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Backup Requires Password on Windows XP?

Dear Dave, I have a PC with Win XP Home, 1GB memory, SP2, etc. I have a Western Digital 320GB external hard drive. I don't log on Win XP with a password. Problem: when I want to 'schedule' an incremental backup with XP Backup program to the external hard drive, it always asks for Computer Name and a password in order to do this. When I create one to do this backup, it won't let me. How can I get around this problem and not use this password thing to do this scheduled backup? Thanks so much.

Dave's Answer:

Windows has a feature called Scheduled Tasks that allows you to run something on a schedule you define. This is commonly used for backups, and also has a number of common uses in corporate IT departments (scheduled restarts, automated maintenance, system
reports, etc.).

When Scheduled Tasks are set up, they must be given a user account to run under. The Scheduled Task then assumes the user rights of that user account. Windows will not let you run a task without a user account assigned to it, because a task starting up with no account could not run because it would have no rights on the system.

For security reasons, Windows will not allow you to run a task under a user account with a blank password (this is a good thing!), as described in Microsoft knowledge base article 310715.

What you'll need to do, if you want to continue not using a password, is go into Control Panel, User Accounts, and create a new user with a password to run this backup job. Otherwise you'll need to assign a password to your user account as described in the above Microsoft knowledge base link.

Also worth mentioning is that there are a number of alternative backup programs, ranging from freeware and shareware to commercial software applications. For a job this critical, I'd personally shy away from free applications; there are lots of related shareware solutions (see versiontracker for some of them) and solid commercial solutions worth a look if you're willing to spend about $100 on software. You can have a peek at PC Mall's Backup and Storage Solutions page for a sense of what's out there.

Hope that helps you out!

My thanks to Chris Buechler for his assistance on this question.

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Comments

Windows XP requires a username and password. If there is only one account and no password on that account then it will automatically login to that account. While XP will allow you to create an admin account with no password, it won't allow you to use that account to do some tasks without it having a password(remote desktop is one that comes to mind).

Therefore, needs to either give that account a password, or make sure that the new account he added is in admin group and has password. If not using the built in local admin account as regular login, could use that account. If not sure what password is for the local account, can reset it with this tool(http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/). Looks complicated but really easy to use.

Posted by: Tommy Martin at September 22, 2005 7:01 AM

I have a password problem that I can't figure out as well. I am trying to change my Western Digital HD out and want to copy my contents on it to my new Seagate 500 gig drive, which I want to make my boot drive, when all is said and done. Every time I turn on the system, it shows that no HD is active. I've set the jumpers as shown Master/Slave with the original set to Master. I've tried to go into set-up, when booting up, after removing the Seagates' power, and a message for the Admin password appears. I've never set a password, unless the store I purchased it from put one in. I then rebooted my Home XP system and went into SafeMode and set an Admin password, this did nothing to fix this problem.

I'm now at a loss because I've followed all the directions in the set-up guide, to the point that the computer lets me and I've run out of options. This is where you come in, what do you have for me?

As a side note, I have Norton Works with almost all the bells and whistles, with GOBACK and these were shut off as were all of the other programs, I had running on my system. I loaded the Seagate set-up disk, that came with the HD, it wants to format my Westin Digital HD but that is not what I want to do at this time.

Posted by: Mike at September 29, 2006 12:37 PM

Dave,
winxp backs do not need a password. here is the over ride.

WIN_XP will allow you to work around the password requirement for windows scheduler. set up the backup task and schedule it for later as required.

once the task has been scheduled , go into the schedluer and selcet the properties under the newly created backup task. in the botom portion of the task properties, place this text in the run as cell.
nt authority\system

this will prompt for a password... do not enter a password, just click ok and yes on the no password warning.

right click the task and run it. it will run and you can reschedule it from the scheduler.

Dreh

Posted by: Dreh at April 13, 2007 8:13 AM

Hi Dave . I set up a scheduled task for a disc cleanup every day at 5:00 a.m. I have a windows xp home edition. The message shows , " could not run" What steps could I do a fix this. Thanks Daniel

Posted by: Daniel at July 14, 2007 5:58 AM

here is the registry hack to use the scheduler without a password http://www.vas.com/Tnotes/XP%20Task%20Scheduler%20and%20Password%20problems.htm

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