Target Object Already Exists

Product version: 11.0

Last modified: 07 August 2025

Problem

The VM backup job has failed with the following error:

error18: description='An internal error has occurred while backing up the "DynamicsVM-Pgqj-chG" Reason: Target object already exists (ActionException)'

This error indicates that a backup object for the specified VM already exists in the Backup Repository, which prevents the Backup Job from completing successfully. The Orphan data is present in the transit folder in the repository.

Solution

To resolve the issue, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Repositories, locate and expand the repository related to the affected job.

2. Click the ellipsis button and select Run repository self-healing to initiate self-healing.

3. Open the repository storage location. Ensure the transit folder is empty. If any temporary or stuck data is present, wait for it to clear automatically.

4. Wait for at least 5 minutes for the repository to complete any background processes.

5. After completing the steps above, restart the backup job for the affected VM.