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This page lists the most common import issues, their causes, and how to resolve them. For general diagnostics, see Where to Find Logs.

The import preflight checks include:

Fix the reported issue and retry. You can run preflight independently: AppProfileSafe.exe --preflight --import --manifestFile "..." --apps "..."

Error	Cause	Solution
Manifest file not found	The XML file does not exist at the specified path	Verify the path. If on a network share, check connectivity and permissions.
Manifest validation failed	The XML does not conform to the manifest schema	Ensure the file was created by AppProfileSafe and has not been manually edited or corrupted. Check namespace and required elements.
Manifest does not contain a DataFolderName	The `<DataFolderName>` element is missing from the metadata	This is a warning — the import falls back to the default folder name `APS`. If the data folder has a different name, the import will fail to find the data.
No applications found in manifest	The manifest file contains no `<Entry>` elements	The export may have failed or the manifest was created empty. Re-run the export.
Application 'X' not found in manifest	The requested app name does not match any `EntryName` in the manifest	Check the exact spelling. Names are case-insensitive but must match the definition name used during export.
Application directory not found	The data folder for the application does not exist in the backup	The backup may be incomplete. Re-run the export for this application.

Warning / Error	Cause	Solution
Invalid registry key path	The registry path in the backup is malformed or uses an unsupported hive name	Check the registry export XML. Valid hives: HKCU, HKLM, HKCR, HKU, HKCC.
Failed to create/open registry key	The target key cannot be created (permission issue, policy restriction)	Verify that AppProfileSafe is running with administrator rights. Some keys under HKLM may be protected by Group Policy.
Access denied to registry key	The key is protected by TrustedInstaller or other security restrictions	This entry is skipped. Other entries continue. Consider whether the key needs to be restored at all.
Failed to import registry value	The value cannot be written (type mismatch, key not writable)	Check the log for details. The individual value is skipped; other values continue.

Warning / Error	Cause	Solution
Backup source file not found	The file referenced in the manifest does not exist in the backup data folder	The backup may be incomplete or files were deleted after export. Re-export the application.
Backup source folder not found	Same as above, for a folder entry	Same solution
Failed to restore file content	The target file cannot be written (locked by another process, permission denied, disk full)	Close applications using the target file. Check permissions and disk space. The file is skipped; other files continue.
Failed to create target directory	The target folder cannot be created (invalid path after mapping, permission issue)	Verify mapping rules produce valid paths. Check write permissions on the target location.
Failed to apply ACL from SDDL	The NTFS security descriptor cannot be applied to the file or folder	This is a best-effort warning — the file is kept but without the original permissions. Common when the SDDL references user SIDs that do not exist on the target machine.

Error	Cause	Solution
Mapping file not found	The `--mappingFile` path does not exist	Verify the file path
Failed to load mapping file	The mapping XML is invalid or does not pass schema validation	Check the mapping file structure. See Mapping.
Unexpected target paths after mapping	Find/replace patterns are too broad or not specific enough	Run a Simulation to preview mapped paths before importing. Refine your patterns.

Error	Cause	Solution
Restore point creation failed (import aborted)	Windows rejected the restore point (service disabled, insufficient privileges)	Use `--ignoreRestorePointLimit` to continue anyway, or `--noRestorePoint` to skip. In the GUI, a confirmation dialog offers to continue.
24-hour limit reached	Windows limits restore point creation to once per 24 hours	A recent restore point already exists. The CLI treats this as success when detected. Use `--ignoreRestorePointLimit` if the check still blocks.

Application log: Detailed error messages and stack traces. See Where to Find Logs.
Progress window (GUI): Per-item results (Success, Error, Skipped) with source and destination paths
Console output (CLI): Pipe-separated progress lines in non-silent mode
Import change report: CSV file in the Audit folder with a record of every change made during the import
Run report: JSON report saved in the Report folder
Audit log: Records ImportStarted, ImportCompleted, ImportCompletedWithErrors, or ImportFailed