Problem with GMail Backup

Hi,

I've been using GMail Backup for a few years because I want to keep my emails, SMS, call logs, ..., safe on my computer (archive). Everything's going will with this good software. But yesterday (September 28th, 2016), for the first time, I receive an error message when I tried to back up as usual.

Error: IMAP: SEARCH command error: BAD ['Could not parse command']

I didn't change anything in my settings and I can't explain this problem. I checked in my GMail account if the IMAP is activated and if the less secure apps option was also activated. They were. Like the first day I used GMail Backup. I'm on Windows 7 OS.

I don't know what to do. I tried to find answers on the web, but I don't find anything.

Please help me because I can't make back up anymore.

Thank you very much!
 
Hi MichelSoleil,

I'm having the same issue for the past three days and I've been searching as well. Have you found a solution yet?

I'm looking at other backup utility such as SyncBack & SyncBackPro but I guess it will put everything in one folder and not by dated folders. And there's no way to select dates either. If those things can be sorted out, I'll switch over to it. How about you? Did you find anything so far?




Hi,

I've been using GMail Backup for a few years because I want to keep my emails, SMS, call logs, ..., safe on my computer (archive). Everything's going will with this good software. But yesterday (September 28th, 2016), for the first time, I receive an error message when I tried to back up as usual.

Error: IMAP: SEARCH command error: BAD ['Could not parse command']

I didn't change anything in my settings and I can't explain this problem. I checked in my GMail account if the IMAP is activated and if the less secure apps option was also activated. They were. Like the first day I used GMail Backup. I'm on Windows 7 OS.

I don't know what to do. I tried to find answers on the web, but I don't find anything.

Please help me because I can't make back up anymore.

Thank you very much!
 
First action fighting Email / Website issues is to reboot the PC and retry. I've had issues with Gmail, Yahoo and others for about a week, and reboot has resolved it every time.

I was seeing "Unable to access xyz.com server" when the configuration was still correct, so it had to be a networking issue.
 
Hi Jobeard,

I've done that a lot of the times and a few times daily. Nothing worked. Same error.

If I understand you, the problem is not GMail Backup or GMail. The problem is a networking one? But everything is going well with all the communication with GMail and my other webmails like Outlook.com. Could you give me more information?

Thank you.
 
Need some error logs from your Backup to diagnose with any meaningful response...
 
Hi MichelSoleil,

I'm having the same issue for the past three days and I've been searching as well. Have you found a solution yet?

I'm looking at other backup utility such as SyncBack & SyncBackPro but I guess it will put everything in one folder and not by dated folders. And there's no way to select dates either. If those things can be sorted out, I'll switch over to it. How about you? Did you find anything so far?

Hi try to change folder directory
 
Hi,

What do you mean by changing folder directory? The installation folder (Program Files x86/GmailBackup) or the backup folder where you decide to save all the mails?

Thank you for your help.
 
Hi everyone,

Also had the same issue. Changing the backup directory didn't work. However, I tried to use an app specific password, and selected the newest emails only option and the backups started running. Now, since this is my first back up of this account - I am not sure if all my emails will be backed up... but thought this might help someone else
 
Had the same problem as described and after a lot of trials and tribulation including managing to get it up and running, I thought, found that it had failed to update to the folder after 16 hours of downloading . As an ex Top Contributor to the Google forums and still posting I was determined to find a way around the problem. As of an hour ago I had an epiphany. I created a new folder and directed the backup to it. No problem downloading now including stops and re-starts. I will update a Community Manager at Google (the specific Gmail one) to see if Google can work out a fix from their end.
 
I removed some labels from my gmail account and Gmail Backup stopped working. When I started backing up to a new folder on my computer the problem was solved. Maybe this is the problem?
 
I removed some labels from my gmail account and Gmail Backup stopped working. When I started backing up to a new folder on my computer the problem was solved. Maybe this is the problem?
Following up what I previously found it seems that there are two choices. Start a new folder each time you want to back up or, if you back up to an external drive, disconnect it while starting the backup and then reconnect when the backup has started. Problem is that it will start the backup from square one so you either finish up with a complete copy of the original folder or everything duplicated.
 
Yes you seem to be right. I cannot now do an incremental backup of the newly created backup. This has been working for me for years. I assume Google has changed their IMAP code and Grail Backup is now permanently broken
 
Yes you seem to be right. I cannot now do an incremental backup of the newly created backup. This has been working for me for years. I assume Google has changed their IMAP code and Grail Backup is now permanently broken
Thanks for confirming Richard. I'm confirming the problem with a Gmail Community Manager and this and other problems with IMAP are being investigated.
 
Hi, I tried creating a new folder on the same path but it didn't work for me. I'll try from a different computer and check if it works from there
 
I tried from different computer, different path and empty folder and I still get the same error:
"Error: IMAP: SEARCH command error: BAD ['Could not parse command']"
 
I removed gmail backup and installed "latest" version (2011-03-07).
Starting backup to original folder doesn't work, with or without selected önly new e-mails).
Starting backup to a new folder seems to work fine (selected "only new e-mails"). It will take hours for backup several Gb's.
Stopped during backup and starting again, it finally works.
Jojanne,

Recheck tomorrow and you will probably find duplications of the early backups as it seems to restart right at the beginning. I'm beginning to theorise further and it appears the modified day to day date may be causing the problem if you manage to restart it again to the same folder.
 
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