Windows Background Service
Run scheduled backups even when the BackupEngine app is closed.
What Is the Background Service?
BackupEngine includes an optional Windows service that runs scheduled backups even when the desktop app is closed. Without the service, backups only run when the app is open. The service runs as LocalSystem on a configurable schedule so your data is protected 24/7.
- •Runs scheduled backups even when no user is logged in.
- •Automatically restarts if the service stops unexpectedly.
- •Shows backup status in the system tray when the GUI is running.
- •Can be installed and uninstalled from Settings without admin access — UAC prompt handles elevation.
- •Works with Local PC, Network PC, Google Drive, OneDrive, and BackupEngine Cloud destinations.
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--user unit.Installing the Background Service
You can install the service from the GUI or from the CLI. Either way, Windows requires elevation — the GUI handles UAC for you; from the CLI run inside an elevated terminal.
- •Open the BackupEngine desktop app.
- •Navigate to Settings (gear icon in the sidebar).
- •Scroll to the Windows Service section.
- •Click Install Service. You will be prompted for a UAC confirmation.
- •Once installation completes, the service is ready and should auto-start on next restart.
backupengine install-service # Install (UAC on Windows; run elevated) backupengine start-service # Start now backupengine service-status # Probe install + run state backupengine stop-service # Stop without uninstalling backupengine uninstall-service # Remove
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Service Status and Management
The Schedule tab shows a status banner indicating the service state. The CLI surfaces the same state via service-status.
- •Green: Service is installed and running. Scheduled backups will execute on time.
- •Red: Service is installed but stopped. Click "Start Service" to resume.
- •Amber: Service is not installed. Click "Install Service" to enable background backup execution.
backupengine service-status backupengine service-status --json backupengine start-service backupengine stop-service
How the Service Knows When to Run Backups
The service reads your backup schedules from the local database and executes them at the configured times. When the GUI is running, both the service and the GUI can run backups, so you will see a combined count in the status (e.g., "1 backup running" vs "2 backups running (1 in service)").
- •Schedule polling: The service checks for due backups every 5 minutes.
- •Overlap detection: If the GUI is running the same backup set, the service skips it to avoid duplicates.
- •Status synchronization: The system tray icon animates whenever any backup is running (GUI or service).
- •Log files: Each backup records which process ran it (GUI vs service) in the per-run diagnostic log.
Troubleshooting the Service
- •Service won't start: Check Windows Services (services.msc) for the 'BackupEngine Agent' service. If it shows 'Disabled', re-enable it from Settings.
- •Backups not running: Verify the service is running (green status in Schedule tab). Check if backup sets are paused or if the destination is offline.
- •Tray icon not animating: The icon animates only when the GUI is running. If the GUI is closed, check diagnostic logs to confirm the service backup completed.
- •Permission errors: The service runs as LocalSystem and should have permissions to local and network destinations. Verify the network share is accessible without a login.
- •Destination unreachable: If a destination (e.g., network share or cloud) is offline, the backup fails for that destination but succeeds for others (fault isolation).
- •Open the desktop agent and go to the Logs tab.
- •Filter by source = Service to see only service-initiated runs.
- •Click a row to view the full per-run diagnostic log.
backupengine logs list # All recent diagnostic logs, newest first backupengine logs list --json # Machine-readable backupengine logs show "<path-from-list>" # Stream a specific log to stdout
Uninstalling the Service
If you no longer want backups to run in the background, you can uninstall the service from either side.
- •Navigate to Settings in the BackupEngine app.
- •Scroll to Windows Service and click "Uninstall Service".
- •Confirm the UAC prompt.
- •The service will be removed. Scheduled backups will no longer run when the app is closed.
backupengine uninstall-service # Run from an elevated terminal on Windows