Windows backup - error: invalid node type ""

[eliba]

Output of restic version

PS C:\Windows\system32> .\restic_0.16.2_windows_amd64.exe version
restic 0.16.2 compiled with go1.21.3 on windows/amd64

What backend/service did you use to store the repository?

REST server: https://github.com/restic/rest-server

rest-server version rest-server 0.12.1 compiled with go1.20.5 on linux/amd64

Problem description / Steps to reproduce

As described in the Forum:

When running a backup on Windows 11 with:

PS C:\Windows\system32> restic_0.16.2_windows_amd64.exe --repo rest:https://username:password@backup_server.example.tld:3000/username backup --use-fs-snapshot --json C:\Users\MyUser

I get the following output (truncated a bit):

PS C:\Windows\system32> restic_0.16.2_windows_amd64.exe --repo rest:https://username:password@backup_server.example.tld:3000/username backup --use-fs-snapshot --json C:\Users\MyUser
enter password for repository:
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":6,"percent_done":1,"total_files":9,"files_done":9,"total_bytes":18571268,"bytes_done":18571268}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":6,"percent_done":1,"total_files":19,"files_done":19,"total_bytes":20036713,"bytes_done":20036713}
[...]
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Clipchamp.Clipchamp_yxz26nhyzhsrt\\clipchamp.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\GameBarElevatedFT_Alias.exe"}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":9,"percent_done":1,"total_files":1909,"files_done":1909,"total_bytes":473892841,"bytes_done":473892841,"error_count":2}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\MediaPlayer.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\WindowsPackageManagerServer.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\python.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\python3.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\winget.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.GamingApp_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\XboxPcApp.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\mspaint.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.Paint_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\pbrush.exe"}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":9,"percent_done":1,"total_files":1909,"files_done":1909,"total_bytes":473892841,"bytes_done":473892841,"error_count":10}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.ScreenSketch_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\SnippingTool.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.WindowsNotepad_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\notepad.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\wt.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\GameBarElevatedFT_Alias.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.ZuneMusic_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\MediaPlayer.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\MicrosoftTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\msteams.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\MicrosoftTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\msteamsupdate.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\\MicrosoftWindows.DesktopStickerEditorCentennial.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\MicrosoftWindows.DesktopStickerEditorCentennial.exe"}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":9,"percent_done":1,"total_files":1909,"files_done":1909,"total_bytes":473892841,"bytes_done":473892841,"error_count":19}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\SnippingTool.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\WindowsPackageManagerServer.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\XboxPcApp.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\clipchamp.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\mspaint.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\msteams.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\msteamsupdate.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\notepad.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\pbrush.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\python.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\python3.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\winget.exe"}
{"message_type":"error","error":{},"during":"archival","item":"C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wt.exe"}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":9,"percent_done":1,"total_files":1910,"files_done":1910,"total_bytes":473893492,"bytes_done":473893492,"error_count":32}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":9,"percent_done":1,"total_files":1910,"files_done":1910,"total_bytes":473893492,"bytes_done":473893492,"error_count":32}
[...]
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":15,"percent_done":1,"total_files":6228,"files_done":6228,"total_bytes":884372112,"bytes_done":884372112,"error_count":32}
{"message_type":"status","seconds_elapsed":15,"percent_done":1,"total_files":6228,"files_done":6228,"total_bytes":884372112,"bytes_done":884372112,"error_count":32}
{"message_type":"summary","files_new":1,"files_changed":1,"files_unmodified":6226,"dirs_new":0,"dirs_changed":12,"dirs_unmodified":2438,"data_blobs":2,"tree_blobs":12,"data_added":49484,"total_files_processed":6228,"total_bytes_processed":884372112,"total_duration":15.3607794,"snapshot_id":"7e9cb55e5d28a81b230093a1ecc08f6237ab4470fb30e62fe048c4b1671639ac"}
Warning: at least one source file could not be read
PS C:\Windows\system32>

Same result as unprivileged user without --use-fs-snapshot option. Machine is a Windows 11 virtual machine.

Expected behavior

Return without error

Actual behavior

Without --json, the error messages (one per unreadable file) is

error: invalid node type ""

which is not helpful for identifying what's wrong. The backup succeeds nontheless, which is good!

Do you have any idea what may have caused this?

nope :/

Did restic help you today? Did it make you happy in any way?

Oh dear, it helps almost every day!

• Accidentially deleted a file? restic!
• Edited a file and forgot to copy the original file before? restic!
• Compare what happened between 14 days ago and today? restic!
• Want to restore a whole machine? restic!
  It's just being way less nervous about day-to-day sysadmin stuff, because there's always a restic backup there, just in case.

[g33kphr33k]

Seeing this as well and just came into report.

Rolling back and the error goes away.

Windows Server 2012R2 (don't ask).

[jarmo]

Same here - problem appeared when upgraded restic from 0.15.2 to 0.16.1.

[lucatrv]

Same for me, I'm using Restic 0.16.2.

[ramrodpaz]

Same here, problem appeared after upgrading from 0.15.2 to 0.16.2

[1MoreRaiday]

Same
Windows 11
restic 16.2/386

[MichaelEischer]

The error seems to be caused by files that are reported as ModeIrregular (see https://pkg.go.dev/io/fs#FileMode) by Go. While testing with some problematic files, the difference between Go 1.20 and 1.21, seems to be that the older version completely fails to open the file (resulting in a much more useful error message) and the newer version manages to open the file, but then runs into the filetype issue.

Trying to access these files (via WSL, Explorer and notepad++) results in errors, self contradicting results. However, its apparently possible to execute those files. I don't know enough about Windows to say whether its possible in some way to backup those files and what magic would be necessary to attempt restoring those files.

From what I can tell so far, it likely won't be possible to back up these files (Didn't work either in previous restic versions). But at least we can fix the error message to be more useful.

Te proper solution, however, is likely to just exclude the C:\\Users\\MyUser\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps directory from the backup.

[jarmo]

I saw warnings about files with absolute paths in the log being unable to backup under WSL being symlinks when using version <=0.15.2 of restic. I suspect that in 0.16.2 they are the same type of files (symlinks under WSL), but are just reported with an empty string instead of an absolute path like before.

[ar1a]

Same here on 0.16.2

[stardude900]

Same here, also on 0.16.2 but on Fedora 39

[MichaelEischer]

#4620 will fix the error message to include the filepath, but besides that there's probably not much we can do here.