| Previous | Next |
| hrLogSequenceEnd | hrInvalidBackupSequence |
hrNoBackup
How to read this HRESULT
hrNoBackup means a backup-only API was called when no external backup session is active.
The stored value is 0xC8000208 (negative JET error -520; -520). Current ESE documentation uses JET_errNoBackup for the corresponding published JET condition.
The first useful distinction is that this is the opposite state from hrBackupInProgress and usually exposes a caller state-machine bug. Start by recording the call order, instance identity, result of begin-backup, and any cleanup or stop request that ended the context.
Objects and state involved
| Diagnostic layer | the ESE external-backup state machine and its single active session |
|---|---|
| Relevant API surface | JetBeginExternalBackup, JetGetAttachInfo, JetOpenFile/ReadFile/CloseFile, JetGetLogInfo, and JetEndExternalBackup |
| Code-specific condition | a backup-only API was called when no external backup session is active |
| Narrow corrective direction | restart from begin-backup and do not continue with stale file handles from the failed sequence |
Database files are enumerated and copied before the backup advances to the log-file phase. The engine tracks outstanding backup file handles and rejects calls made in the wrong phase.
What to collect first
- Code-specific observation: record the call order, instance identity, result of begin-backup, and any cleanup or stop request that ended the context.
Controlled remediation
- Record it,
0xC8000208, the API name, the current phase, and all live context or file owners. - Verify the condition by recording the call order, instance identity, result of begin-backup, and any cleanup or stop request that ended the context.
- Apply only the targeted fix: restart from begin-backup and do not continue with stale file handles from the failed sequence.
Related codes
It specifically means that this is the opposite state from hrBackupInProgress and usually exposes a caller state-machine bug. Related values below can appear in the same workflow but require a different response:
hrBackupInProgress | an external backup session is already active for the relevant ESE instance |
|---|---|
hrBackupNotAllowedYet | the instance is temporarily in a state where a backup cannot begin safely |
hrNoBackupDirectory | the external-backup operation has no destination directory configured for its temporary or copied artifacts |
Actions that can make diagnosis worse
- Do not omit the final end/abort path.
- Do not continue using a context after a sequence failure.
Technical references
- Begin external backup — API ordering, file semantics, warning/error interpretation, or recovery behavior relevant to this HRESULT.
- Enumerating backup logs
- End external backup
- Microsoft JET_ERR enumeration
Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.