Backup does not start

Hi,

Please could you send us a copy of the full backup log?
This can be found in the UpdraftPlus Existing Backups tab.
The contents will be too long to post here directly, but you can use an online service such as Dropbox or Pastebin, and post the link here.

Thanks,
Bryle

As mentioned in my original post, what I pasted is the entirety of the log. It’s super short.

What is logged in the server’s PHP error log file for that site?

(You should also check that the PHP error log is operative at the time of the backup, e.g. by uploading a .php file with a deliberate error in it, and visiting that file through your browser – often we find that people report that nothing is in their PHP log, but this is because the log is not set up properly and not functioning). An example would be to upload a file called ‘test.php’ with these contents, and put it in the same directory as WordPress:

<?php
require 'wp-load.php';
no_such_function();

David

The PHP error log is empty. I did the check to ensure it was working.

The sites I’m seeing the issue on are using the free version. I have several other sites on the paid version and they are working fine.

I also used WP Rollback to revert to the previous version of UDP, no joy, so put it back to the most current.

FYI, none of these sites have been updated to WP 5.8.

All of them are on LiteSpeed servers, and all but one are on the same WHM account, so the server settings are the same across the board. All are at PHP 7.4 CloudLinux too.

If the PHP log is absolutely empty, then it is not working; the test script should have logged something if it is working.

Sorry, let me rephrase. It is empty except for the test script error (I actually have my own that I use).

And I removed UDP free and put my UDP Migrator plugin on two of the sites having issues and it worked on both.

All of my clients and webmasters are reporting that their paid UDP versions are working, as are mine on the sites on which I have them.

So, maybe that rules out the anything at the host, maybe not. But it definitely limits the issue to the free UDP version.

Do you get the same issue if you change your configuration to use a different PHP version?

I don’t understand how that would be the logical next step in the troubleshooting.

– There are no PHP errors.
– I’ve been using PHP 7.4.x for at least 9 months without issue.
– I don’t have the ability to go down to a lower point version, only to 7.3.x, and I’m not willing to do that due to the potential for creating other issues.
– Paid UDP works on the same site

Hi,

To clarify: I wasn’t requesting you to switch permanently, just for temporary testing purposes, so that we have another data point on the nature of your problem (since no other users have reported a similar problem, the only data we can generate on its parameters will come from you). i.e. After running the test, you can immediately switch back. 7.3.x is fine.

Thank you,
David

I switched one site to PHP 7.3 and ensured that all of the extensions and options possible were set the same.

Had the same issue with the backup and no PHP errors.

I’m a site tech and I’ve asked my clients to check their backups. Only the folks running the free version are having issues. They are non-techs, and I don’t think they would be helpful in troubleshooting at this level. Plus there would be 300-400 new tickets here for it, so I’ve asked them to hold up on reporting until you and I can get it sorted.

I asked all of my clients to check their backups and 2 of them are reporting that the auto backup schedule is not taking a backup on their paid versions of UDP.

I have asked them to open a ticket with support and give them all details and any error logs or such.

I also put this issue out on my blog and am hearing from more folks having issues with UDP free. They are at different hosts, but some are at the same host, just different servers.

I have asked my host if there was a PHP minor update and they said no.

on their paid versions of UDP.

There’s a mistake here: as the developer is aware no one is allowed to support paid versions on this site. if you are asking about or are using the paid version then this topic will be closed.

For pro or commercial product support please contact the developer directly on their site. This includes any pre-sales topics as well.

https://updraftplus.com/paid-support-requests/

As the developer is aware, commercial products are not supported in these forums. I am sure they will have no problem supporting you there.

To be clear – this topic is only for investigating the problem encountered with the free version whereby only 2 log lines are printed. If experiencing any other problems, please open separate topics, one topic for each issue, in the appropriate channel (here at www.ads-software.com for the free version, updraftplus.com for the paid version).

I see that you have the Litespeed webserver. Does adding the line mentioned here – https://updraftplus.com/faqs/i-am-having-trouble-backing-up-and-my-web-hosting-company-uses-the-litespeed-webserver/ – to your .htaccess file make a difference?

If not, the only way to investigate, since this is a previously unseen problem, will be to add logging statements every few lines to the code after the last log line seen above. Will you be able to set up an empty website that we can use for investigation?

I was just giving an update that the free version is not the only one having an issue. And I clearly stated that I directed those folks to contact the vendor for support on the paid version.

In the initial post and in a reply that followed, I clearly stated that those 2 lines were all there was to the log file.

Adding the Litespeed code does not help. It was the first thing I tried.

Yes, I can set up an empty site for us to use. Please clarify what you mean about empty.

I have not updated these sites to WP 5.8 yet, do you want the new one at 5.7.2? I add standard, hard-coded security to all sites in both the .htaccess and wp-config files. Have been using this for years without issue. Is it okay to do that? And I assume you want no other plugins and just the default WP theme. And do you want me to add the line in the .htaccess file too?

@davidanderson I’ve deleted your offer to login to your user’s site. I’m am 100% sure you mean well but please never ask for credentials on these forums.

https://www.ads-software.com/support/guidelines/#the-bad-stuff

Now for the why: The internet is a wonderful place full of very nice people and a few very bad ones. I’m sure everyone here is very nice however, by giving some ones keys to your house you are trusting they wont steal anything. Likewise the person who takes the keys is now responsible for the house FOREVER.

If something was to go wrong, then you the author may well legally become liable for damages, which they would not normally have been as their software is provided without warranty.

Please be aware that repeatedly asking for credentials will result in us escalating this to the plugins team.

It’s never necessary to do that. Here’s why.

There are many ways to get information you need and accessing the user’s site is not one of them. That’s going too far.

• Ask for a link to the https://pastebin.com/ log of the user’s web server error log.
• Ask the user to create and post a link to their phpinfo(); output.
• Ask the user to install the Health Check plugin and get the data that way.
• Walk the user through enabling WP_DEBUG and how to log that output to a file and how to share that file.
• Walk the user through basic troubleshooting steps such and disabling all other plugins, clear their cache and cookies and try again.
• Ask the user for the step-by-step on how they can reproduce the problem.

You get the idea.

Volunteer support is not easy. But these forums need to a safe place for all users, experienced or new. Accessing their system that way is a short cut that will get you into real trouble in these forums.