sign-in mailbox: The self-service reset is completed by email, so ask an administrator in your organization to reset your 2FA from the CrashPlan console.

2FA reset email does not arrive

CrashPlan sends a 2FA reset email only when the email address entered belongs to an active account and the password entered is correct. After you submit the request, the reset page shows the following confirmation message:

If there is an account associated with the credentials provided, you'll receive an email with instructions. If you don't receive an email, check your username and password. If necessary, click "Forgot Password" below to reset your password and try again.

Cause: One of the following:

• Incorrect password: The most common cause.
• Account not found or not active: The email address has no CrashPlan account, or the account is blocked or deactivated.
• Email filtered: The email arrived and was moved to spam or blocked by your email provider.

Resolution:

1. If you are not certain of your password, reset it, as described in Change or reset your CrashPlan account password.
2. Request the 2FA reset again with the exact email address on your account and your current password, as described in Reset or change your two-factor authentication.
3. If the email still has not arrived after a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder, and add noreply@crashplan.com to your allowed senders, as described in Problems receiving CrashPlan emails.
4. If your account may be blocked or deactivated, contact your administrator.

The Don't have your code? link that starts a 2FA reset appears only for accounts that CrashPlan asks for a 2FA code, so it does not appear for users who sign in with SSO or for organizations with 2FA turned off.

Email verification code does not arrive

CrashPlan sends 2FA email verification codes from noreply@crashplan.com to the email address associated with your CrashPlan account.

Cause: The email is delayed, was filtered as spam, or was blocked by your email provider.

Resolution:

1. Wait a few minutes, then check your spam or junk folder.
2. Request another code from the sign-in page.
3. Add noreply@crashplan.com to your allowed senders, as described in Problems receiving CrashPlan emails.

If you cannot reach the mailbox at all, ask an administrator to reset your 2FA, as described in Authenticator app or email unavailable.

Email verification code not accepted

CrashPlan rejects a 2FA email verification code that has expired or has already been used.

Cause: Each email verification code is valid for 5 minutes and can be used once. A code entered more than 5 minutes after it was requested, including one from an email that arrived late, has expired.

Resolution: Request another code from the sign-in page, and enter it within 5 minutes of requesting it.

CrashPlan app sign-in problems

CrashPlan app sign-in problems occur in the handoff between the app and the web browser that completes the sign-in.

CrashPlan app does not open a web browser

Signing in to the CrashPlan app continues in your default web browser, and in some cases the app accepts your email address without opening the browser.

Resolution:

1. In the CrashPlan app, click Retry.
2. If the browser still does not open, click Copy to copy the sign-in URL.
3. Open a web browser and paste the URL into the address bar.
4. Complete the sign-in in the browser, as described in Sign in to CrashPlan.
5. Return to the CrashPlan app, which signs in automatically.

Message says you are signed in as a different account

The browser shows a message naming two accounts when you sign in to the CrashPlan app while the CrashPlan console is signed in as someone else: "You are currently signed in as [console account]. However, you are attempting to sign in to the CrashPlan app as [app account]. Click below to sign out of [console account] and sign in as [app account]"

Cause: The CrashPlan app completes its sign-in in the browser, and the browser can hold only one CrashPlan console session at a time.

Resolution: Follow the message to sign out of the console, then sign in as the account the CrashPlan app is using. If the message returns, or the accounts it names are the same, check the device clocks as described in 2FA code rejected although it is correct.

Error "Logged out by authority"

The CrashPlan app shows the error "Logged out by authority" when its sign-in session has expired or no longer matches the CrashPlan authentication server.

Resolution:

1. On the error screen in the CrashPlan app, click Sign in with a different account.
2. Enter your email address and sign in again.

If the error returns, confirm with your administrator that your account and device are active, as described in Account blocked or deactivated. If they are, contact CrashPlan technical support, as described in Contacting CrashPlan technical support.

CrashPlan app asks for SSO instead of a CrashPlan account password

The CrashPlan app can send a local user in an organization that uses SSO to the identity provider, rather than asking for their CrashPlan account password, when the computer's default browser is unsupported. Setting a supported browser as the operating system's default resolves it.

Account problems

CrashPlan account problems prevent sign-in regardless of the credentials entered, and are resolved by an administrator.

Account blocked or deactivated

A CrashPlan user whom an administrator has blocked or deactivated cannot sign in to the CrashPlan app or the CrashPlan console. The sign-in page shows the general error "Unable to sign in" rather than naming the account status, and CrashPlan sends no 2FA reset email for the account.

Resolution: Contact your administrator. A blocked user's devices keep backing up while the block is in place, and a deactivated user's backups stop until the user is reactivated, as described in Understanding block, deauthorize, and deactivate.

No administrator available to reset 2FA

Resetting a user's CrashPlan 2FA from the console needs an administrator who can sign in and manage that user.

Resolution: If every administrator who could reset the 2FA is unable to sign in, contact our technical support team.