Resolving devices with invalid archives

Updated April 03, 2026 19:27

Overview

This article provides administrators with a diagnostic path for endpoints that connect to the CrashPlan cloud but fail to send data properly. If the Device Status report identifies devices with abnormally small archives (10 MB or less), use the symptoms below to identify the root cause and navigate to the appropriate resolution guide.

Diagnosing

Is the file selection correct?

If the CrashPlan app's file selection is misconfigured, the device may believe it has nothing to back up, resulting in a nearly empty archive.

Symptoms: The device shows as 100% complete, but the archive size is extremely small.
Resolution: Verify that file exclusions are not accidentally filtering out the user's personal data. Additionally, verify the capitalization used in the file selection exactly matches the file paths and file names on the device's operating system. If the file selection appears correct, clear the device's cache to force the app to rescan and synchronize the selection.

Is the user home directory misconfigured?

If the app cannot locate the user's correct home directory, it may interfere with the device's ability to locate and send backup data.

Symptoms: The device connects to the CrashPlan cloud, but file selection appears empty or the device fails to start sending data.
Resolution: Reset the device's home directory by issuing the agent.userhome command via the CrashPlan console's command-line interface.

Is it a macOS device that lacks Full Disk Access?

Apple's privacy restrictions require explicit system-level permissions for applications to access personal user data. If these permissions are missing, the CrashPlan app cannot read the files it needs to back up, resulting in an empty or undersized archive.

Symptoms: The affected device is a Mac, and personal data is not being backed up.
Resolution: See our guide to granting Full Disk Access to the CrashPlan app manually or or using a .mobileconfig file.

Still need help?

If none of the symptoms above match your environment, contact our technical support team for further troubleshooting assistance. Please include details about the affected device, attempted troubleshooting, and any status messages observed in the CrashPlan app.