BT Cloud Won't Start

[NigelB143]

Jamie, we're on the same wavelength! I echo your frustrations wholeheartedly. Maybe BT would like to offer us some compensation for the non-service? I have seen nothing in the media thus far?

Regrettably however, a complaint to the Ombudsman, whilst producing negative media coverage, doesn't actually help us all to receive a solution.

Unless I am missing something?

[RKM]

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@NigelB143wrote:

Jamie, we're on the same wavelength! I echo your frustrations wholeheartedly. Maybe BT would like to offer us some compensation for the non-service? I have seen nothing in the media thus far?

Regrettably however, a complaint to the Ombudsman, whilst producing negative media coverage, doesn't actually help us all to receive a solution.

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It is, perhaps, worth having a look at the Synchronoss web site before taking such action.  That clearly shows that Synchronoss' business model is to enable Internet Suppliers to generate additional income from cloud offerings.  ISP's would charge for the cloud feature and some of that income would be paid to Synchronoss.  This is what happens in the US with Verizon who also offer cloud facilities provided by Synchronoss.

However, that wasn't happening under the agreement that they had with BT, unless you paid for additional storage, so the "deal" was clearly just an entry sweetener.  In due course, Synchronoss would have needed to earn income from BT clients via BT themselves - otherwise they would have gone bust.

So, whatever we think of the BTCloud fiasco, it appears to have been a genuine attempt by BT to maintain a service for their customers at no extra cost after the sweetener agreement with Synchronoss ended.  I doubt that any Ombudsman would consider that anything but applaudable.

Where they might have an issue is BT forcing the change as an update to the original service rather than announcing it as a completely new BTCloud service.  In short, an admirable attempt to retain customer value was miserably implemented.

[RKM]

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@RKMwrote:  any file which is updated by the new version will have its historical versions permanently deleted from the cloud.  This is an irrecoverable data loss, and BT are fully aware of this.

I should note that BT appear to be still working to fix this, as I had a request to send further details of examples today.  I have to admit I had trouble finding good examples because around 10% of my utilisation has been released due to file versions deleted by the test version of the new app.

[andyholten]

Yes, I don't use the desktop icon to start the app, it was just a 'nice-to-have' addition that I created since the installation of the app no longer creates a desktop icon.  I only use it if I have to restart after killing the app for some reason (it sometimes locks a file that it is uploading, meaning I can't edit it until I kill the app).  The laptop's boot up start list is what initially starts the app, and it *has* started the app several times, it's just that the app can't contact the servers this time!

[JTS1]

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@RKMwrote:

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@JTS1wrote: Can you reconfirm for me that the Laptop User name is HP and that the Target path in the Desktop shortcut BT Cloud is "C:\Users\HP\AppData\Local\BTCloud\BT Cloud.exe" & that the BT Cloud.exe file is located therein. 

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In addition to checking that the Target Path points to the correct .exe file, they also need to check that the correct folder is identified in the "Start in" box.

There are probably additional things to check, such as file and folder security permissions.

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I had already asked for the Start in box info, which I was given in an earlier discussion.  It was during that discussion that he gave me the path and told me that the Laptop's User name was HP, rather than the Administrators chosen name.  I am also interested  in whether the Target path was shown in Quotes. 

I believe from the User that Security permissions made no difference.

Keep up the good work RKM and stay safe.

JTS1

[JTS1]

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@RKMwrote:

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@JTS1wrote:

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@RKMwrote:

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@andyholtenwrote:

The only thing that happens when I click the desktop icon (which I had to create myself, as the install didn't create it) is the app starts in the hidden tray. 

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What else would you like it to do? 🤣

It’s a designated Windows background app, which means it shows up in the System Tray along with all the other background apps.

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It should also open the Desktop BT Cloud client folder in File explorer, where the Cloud contents can be viewed.

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No it shouldn't.  This is NOT the old version, it is a completely new version with a new User Interface, as explained clearly on Page 29 of the User Guide:

REDUCED UI
The Desktop client provides a minimal UI. Once configured, the objective is that the client runs consistently, reliably, and unobtrusively in the background. The result is that the UI has been reduced to:
• A systray icon that indicates the status of the client and from which the systray menu is launched
• A systray menu that provides a view of in-process and recently processed files and from which the user can access the configuration options.
• A preferences screen, through which the user configures backup and sync. The initial run of the client forces the user to configure backup or sync.

Note that there is NO LONGER a function to open the sync folder from the desktop icon when the app is running, because it always should be running now, as a background application.  

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RKM, I am aware that this is BT Cloud version 20.6.1 and familiar with this extract from the  User Guide Re-Reduced User Interface (UI), but I shut down BT Cloud when I log off and I deliberately do not have my settings Open when I restart. 

In order to do so, I click on the Desktop BT Cloud shortcut and only then does the small cloud icon appear in the Show hidden icons field (after the initial startup, syncing upon completely synced, and as you say it works silently in the background).

Anyway, whilst on the subject of the previous version, which I am less acquainted with, can you tell me what Collections folders were used for, as I still have two of these still visible on my laptop that I intend to delete.  These Collection folders have no contents.

JTS1

[JTS1]

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@andyholtenwrote:

Yes, I don't use the desktop icon to start the app, it was just a 'nice-to-have' addition that I created since the installation of the app no longer creates a desktop icon.  I only use it if I have to restart after killing the app for some reason (it sometimes locks a file that it is uploading, meaning I can't edit it until I kill the app).  The laptop's boot up start list is what initially starts the app, and it *has* started the app several times, it's just that the app can't contact the servers this time!

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Andy, I have just realised from this message what could be happening, at start up. 

I, like many other BT Users. am using McAfee Security protection.  I noticed on my laptop that an automatic Security Scan and Update occurred as I attempted to Start BT Cloud using the Desktop shortcut and I noticed that the hidden small icon was stalled on the first setting i.e. it was the small black cloud, not the white one with a tick. 

During this period connection to the server had stalled.

However, as soon as McAfee had completed the Cloud returned to the white one with a tick, so the connection to the server had restarted. 

I believe therefore that the issue is related to your Laptops start up, rather than the BT Cloud.

JTS1

[JTS1]

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@opalset11wrote:

The yet to be released 21.1.1

I was given access to this version and it has been awful for me.  

The initial "update" would load and then "unload" after 30 seconds so I never got as far as backup or synch errors but all the data was still on the cloud.

Version 21.1.1 - I hope this does not get released in its current state or an awful lot of data will be lost!

I managed to install the software and login (a big improvement for me) and was able to choose "backup or "synch" options and it seemed to be working fine.  

UNTIL:

1.  It randomly switched from "make only the following folders available on this computer" to "Make all BT CLoud content available on this computer.

I never wanted all the data on my computer as the disk drive on my PC is not large enough to hold all this data and the CPU/Memory etc is working overtime whilst it downloads all this data I do not want

2. Whatever you do do not delete a sub folder or rename any of the folders or you will lose data - i have lost so much data because of this.  This is a typical scenario that happened to me

a) synch FOLDER A and one of the 3 subfolders (folderA-subfolder1). Works fine and the PC and the cloud are in synch

b) Create subfolder on PC and load 1. Works and Subfolder is created and resides on cloud and PC

c) Move data from FolderA-subfolder1 to newly created FolderA-subfolder4 . folderA-subfolder1 is now empty (on the PC)

The cloud is now showing all the files that were in FolderA-subfolder1 as deleted and they are now individually listed in the deleted files - although I never deleted them.

The synching is now "uploading" all these files into the new FolderA-subFolder

So when you MOVE or RENAME a file it deletes it and then creates a new one

d) to add to my troubles - FolderA-subfolder2 and FolderA-subfolder3 - which were never chosen to be "synched" were deleted 

e) rename FolderA to a new name - folder B and it deletes everything in that folder and all subfolders regardless of you synching them or not.  If you then try and restore it produces an error and does not allow you to restore the missing subfolders and your deleted items folder is showing (in my case 15,121 ) files individually so its almost impossible to see "at a glance" which folders its randomly deleted - 

I have lost hours, data and the will to live - put your data in the cloud but dont trust the "sycnh" until you are 100% certain its working properly and test it by moving and rename folders etc to make sure it works for you.  

Hopefully this will not be a problem for anyone else as the released version will I am sure have fixed these problems - but just in case its something to think about.

I am very fortunate as I had an SSD drive with all this data backed up as a secondary backup - which is now my primary backup for now!!!

this has gone on for too long and is a nightmare

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Were you provided with a User Guide to measure the Quality of the new version against.  Like a check list for example.

The reason that I am asking this is that, even in version 20.6.1, I have found functions that display Folders and Files that are not mentioned in the current User Guide and these have only recently appeared.

JTS1

[JTS1]

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@rperc13wrote:
Well I'll be blowed - he's right!!

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Does this mean that your problem has been resolved, or can I be of further help?

JTS1

[rperc13]

Hi John Sorry I have been rather busy. No the problem remains. BT Cloud is simply not operating. Apart from the mysterious appearance of the list of "Recently Updated" items in the box that pops up when  I click on the white cloud in the hidden icons, nothing has changed. Incidentally, the items that appear in that list, which seem wholly random, it says have been uploaded, the most recent ones it says three days ago. But when I go to BT Cloud via the web and find those items using the search facility, it says they were last modified many months ago. That tells me that that list of items is nonsense and that nothing has changed in my folders and files on BT Cloud since 1st December, except for the addition of the items i dropped in myself.

But that is by the way. I have had email and telephone contact from those in BT that are trying to sort things out. We are all aware that a new version is on the way (though probably not till the end of February at the earliest) and I am content to wait until then. As I previously said, I only use the cloud to back up my important files, in case of some disaster affecting my PC. I never intended it to hold everything on my PC. I am satisfied that all my files are still in the cloud, albeit not updated. I will continue to drop in updated versions from time to time while awaiting developments. I don't wish to make any changes that have the slightest risk of causing other problems.

But many thanks for all your efforts.