# Job log-file missing after migrating from user to service installation
**URL:** https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [February 3, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231 "2019-02-03T20:36:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@johnvk](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/johnvk)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231/1 "2019-02-03T20:36:06Z")
After [migrating from user to service installation on Windows](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/migrating-from-user-to-service-install-on-windows/660/46), my job log-files are no longer listed in the GUI under the job drop-down -\> Show log…
It’s just blank.
I am guessing they are in some folder that the user installation was using, and Duplicati is still using, even after migrating to a service install. (Honestly, I thought they lived in the database `.squlite` file, but that file is not missing, and getting used, so I’m a little stumped.
Before migrating, I exported the job, and then re-imported.
First time I did import metadata. That seemed to keep around the old sizes and versions and last successful backup. But no log-files, new or old.
Second time I imported the job, I did not import metadata. Still, no log-files.
I did use `--server-datafolder` to relocate the database of the new service installation. Might that affect something?
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### Author:  [@ts678](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/ts678)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231/2 "2019-02-03T23:54:57Z")
Your migration procedure moves Duplicati-server.sqlite, then moves job databases. Did you decide to start with a clean Duplicati-server.sqlite instead? I think that’s fine provided the old job databases get reattached, otherwise not only will the old logs be left behind, but Duplicati backup won’t expect the old destination files.
Have the backups been doing everything else OK, such as updating the main screen with Last successful backup, and showing it on Restore files? If all else is OK, lack of logs (which are stored in the DB) is odd…
You could look in the job Database tab, check timestamps on Local database path, or even browse the DB LogData table with [DB Browser for SQLite](https://sqlitebrowser.org/). Your Server (or maybe job?) will need --unencrypted-database because the database on Windows is obfuscated, so the typical SQLite browser won’t be able to open DB.
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### Author:  [@johnvk](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/johnvk)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231/3 "2019-02-04T15:38:50Z")
@ts678 thanks for your reply!
> [@ts678](#):
>
> Your migration procedure moves Duplicati-server.sqlite, then moves job databases. Did you decide to start with a clean Duplicati-server.sqlite instead?
No, I did move `Duplicati-server.sqlite` building on the shoulders of @ravisorg’s wisdom. So it’s the same db I had before.
I didnt say this above and now realized I shouldve. I deleted the entire job, backup files too, because of [Fatal error: Detected non-empty blocksets with no associated blocks](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/fatal-error-detected-non-empty-blocksets-with-no-associated-blocks/5938/), and started afresh. This _new_ job (imported) still has no log files.
> [@ts678](#):
>
> Have the backups been doing everything else OK, such as updating the main screen with Last successful backup, and showing it on Restore files? If all else is OK, lack of logs (which are stored in the DB) is odd…
The job is still running. This is the first backup job after migration. (Well, the 3rd. The 1st I forgot an option, so deleted job and backup files. The 2nd ran for 1.5 days then PC crashed (that’s why I’m doing backups 😉 and I was not able to restart it, nor recreate the local database, so I deleted that job and backupfiles.) But now the status bar at the top, and the details under the job (next schedule run, current action, progress bar, current file) all seem to be what I expect.
> [@ts678](#):
>
> You could look in the job Database tab, check timestamps on Local database path,
Those look fine. The Database file under the job drop-down in the GUI is in the dir I expect (that I set with `--server-datafolder`) and it was just updated a few min ago (job is currently running). One of the `backup*.sqlite` fils has also been updated recently. No other file in that dir has been updated in the last 24 hours.
> [@ts678](#):
>
> browse the DB LogData table with [DB Browser for SQLite](https://sqlitebrowser.org/).
Well, thanks for the tip! That table is **empty**! That is, the `LogData` table is empty.
How is _that_ possible?
> [@ts678](#):
>
> Your Server (or maybe job?) will need --unencrypted-database because the database on Windows is obfuscated, so the typical SQLite browser won’t be able to open DB.
I copied the `808988....782.sqlite` file to another folder and opened it with [DB Browser for SQLite](https://sqlitebrowser.org/) and it opened fine. I did not start the server nor job with `--unencrypted-database` at least not intentionally. It’s not a default right? It looks like it’s an option on [`Duplicati.Server.exe`](https://duplicati.readthedocs.io/en/latest/07-other-command-line-utilities/#duplicatiserverexe). I can see from Windows services.msc the command line [`Duplicati.Server.exe`](https://duplicati.readthedocs.io/en/latest/07-other-command-line-utilities/#duplicatiserverexe) was started with and it does not have `--unencrypted-database`.
So maybe the `LogData` is being hidden due to encryption?
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### Author:  [@ts678](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/ts678)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231/4 "2019-02-04T16:05:58Z")
> [@johnvk](#):
>
> This _new_ job (imported) still has no log files.
> [@johnvk](#):
>
> Well, thanks for the tip! That table is **empty**! That is, the `LogData` table is empty.
It’s created at the end of the backup, but it sounds like initial backup has not finished.
If you want to watch live logs, About → Show log → Live should show some action.
> [@johnvk](#):
>
> So maybe the `LogData` is being hidden due to encryption?
If you can even open the DB, it’s probably not encrypted. It’s definitely not if you can read other tables.
I’m not sure why you’re able to open it. I expect it on non-Windows, but I thought Windows encrypted. Maybe something changed. I’ve been on --unencrypted-database awhile, so I wouldn’t have noticed…
The exact chronology is still a bit unclear, but Job → Show log _should_ be empty before a backup end.
EDIT:
> [@johnvk](#):
>
> PC crashed (that’s why I’m doing backups
If backups have varied methods, great. If not, now might be a good time to start. Some image backups can boot directly, without even having a Windows installation to crash (assuming it’s not from hardware failure). My own practice is to run [Macrium Reflect Free Edition](https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree) to a USB drive before a Windows version update… Being a whole-drive backup, this also covers me somewhat for whatever I didn’t have my file backup save.
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### Author:  [@johnvk](https://forum.duplicati.com/u/johnvk)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2019, 4:25am UTC](https://forum.duplicati.com/t/job-log-file-missing-after-migrating-from-user-to-service-installation/6231/5 "2019-02-10T04:25:59Z")
> [@ts678](#):
>
> It’s created at the end of the backup, but it sounds like initial backup has not finished.
Uh, yeah. That was dumb. This is the first backup and it is (was) running so there were no logs yet. I was just used to seeing a list there and now it was empty.
They are all there now. It’s working fine. Only issue is it was first run so no backup yet.
> [@ts678](#):
>
> EDIT:
>
> > PC crashed (that’s why I’m doing backups
>
> If backups have varied methods, great. If not, now might be a good time to start. Some image backups can boot directly, without even having a Windows installation to crash (assuming it’s not from hardware failure). My own practice is to run [Macrium Reflect Free Edition](https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree) to a USB drive before a Windows version update… Being a whole-drive backup, this also covers me somewhat for whatever I didn’t have my file backup save.
Thanks, yeah, I do have an image backup, and it is from Macrium Reflect. And the PC is not dead, but is has crashed twice recently, so I consider that a “warning sign”.