Stop and start the app service

Updated April 18, 2024 15:51

Overview

This tutorial explains how to stop and start the CrashPlan app's CrashPlan service. You may need to stop and start the CrashPlan service to upgrade your operating system, to move a CrashPlan app user to another device, or as part of a task with a technical support engineer.

Considerations

The CrashPlan software on your device consists of two components:

A service, the CrashPlan service, that performs all backup operations in the background
A desktop application, the CrashPlan app, for viewing the status of your backup and changing settings

If you quit the CrashPlan app, the CrashPlan service continues to run. These instructions describe how to stop and start the CrashPlan service.

Basic restart for all operating systems

If you are able to open and sign in to the CrashPlan app, follow the steps below to restart the CrashPlan service. If you see a "cannot connect to the background service" error message, proceed to the advanced restart process instead.

Open the CrashPlan app.
If necessary, sign in to your account.
Use the keyboard shortcut for your operating system:
- Windows: Ctrl+Shift+C
- Mac: Option+Command+C
- Linux: Ctrl+Shift+C
  The command-line area opens.
Enter this command:
restart
Press Enter.
This closes the CrashPlan app, reauthenticates the CrashPlan app with the CrashPlan server, and then restarts the CrashPlan service.

Advanced restart process

If you are not able to open the CrashPlan app, follow the steps below to restart the CrashPlan service.

If you installed the CrashPlan app for everyone (the default method), follow the default installation steps for your operating system.
If you installed the CrashPlan app per user, follow the per user installation steps for your operating system.

Mac default installation (for everyone)

Go to Applications > Utilities > Terminal and enter the commands below to stop or start the CrashPlan service:

Stop:
- ```
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crashplan.service.plist
```
- When prompted, enter your Mac password. The password doesn't display as you enter it.

Start:


sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.crashplan.service.plist

You may also confirm whether or not the CrashPlan service is running on a Mac.

Mac per user installation (for me only)

If you installed the CrashPlan app per user (instead of for all users, the default method), use the following commands to stop and start the CrashPlan service:

Stop


launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.crashplan.service.plist

Start


launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.crashplan.service.plist

You may also confirm whether or not the CrashPlan service is running on a Mac.

Windows default installation (for everyone)

Open Windows Services by clicking Start and entering services.msc.
In the Windows Services menu, right-click CrashPlan Service and click Stop, Start, or Restart, as appropriate.

Windows per user installation (for me only)

If the CrashPlan app is installed per user (instead of for everyone, the default method), use the following commands to stop and start the CrashPlan service:

Stop the CrashPlan service

Open Windows Task Manager by clicking Start and entering Task Manager.
Click Processes.
Choose CrashPlan Service
Select End Task.

Start the CrashPlan service

Open Windows Task Manager by clicking Start and entering Task Manager.
Click File.
Select Run New Task.
Paste the following into the Open dialog
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\CrashPlan\CrashPlanService.exe
Click Ok.

Restart on Linux

A script to start and stop the CrashPlan service is stored in the crashplan/bin directory. The default directory is /usr/local/crashplan/bin.

In a terminal session, navigate to the crashplan/bin directory, then enter:

Start:


sudo systemctl start crashplan.service

Stop:


sudo systemctl stop crashplan.service

After starting the CrashPlan service, open the CrashPlan app from terminal with the following command:


/usr/local/crashplan/bin/desktop.sh

Mac: View status of the CrashPlan service

Use this command to view if the CrashPlan service is running:


ps auxww | grep -i CrashPlanService

If the CrashPlan service is running, the output looks like this:

 c42-dhcp-183:~ renee$ ps auxww | grep -i CrashPlanService
            root        63   0.1  6.1   873644 126976   ??  SNs  Tue03PM  43:01.37 /Applications/CrashPlan.app/Contents/Library/LaunchServices/CrashPlanService.app/Contents/MacOS/CrashPlanService -Duser.install=0
            renee     3256   0.0  0.0   590472     84 s001  R+    2:11PM   0:00.00 grep -i CrashPlanService

If the CrashPlan service is not running, the output looks like this:

c42-dhcp-183:~ renee$ ps auxww | grep -i CrashPlanService
            renee     3265   0.0  0.0   599780    444 s001  R+    2:13PM