Installing and Registering the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent

Topic

This article describes the process of manually installing and registering the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent on a protected system.

For Datto RMM deployment instructions, see Deploying the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent via Datto RMM.

NOTE  During the registration of Datto Endpoint Backup Agents, the agent is tied to a Organization account in the Datto Partner Portal. Removing the organization account will result in the deletion of any Datto Endpoint Backup Agent datasets linked to that organization."

Environment

  • Datto Endpoint Backup

Description

This article assumes that you have already completed any necessary pre-deployment steps on the protected system. If you have not done so already, review the information in our Getting Started with Datto Endpoint Backup article before proceeding further.

Installation

  1. Download and install the DattoEssentialsInstaller.exe and launch it.

  1. Review the Datto Endpoint Backup Terms document.

  2. If you agree to the terms, check the I agree to the license terms and conditions box and then click Install to continue.

  3. The installer will run. If you are prompted to install the Datto Storage volume shadow copies, click Install. The Datto Storage service allows the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent to perform snapshots of your protected system.
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  1. You may see a prompt to enable the RSA/SHA512 algorithm on the protected system. The Datto Endpoint Backup Agent requires this algorithm to deliver secure communications. Click OK to enable the protocol. To learn more about RSA/SHA512 protocols, see Microsoft Support article 2973337 (external link).

  2. For optimal performance you must reboot the endpoint following agent installation. If the machine is not rebooted, it will be unable to take incremental backups and will take a maximum of one backup per day.

  3. Proceed to the Registration section of this article to continue.

    NOTE  The Agent ID is available from the agent tray icon after the installation completes.

  1. Download and install the DattoEssentialsInstaller.exe.

  2. Run the installer from an elevated command line with the desired options listed below.

  • Install Mode:

    /install | /repair | /uninstall

    Installs, repairs, uninstalls. Install is the default.

  • Interactivity Level:

    /passive | /quiet

    Displays minimal UI with no prompts, or displays no UI and no prompts. By default UI and all prompts are displayed.

  • Auto-Restart option:

    /norestart

    Suppress any attempts to restart. By default UI will prompt before restart.

  • Logging option:

    /log (log.txt)

    Logs to a specific file. By default a log file is created in %TEMP%.

    An example of the installation command with options given (run from the folder the installer is located in).

    EXAMPLE  DattoEssentialsInstaller.exe /install /quiet /norestart

    NOTE   If the machine is not rebooted after the install, it will be unable to take incremental backups and will take a maximum of one backup per day.

Datto recommends and fully supports using Datto RMM for seamless one-click deployment of the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent. It is possible, however, to use other RMM solutions for agent deployment. While Datto has not tested and cannot provide support for these solutions, we do offer the code required to deploy the agent as a courtesy to those customers that require a third-party solution and have the technical knowledge necessary to implement it.

To track changes between backups, you must reboot the endpoint after the initial installation of the Endpoint Backup Agent. This is required to run incremental backups. Subsequent agent updates do not require a reboot.

Prerequisites

  • Ensure your deployment system has the latest versions of Visual C++ installed. Outdated versions of Visual C++ can cause installation failures and may not report them.

    The latest Visual C++ version packages can be obtained from Microsoft's website.

NOTE  Datto Endpoint Backup is only available for devices running 64-bit builds of Windows.

To install the Datto Endpoint Backup MSI to your RMM:

  1. Download the Datto Endpoint Backup installer in MSI format. If this link does not work in your browser, right-click it and select Open in new tab.

  2. Import the MSI installer into your chosen RMM system.

  3. Navigate to portal.dattobackup.com > Status > Datto Endpoint Backup Status.

  4. From theDatto Endpoint Backup Status page, click the name of your organization under the Organization Name field. The organization settings page will load for the organization you have selected.
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  1. Under the RMM Templates panel, locate the TOKEN field, then click the clipboard icon to copy the token to your clipboard.
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  1. Once you have the RMM Token, use the following format for the installer code:

    msiexec /i DattoEssentialsx64.msi /qn /norestart REGTOKEN="<token>"

    Replace <token> with your RMM installation token.

  2. Start the job. The agent deployment will begin.

  3. For optimal performance you must reboot the endpoint following agent installation. If the machine is not rebooted it will be unable to take incremental backups and will take a maximum of one backup per day.

Kaseya users

As an alternative install method, Kaseya users can use the following command:

cd $env:temp ; Invoke-RestMethod -Method Get -URI https://cf-dl.datto.com/ebess/build-artifacts/DattoEssentialsx64.msi -OutFile DattoEssentialsx64.msi ; Start-Process msiexec.exe -Wait -ArgumentList '/i DattoEssentialsx64.msi /qn /norestart REGTOKEN=<token>'

Replace <token> with your RMM installation token.

When attempting to install Datto Endpoint Backup via RMM, you may receive the error message:

"Installation failed with code: 404 - Error details: Error from registration server: Failed registration process."

This happens when refresh of the RMM token in the Datto Partner Portal caused the previous token to expire. To resolve, you will have to uninstall the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent, reboot, and then re-install the Agent using a valid token. Steps to uninstall the agent software can be found here: Uninstall

Registration

  1. A web browser window will open and navigate you to the Datto Partner Portal. Log in using your Partner Portal username and password, then navigate to Status > Endpoint Backup Status > click the Register Agent option in the top right of the page.

    If the web browser does not open automatically or if the protected machine was rebooted prior to the registration process, the page can be accessed here: Endpoint Backup Status.

  1. After logging in to the portal, you will see the Register Datto Endpoint Backup Agent window. Perform the following steps to register the protected system and link it to a specific organization:

    • Select or Create Organization: Associate the new agent with an existing organization from your Partner Portal account or create a new organization.

    • Enter Agent ID: This value is the unique key identifier for the cloud backups of the protected host. You will be asked to provide it if you contact Support, or if you need to register a machine to your partner account manually. The Agent ID is available from the agent tray icon after the installation completes.

    • Select Datacenter: Select the offsite storage facility where you would like your cloud backups to be stored. Currently, only the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, or the United Kingdom are selectable regions. If you have compliance questions about these data centers, contact your Datto Sales Executive.

    • Select Subscription Type: Select the type of subscription license you'd like the agent to use.

  1. When you are finished making configuration changes, click Register.

  2. Reboot the protected system to start taking backups.

Uninstall

Use the Windows Programs and Features panel to run the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent's built-in uninstaller. Uninstalling via this method allows you to reinstall the agent and resume backups for it in the future if you choose to do so.

If you wish to remove the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent from your protected system altogether, without the possibility of resuming the existing backup chain at a later date, run the built-in uninstaller, and then manually remove the following directory from the protected machine:

%windir%\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Datto\Datto Cloud Continuity

NOTE  This method of uninstalling is irreversible. If you choose to back up the same protected device with the Datto Endpoint Backup solution in the future, you will be unable to continue the existing backup chain, and a new backup chain will generate.

Uninstalling the Datto Endpoint Backup Agent does not delete its cloud backups. To remove the backup chain, follow the procedure described in Removing an Agent.