Fix Jetpack VaultPress Backup warnings
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Find out what each Jetpack VaultPress Backup warning means, and what to do about it.
Jetpack VaultPress Backup lists every file or database table it couldn’t copy as a warning. Each warning has a category, and the category tells you which fix to try.
About backup warnings
Backup warnings appear in Jetpack Cloud, on the backup that hit them. Each warning shows:
- A title, such as Permission denied.
- A category: Permissions, Connection, Transient, Database, or Generic.
- The files or tables it affected.
The Backup page in WP Admin (Jetpack → Backup) doesn’t list the warnings. It shows “Backup is completed with some files missing” and a link to your backup in Jetpack Cloud.
Every warning also has a code, such as F003. Jetpack Cloud doesn’t show the codes, but they may occasionally be referenced by support.
This page covers warnings about single files and tables. If no backup runs at all, see Troubleshoot Jetpack Backups or Fix backups when Jetpack cannot reach your site.
Permissions warnings
A Permissions warning means the file exists, but Jetpack wasn’t allowed to read it.
| Warning | What it means |
|---|---|
Permission denied (F003) | The user in your server credentials can’t read the file. |
Unable to open file(s) (F005) | The file exists, but Jetpack couldn’t open it. |
To fix a Permissions warning, give the user in your server credentials full access to your site’s files. Your host can change the file permissions for you. File Access Permissions explains the access Jetpack needs.
Connection warnings
A Connection warning means Jetpack lost contact with your site, or your server refused a request, while the backup ran.
| Warning | What it means |
|---|---|
Connection timed out (C001) | Your server took too long to answer. |
Unable to connect to server (C002) | Jetpack couldn’t connect to your server. |
Unable to start subsystem (C003) | Your host’s SFTP service didn’t start. |
Connection refused (C004) | Your server refused the connection. |
No response from server (C005) | Your server didn’t answer. |
SSH Connection Error (C006) | A command over SSH failed, often because of resource limits at your host. |
Transport Server API Timeout (C007) | A timeout on Jetpack’s side, not your site’s. Contact support. |
Serious row count mismatch (M001) | A database table changed, or the connection dropped, while Jetpack copied it. |
HTTP 408 Request Timeout (H408), HTTP 4XX Client Error (H4xx) | Your site refused the request. A firewall or security plugin is the usual cause. |
HTTP 5XX Server Error (H5xx) | Your server returned an error. H520 and H524 come from Cloudflare. |
In an H code, the number is the HTTP status your site sent. For example, H403 means your site answered 403 Forbidden.
To fix a Connection warning:
- Make sure Jetpack can reach your site. Fix backups when Jetpack cannot reach your site walks through the checks, including firewalls and security plugins.
- Check that your server credentials are correct.
- For
C003orC006, ask your host to check their SFTP service and your plan’s resource limits.
Transient warnings
A Transient warning means a file changed or disappeared while Jetpack copied it. The next backup often copies it without trouble.
| Warning | What it means |
|---|---|
File(s) not found (F001) | The file was gone by the time Jetpack read it. |
No such file(s) (F004) | The same as F001. Your server reports it differently. |
Downloaded file has bad size (F002) | The file changed while Jetpack copied it. |
HTTP 302 Redirect (H302), HTTP 3XX Redirection (H3xx) | Your site redirected the request to another address. |
If the same files appear in this warning on every backup, you can tell Jetpack to skip them:
- Log in to your site’s files with your host’s file manager, or over FTP, SFTP, or SSH.
- Create a folder named
donotbackup. - Move the listed files into that folder. Jetpack skips the
donotbackupfolder, so those files are no longer backed up.
Database warnings
A Database warning means Jetpack couldn’t copy a table from your site’s database.
| Warning | What it means |
|---|---|
Select command denied to user (M002) | Your database user isn’t allowed to read the table. |
Table(s) marked as crashed (M003) | The table is damaged and needs a repair. |
Table(s) marked as crashed – Last repair failed (M004) | The table is damaged, and the last repair didn’t work. |
To fix a Database warning:
- For
M002, make sure your database user has access to every table in your site’s database. Your host can check this for you. - For
M003, repair the listed tables, or ask your host to repair them. - For
M004, ask your host to repair the listed tables. A repair has already failed once.
Generic warnings
A Generic warning (G001) covers any problem that doesn’t match a known title. Run the backup again first. If the warning comes back, contact support.
Run the backup again
Once you’ve made a fix, click Retry in Jetpack Cloud, or wait for the next daily backup.
If a warning keeps coming back after the fix, contact support and include the warning’s title and the files it lists.
Still need help?
Please contact support. We’re happy to advise.
