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A UPS can keep a Home Assistant host running through a power interruption, but it cannot correct an invalid automation or guarantee that configuration changes are saved. Start by checking the exact save-time message: a validation error, an automation that saved but did not run, and a storage or recovery warning require different fixes. If Home Assistant reports a data-partition problem and is still accessible, make and download a full backup before attempting repairs.
First identify what “couldn’t save” means
Before changing the UPS or restoring a backup, establish whether Home Assistant rejected the automation, saved it without running it, or reported a system-storage problem. Those symptoms point to different parts of the system.
- A save dialog shows an error: Copy the complete message. It may identify an invalid field or YAML problem.
- The automation appears to save but does not run: Investigate its trigger and logic; this is not necessarily a save failure.
- Home Assistant shows recovery mode or a filesystem warning: Treat this as a system or storage issue and protect your data before attempting repair.
The exact error, installation type, Home Assistant version, UPS model, and logs are not known here, so no single cause can be assigned. Home Assistant’s automation troubleshooting guidance is a good starting point when the message concerns a specific automation.
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If Home Assistant rejects the automation at save time
Use the save error to locate the invalid part rather than changing the UPS configuration. Home Assistant documents errors involving invalid required fields, YAML syntax, and a missing name for a new automation.
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- If the message says “Message malformed,” inspect the trigger, condition, or action field named in the error.
- If you are editing YAML, check the syntax and indentation around the reported location.
- If this is a new automation, make sure it has a name.
For the configuration file and its format, see Home Assistant’s configuration documentation. A validation error calls for correcting the automation data; a UPS or backup will not make malformed data valid.
If it saved but did not run
A saved automation that does not execute is a runtime or logic problem, not a save error. Home Assistant automations respond to changes: a trigger generally will not fire simply because its condition was already true when you saved the automation. Conditions are evaluated after a trigger reacts. Review the trigger and expected event using How automations react to changes.
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If recovery mode or a filesystem warning appears
Check Settings > System > Logs and follow the instructions for the specific warning. Recovery mode can occur when configuration storage is corrupted after a sudden power loss. A data-partition filesystem check failure means that partition is corrupted; it holds configuration, automations, apps, and backups. Home Assistant describes both recovery mode and the data-partition warning in its recovery-mode guidance and filesystem-check instructions.
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- If the system remains accessible, create a full backup and download it to another device immediately.
- Check whether the host’s physical storage may be failing. If it is, replace it before restoring the backup.
- Do not start by reformatting or wiping the affected storage. Those actions can delete user data and are not the first recovery step.
Home Assistant’s filesystem instructions explain the recovery steps for this warning. A backup copied only to the affected host may not be available if that storage fails.
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What the UPS can—and cannot—do
A UPS provides power continuity and can support monitoring, but it is not a Home Assistant configuration backup and does not guarantee a graceful shutdown or immunity from storage failure. Home Assistant identifies sudden power loss and failing storage as common causes of data-partition filesystem corruption. An underlying storage problem or an invalid automation remains separate from whether the UPS is working.
Home Assistant’s Network UPS Tools (NUT) integration communicates with a NUT server, not directly with a UPS. With compatible hardware and a separately configured server, the integration can expose UPS status and battery sensors. It polls the server every 60 seconds by default, and those sensors can support automations such as notifying you when the UPS goes on battery or its charge drops below a threshold. This adds power-event awareness; it does not create configuration backups or establish that the host shut down cleanly.
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Choose a backup that matches your installation and recovery needs
Home Assistant provides different backup actions. The important distinctions are what the backup contains, where it is stored, and which installation types can use the action.
| Option | What it does | Availability and storage |
|---|---|---|
backup.create |
Creates a local backup of Home Assistant configuration and the database; it does not include add-ons or extra folders. | Available for Core and Container installations; the backup stays local and is not uploaded elsewhere. See Create backup. |
backup.create_automatic |
Uses the configured automatic-backup contents, destinations, password, and retention. | Available on all installation types. See Create automatic backup. |
| Backup integration and configured automatic backups | Provides backup actions and supports automatic backups configured in the UI. | See the Backup integration. Home Assistant’s general guidance documents full and partial backups, along with NAS and cloud destinations. |
For OS and supervised installations, use automatic backups rather than the basic local backup.create action. Home Assistant’s general backup guidance recommends regular backups for restoration or migration. Keep at least one usable recovery copy on a separate device, NAS, or cloud destination—not solely on the Home Assistant host.
Do not mistake homeassistant.save_persistent_states for a configuration backup. It checkpoints persistent entity states; it does not back up automation configuration. Home Assistant says persistent states are normally saved at startup, every 15 minutes, and at shutdown, while the action adds an extra checkpoint. See Save persistent states.
Quick Recap
Use the symptom to choose the next action
- Save-time validation message: Correct the field, YAML syntax, or missing name identified by the error.
- Saved automation does not run: Check its trigger and the event it should react to.
- Recovery or filesystem warning: Follow the warning’s recovery instructions; if accessible, download a full backup before repair.
- UPS status or power-event monitoring: Check that a NUT server is configured and that the integration can read the UPS data.
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