More problems than I'd like with Backup & Sync

Microsoft is dropping Windows Live Mesh and I'm not crazy about them chucking me off to another catchy product of their's only to have them kill that too in a few years...

So I figured hey, Webroot Backup & Sync. I thought it would take minutes to set up being Webroot is such a chippy hippy product. But no.

Invalid password. So I log in on the website. My login works of course online. Then I realized Backup & Sync wasn't "set up" as it was grayed out. So I initialized it.

Then I rebooted...twice. It still won't let me log in. The Webroot client won't take my username/password.

I understand the primary product is AV/security but if you guys are going to be pushing the suites hard (which...come on...you are) they should work and they should work WELL, as in, better than Windows Live Mesh - the competition free from Microsoft.

What's going on here? Anyone else use Backup & Sync and can assure me it's good before I blow my top here?

 

When you make changes in My Webroot it usually takes 20 to 30 minutes until the function works on the system but if you continue to have issues contact WSA support and they will be happy to help you. https://www.webrootanywhere.com/servicewelcome.asp? Here is some info to look into https://my.webrootanywhere.com/gethelp.aspx?n=Using_Backup_and_Sync and https://detail.webrootanywhere.com/agenthelp.asp?n=Using_Backup_and_Sync

TH

 

Check the users section online and make sure it has access to backup and sync for the one you are trying to log into.

 

Alright, I've played "the game" with support. I know the support is still likely MILES better than your competitors, but I'm still growing frustrated.

First they gave me "the dumb" response that I expected to get at least once, which was to the effect of, "are you sure you are the admin?" Yeah, I mentioned I was in my first message to them. Seriously, why MUST companies ask questions like that? To Webroot feedback people - why not continue your mission to innovate and stop being like other companies and asking that question! If guys can make an AMAZING product that is under a megabyte and scans the heck out of your computer blazing fast, I think you can make a simple innovation of NOT asking dumb "tier 1ish" support questions when your customers specifically state that they already tired a support step. One of my pet peeves, as you all can see now.

So anyway, calming back down....they then ask me to download and run a support tool that is nicely written, I was impressed with it, too bad they have to ask you to download it and it isn't a sidelink on the support chat like Prevx 3.0 support screen had all nice and neat. Whatever. So I run it. They respond to me again and tell me I'm using an expired license. WHAT?! They tell me a license key and it expired in December. That was my PREVIOUS license. I am now using the newer one that is the same on all my 5 machines now. They are all on ONE license and it has over 60 days left. That's NOT expired.

Ok, I think I know what's happening. I guess I'll do support's job for them...

Although my desktop's installation of WSA says it is using the new license and all other functions work correctly, something in the software internally is still registered as using the old license. That would explain also maybe why when I go to my web console from the interface it brings me to a sign up page instead of the log in page. I mentioned this to support twice now but whatever...

So my license isn't expired, and I'm not cracking into one of my new ones just to "possibly solve this" (I doubt it) when I have 60 good days left. No way.

The only person that can help me now is Joe I'm afraid. I'm guessing something needs to be refreshed with my account to let it know all my machines are using the one license. I'm hoping I don't need to reinstall the product. That's kinda ridiculous. Reinstall every time you have to put in a new license key? Come on.

Thanks,

EDIT: I'm talking now through DMs with Twitter support. Let's see if this goes anywhere. So far he/she says they don't even see a code in the system with 60 days left on it. WHAT?! I have 5 machines on it. LOL...don't tell me I'm still having issues from using those converted 2011 product keys. Good lord.

 

You could always go over to the Webroot Community Forums as they have many Webroot Staff members and they have access to you account when you give them your email address and I know they can help to fix it.

TH

 

I never made an account there. Not crazy about Kudos-based forums. Had a very bad experience with the T-Mobile forums.

But seriously, forums should be extra in all honesty. Webroot Support Inbox should be able to figure something like this out.

Sooner rather than later...already been working on this issue since the weekend. Really wanting to uninstall Live Mesh and get the ball rolling with WSA Sync.

 

To me Kudos mean nothing but it's the best place as you can talk to a Webroot Staff member Directly they have all the resources right in from of them. Joe is a busy man and this week he's travelling so I'm trying to get you the best help now.

TH

 

I'm sorry, I don't do Kudos based forums. After a horrible experience at the T-Mobile ones and then the Microsoft ones, I'm done with them. People that earn high Kudos tend to develop a sense of arrogance and act like they are moderators when they are not, and then due to "veteranship"/reputation, the moderators tend to side with them if there is an issue even if they are being rude.

I just don't do Kudos forums. I hate them so, so much.

But tell me, why can't the Webroot Support Inbox be as good support as the forum people? I don't understand that. They are THE support. It should be just as good if not better.

No customer should be forced to use a forum, that's all I will say.

EDIT: I'm not trying to be difficult, I just can't bring myself to use the forum.

 

It's not like that there as I'm the top Kudo member only because I help users like I do here and also because I'm retired because of health issues and have time on my hands to help others when there is no staff there it is a real friendly place with many Wilders WSA users there also.

TH

 

Well getting back to the original topic, is there not anyone here that can help with this issue?

The Twitter support people keep talking to me then stopping responding...and the Webroot Support Inbox well, I'm not impressed.

Those are the two official means of support, so it's not looking good. I'm currently paying for something I'm not getting.

 

PM sent!

TH

 

I've been thinking of responding to your post for ages!

Here is a summary of my experience with Backup & Sync: http://community.webroot.com/t5/Webroot-SecureAnywhere-Complete/Backup-amp-Sync-Transition-2013/m-p/14108#M1314.

My personal experience of WSA is that the Prevx4 (AV) part of it is quite simply awesome, but the rest is frankly...flakey.

As you will see from the post above, I have had similar experiences to you of sub-standard quality regarding the WSA Backup & Sync module and, to be honest, of moronic responses from WSA Support.

I remember when you wrote in a previous post many months ago that you simply didn't believe in all the extra modules like Backup & Sync and Password Management that many of the leading Security Suites including Webroot have recently opted for, and preferred to seek alternative, more professional solutions. This is one of many factors that finally influenced me to opt for a mix of Dropbox and SugarSync, with which I am far more satisfied than WSA Backup & Sync. I am surprised you have changed your tune.

In recent communications with Webroot Community Forum, I was assured that many of the problems that I had encountered have now been ironed out, but frankly your posts have only served to confirm my worst fears.

 

Muddy,

The "improvements" they are likely, hopefully referring to is when 2013 changes were rolled out to the program and the old Webroot Backup & Sync crapUI was replaced with a fully integrated, light-weight WSA version that looks no different than the GUI of the rest of the program.

Given that this issue is more of a system/back-end issue, I'll give Webroot ONE get out of jail free card, but once Backup & Sync is running (granted IF we ever get it to work) I don't want any issues with it. If it screws up my files, that's it!

As for "changing my tune", I haven't really. It was more situational experimentation. I am sick of the heavy weight Windows Live Mesh that Microsoft never improved upon (they could have done much more with the program setting syncing), and instead they are now killing the service and replacing it with another almost identical service. So instead of hopping from my Microsoft product to another, I figured I'd give Webroot's sync a try since it is now so light-weight like the rest of Webroot, and I already paid for it. Not to mention, they gave me a free upgrade from Essentials to Complete for some reason, and I only paid under $10 for these licenses as it was a massive online shopping sale, so, you know...more like opportunism.

However, rest assured, my minimalist and skepticism attitude has really not changed much.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention...

ISSUE NOT RESOLVED!

I reinstalled as according to support's instructions and nothing has been accomplished other than losing all my settings. And they told me not to use a backup to restore my settings obviously since the license key would be restored with it...

Hmm...looks like a perfect time to utilize the option of "import settings without license key"...but nobody took my suggestion because they thought it was an "edge case scenario".

Not so edge anymore.

Anyway, grr.

 

I imagine this could be fixed by starting fresh with a new license key entirely. Could you let me know if they've had you try that yet? If not, I can get you a keycode if wanted.

 

Seeing your response is like seeing a Dasani Water vending machine in a desert.

No they had not had me try that. Well, they told me first when they thought it was a license expiration issue to use one of my keys I paid for but that would be wasting the 61 days I have left on this one which I wasn't too keen on.

 

I'm not creating multiple email accounts for your security software to work correctly. If your backend is that unstable, the product is crap.

I tapped into a new license of mine and this blasted thing still isn't working.

If this issue cannot be fixed before Martin Luther King Monday, I want my three licenses + 60 days left on my 4th license to all be burned and replaced with AntiVirus only licenses. No more of this "just don't use the other features". NO.

If they are going to not function properly, I want them out of my sight and good riddance.

As much as I hate to install Microsoft's "next new trendy Windows 8ish hip" sync program that will likely take up three times more RAM than all of Webroot and all it does is sync files, at least Microsoft knows how to design a client that says...client login...matches server login...done. You're in.

And if you remember back in 2012, all I ever wanted of Webroot was AntiVirus anyway.

 

I'm traveling again but will be escalating this up to our support team managers to take a look at. I suspect your account is in a mixed state because of the licenses having been transitioned, as this is certainly not what our thousands of Backup & Sync users are seeing.

 

I agree, I don't think the issue is Backup & Sync. It is an account issue, which is why I ask that skeptics of Webroot's full suite (myself included) hold their opinions until I can actually get my hands on the software.

If this is the only issue and it gets resolved, and then no more issues happen and it syncs my files seamlessly, that's full amnesty as far as I'm concerned.

(As I side note, I constantly almost battle myself with should I be hard on them or be more moderate and understanding since they are helping me more than any other company out there would...I mean come on. Still though, it is frustrating to pay for something and not get it.)

 

Yes I would be more moderate and understanding as everyone is trying to help you even the V.P. of Development. This is all new to Webroot as the Back Up & Sync is in house now so give it some time to mature.

TH

 

When you say "in house now" are you referring to the fact that with "the 2013 updates" to WSA, the Backup & Sync no longer launches that older-looking, add-on Webroot software from 2011? Moreover, are you referring to how it now is fully part of WSA?

 

I think they used Sugar-Sync before but now it's all Webroot.

TH

 

The 2011/2012 products used SugarSync and therefore those licenses have access to SugarSync accounts. We've migrated active users over to our new backup solution which our own team developed internally to replace it. All user data is transitioned over but the edge case is likely that if someone was not using a 2011 license and now wants to use the new Backup product, it wouldn't be in the new backup licensing system.

 

When did you migrate to the new backup solution?

 

so what do we do if we have 2011 /2012 complete's that are unused still and we were holding onto them till they need to be used? will the backup sync not work because the lic was not previously used? or what do we do at that point?? or do we loose that functionality?

thanks joe.