KB: UNC Paths Are Not Supported for Enterprise Server Backups
Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server
Solution Details
UNC Backup Destination Is Not Accepted
When an Enterprise Server backup becomes too large for the available local storage, you may need to save the backup archive on a network share. However, avbackup.exe does not support a UNC path, such as \\Server\Share\Backup.zip, or a relative path as the backup destination.
Backups Require a Windows Drive Path
The backup destination must use a valid Windows drive path. This can be a local drive or a mapped network drive. If the destination contains spaces, enclose the complete path and filename in quotation marks.
Use a Mapped Drive and Available Temporary Storage
- Save the backup to a local Windows drive using its full path.
- Map the network share to a drive letter and use the complete mapped-drive path.
- If the Windows temporary directory lacks sufficient space, redirect TMP before running the backup.
Configure and Run the Backup
- Map the network share to a Windows drive letter, such as
Z:. - Confirm that the mapped drive is available to the Windows account that will run the backup.
- Open PowerShell or Command Prompt with administrator permissions.
- Navigate to the Backup Tool directory. For a default installation, avbackup.exe is normally located in
C:\Program Files (x86)\Altium\Altium365\Tools\BackupTool. - Specify the full mapped-drive path as the backup destination. For example:
"Z:\AES backup folder\Backup file name.zip". - If the Windows temporary directory lacks sufficient space, set TMP to another location in PowerShell:
$env:TMP='D:\Temp' - Run the avbackup.exe backup command from the same elevated PowerShell session.
Additional Notes
The TMP change applies only to the PowerShell session in which it is configured. A mapped network drive might not be visible in an elevated session if it was mapped under a different Windows account or security context. Confirm that the drive is accessible from the same elevated session before starting the backup.