Already a NinjaOne customer? Log in to view more guides and the latest updates.

Error 371: Error Reading File or Folder

  • Last Updated June 30, 2026

Issue

A File/Folder or Image backup fails with a log entry that states: "Error reading file or folder/IO Error (371)." 

Figure 1: Error reading file or folder/IO (371) (click to enlarge)

Environment

  • NinjaOne Device Backup
  • Microsoft Windows
  • PowerShell

Cause

A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate is outdated on the endpoint machine. You may see this issue if Microsoft has not updated the certificate.

Resolution

Ensure that you have applied the latest Microsoft Windows updates, as doing so will usually resolve this issue. If the error persists, you can resolve the error by first generating a new certificate and then importing it as follows:

  1. Log in to a PowerShell session as an administrator.
  2. Run the following command to generate a new certificate: certutil.exe -generateSSTFromWU C:roots.sst
  3. Run the following command to import the certificate using PowerShell's PKI module: Get-ChildItem -Path C:roots.sst | Import-Certificate -CertStoreLocation Cert:LocalMachineRoot

Older versions of Microsoft Windows and PowerShell

If your Microsoft Windows operating system is older than 2012 R2, PowerShell will be older than 3.0. These older PowerShell versions do not include the PKI module and so will error on the second command listed above. 

For this scenario, you will need to do the following:

  1. Run certutil.exe -generateSSTFromWUC:roots.sst to download the certificate.
  2. Open the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) by using the search in the Windows icon.
  3. Click File
  4. Select Add/Remove Snap-in
  5. Select Add certificate
  6. Select Computer account.
  7. Choose the Local option.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Click Certificate to open the certificate options.
  10. Right-click Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
  11. Select All Items → Import.
  12. Microsoft Windows will launch the file explorer, navigate to the C drive, and select the roots.sst file, then click Next.
  13. Click Finish.
You may need to reboot the server before the changes take effect.

Additional Resources

The following resources provide more details on how to install an SSL certificate on Microsoft Windows systems.

FAQ

Next Steps