NinjaOne Backup — Error 20: Individual File Deleted from Backup Path
Audience: T1 Use when: Backup fails with "Error 20: Individual file deleted as folder backup path."
What This Error Means
The backup plan has a specific file or folder path configured as a backup target, but that path no longer exists on the device. Lockhart goes to back up the path, finds nothing there, and fails.
This is a configuration mismatch — not a disk or permissions problem.
Common Causes
| Cause | Example |
|---|---|
| File or folder was deleted by a user | C:\ImportantDocs was removed |
| Folder was renamed or moved | C:\DentrixData became D:\DentrixData |
| Application was uninstalled, removing its data folder | A path configured for a removed dental app |
| Temp or cache folder that gets cleared | Backing up a folder that cleans itself |
| Drive letter changed | Folder exists but at a different drive letter after remapping |
Step 1 — Confirm the Path Doesn't Exist
# Check the specific path (get it from the NinjaOne activity log error message)
$missingPath = "C:\Path\That\Is\Missing"
Test-Path $missingPath
# If False: the path genuinely doesn't exist
Step 2 — Find Where the Data Went
# If it was renamed, search for it
Get-ChildItem "C:\", "D:\", "E:\" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*PartOfMissingFolderName*"} |
Select FullName | Select-Object -First 20
Step 3 — Update the Backup Plan
If the folder moved to a new location:
- NinjaOne → device → Backup → Edit plan → Included Paths
- Remove the old path
- Add the new correct path
- Save and trigger a manual backup run
If the folder was deleted and the data is gone:
- Remove the path from the backup plan
- Document in the Halo ticket what was removed and why
- If the data loss is unexpected: flag to the AM
If it's a temp/cache folder that shouldn't be backed up:
- Remove from the backup plan's Included Paths
- Consider adding it to Exclusions if it's on a path that's also covered by a broader inclusion rule
Note on File/Folder vs. Image Backup
Error 20 primarily applies to file/folder backup plans where specific paths are listed. For image backup plans, entire volumes are captured — individual missing folders don't cause Error 20 (they just won't be backed up, with no error).
If DTC sites use image backup (which is the standard), Error 20 likely means a file/folder plan is also configured on the device as a supplemental plan.