Why is my Active Directory backup failing when using ADManager Plus?

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Issue description

Users may encounter backup failures when using ADManager Plus, with messages like Failed: [Invalid Credential] or Failed: [DC Not Operational] appearing in the Backup Summary section. As a result, scheduled or manual backups of Active Directory data are not completed, potentially affecting recovery readiness and audit compliance.

Possible causes

  1. Incorrect service account credentials: The service account password used for authentication has expired or is incorrect.
  2. Insufficient permissions: The service account does not have Domain Administrator rights required for backup operations.
  3. Domain controller unreachable: The specified DC is down or experiencing connectivity issues.

Prerequisites

  • Ensure you have administrator access to ADManager Plus.
  • Verify that the ADManager Plus service account is a member of the Domain Administrator group.

Resolution

Case 1: Failed: [Invalid Credential]

Step 1: Update the service account password

  1. Log in to ADManager Plus as the administrator.
  2. Go to Directory/Application Settings > Active Directory.
  3. Locate the configured domain and click Edit.
  4. Find the configured domain and click Edit.
  5. Enter the correct Domain Username and Password for the service account.
  6. Click Update, then try running the backup again.

Step 2: Verify the service account permissions

  1. Open the Run dialog (Win + R), type dsa.msc, and press Enter to launch Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC).
  2. At the domain root, right-click and select Find.
  3. In the Find dialog, search for the service account, then right-click the result and choose Properties.
  4. In the Member Of tab, check if the account is part of the Domain Administrators group.
  5. If it’s not, add the account to the group, Apply the changes, and then retry the backup.

Case 2: Failed: [DC Not Operational]

Step 1: Validate the DCs in ADManager Plus

  1. Log in to ADManager Plus and navigate to Directory/Application Settings > Active Directory.
  2. Review the domain controllers listed and remove any that are outdated or no longer operational.
  3. After making the changes, re-enter the service account's Domain Username and Domain Password to save the settings.
  4. Then, retry the backup process.

Step 2: Check the domain controller status

  1. Log in to the server where ADManager Plus is installed.
  2. Open Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
  3. Run the following command to check connectivity to the domain controller:
    • ping your-dc-name
  4. If there’s no response, investigate possible network or DNS issues.

Tips

  • Update the service account password regularly to avoid authentication failures.
  • Monitor domain controller health using tools like dcdiag.
  • Review backup logs in ADManager Plus frequently to detect issues early.
  • Ensure consistent network connectivity between ADManager Plus and domain controllers.

How to reach support

If the issue persists, contact our support team here.