Device Not Appearing in Backup Management Console

Device Not Appearing in Backup Management Console

Category: Acronis Troubleshooting | Installation & Registration Issues
Priority:CRITICAL
Last Updated:November 2025

Problem

After successfully installing the Acronis Backup Agent and completing the registration process, the device fails to appear in the backup management console's device list, or appears as offline with registration timeout errors.

This issue prevents administrators from managing the device, creating backup plans, or monitoring backup status, effectively blocking the entire backup workflow.

Symptoms

You may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Device Not Listed

• Acronis Backup Agent installed successfully on the device

• Registration process completed without errors

• Device does not appear in the Devices list in the management console

• Other devices in the same environment are visible normally

Device Shows as Offline

• Device briefly appears in the console after installation

• Status shows as "Offline" or "Disconnected"

• Registration fails with timeout error:

WMI Error in Logs

The MMS (Management and Monitoring Service) log located at C:\ProgramData\Acronis\BackupAndRecovery\MMS\ contains WMI-related errors:

Solution

This issue is caused by Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) corruption or malfunction. The Acronis agent relies on WMI to retrieve system information, and when WMI fails, the agent cannot properly communicate with the management console.

Step 1: Verify WMI Functionality

Test WMI Connection:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog

2. Type wmimgmt.msc and press Enter

3. Right-click WMI Control (Local) in the left pane

4. Select Properties

Expected Results: - ✅ WMI Working: "Successfully connected" message appears - ❌ WMI Broken: "Invalid class" or other error message appears

Step 2: Check WMI Repository Consistency

Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as Administrator) and execute:

Results: - ✅ Consistent: "WMI Repository is consistent" - Proceed to Step 4 - ❌ Inconsistent: Repository needs repair - Continue to Step 3

Step 3: Repair WMI Repository

If the repository is inconsistent, follow these repair steps carefully:

3a. Disable and Stop WMI Service:

3b. Salvage and Reset Repository:

3c. Re-enable WMI Service:

3d. Verify Repair:

Step 4: Restart Acronis Services

After WMI is repaired, restart the Acronis services:

1. Open Services (Win + R → services.msc)

2. Locate Acronis Managed Machine Service

3. Right-click and select Restart

4. Also restart Acronis Agent Service if present

Step 5: Re-register the Device

1. Open the Acronis Agent on the affected machine

2. Navigate to Settings → Registration

3. Click Re-register or Register Now

4. Enter your account credentials

5. Wait for registration confirmation

Step 6: Verify in Console

1. Log into the Acronis backup management console

2. Navigate to Devices

3. Confirm the device now appears with "Online" status

4. Test by creating a simple backup plan

Prevention

Regular WMI Maintenance

Monthly WMI Health Check: Run this command monthly to verify WMI health:

Enable WMI Event Logging: 1. Open Event Viewer (eventvwr.msc) 2. Navigate to View → Show Analytic and Debug Logs 3. Expand Applications and Service Logs → Microsoft → Windows → WMI-Activity 4. Right-click Trace → Properties → Enable logging

System Maintenance Best Practices

1. Keep Windows Updated: Install monthly Windows updates, which often include WMI fixes

2. Avoid Third-Party Tools: Some system optimization tools can corrupt WMI

3. Monitor System Health: Use Windows Performance Monitor to track WMI performance

4. Document Baseline: Record WMI query response times when the system is healthy

Pre-Installation Checklist

Before installing Acronis agents on new systems:

• Verify WMI is functioning (wmimgmt.msc test)

• Check WMI repository consistency (winmgmt /verifyrepository)

• Ensure Windows Updates are current

• Confirm adequate free disk space (10GB+ recommended)

• Verify network connectivity to Acronis cloud services

• Check antivirus exclusions for Acronis processes

Deployment Recommendations

For Large-Scale Deployments: - Create a pre-installation verification script that tests WMI - Deploy agents during maintenance windows when systems are stable - Use staged rollouts to identify issues early - Maintain a test environment that mirrors production - Document known WMI issues specific to your environment

Monitoring and Alerts

Set Up Proactive Monitoring: 1. Enable WMI event logging on all managed systems 2. Configure alerts for WMI errors in Event Viewer 3. Create scheduled tasks to run winmgmt /verifyrepository weekly 4. Monitor Acronis agent registration status in the console 5. Set up notifications for devices that go offline unexpectedly

Additional Resources

• Microsoft Documentation:

  Windows Management Instrumentation

• Acronis Support:

  Device Registration Troubleshooting

• Related Article:

  Backup Fails with WMI Errors

Related Issues

• Backup operations failing with WMI errors

• Device registration timeout errors

• Agent installation succeeds but agent not visible

• Management console shows device as offline

Keywords

device not appearing, device not showing, WMI error, registration failed, agent not visible, device offline, ExecQuery failed, backup console, agent installation, WMI repository corrupt

Need Additional Help?

If this solution does not resolve your issue: 1. Collect WMI diagnostic logs using winmgmt /dumptasks 2. Review Event Viewer for additional WMI errors 3. Contact Acronis Support with device logs from C:\ProgramData\Acronis\Agent\var\log\