Volume Shadow Copy doesn't work

[Teacher]

I run Fbackup on a 64 bit vista home premium machine. I love the program, but in the first logfile it reported it couldn't start Volume Shadow Copy, so it could'nt backup open files. What could be wrong?

[arcarter]

I am running FBackup latest version, on Windows XP Home with service pack 3

I am getting the following error about Shadow Copy
[4/16/2009 4:48:01 PM] Preparing shadow copy

[4/16/2009 4:49:01 PM] Could not create Volume Shadow Copy. Locked files will not be copied. Catastrophic failure

[4/16/2009 4:49:01 PM] Folders found to backup: 58

[4/16/2009 4:49:01 PM] Files found to backup: 897 (107,765,708.91 KB)
The backup completed but a number of files were not copied as they were open.

I previously had a problem with VSS and thought that I had taken care of it

Now the backup runs but cannot create the VSS copy.

Any ideas would be appreciated....
Tony

[Adrian (Softland)]

Hi,
Backing up open files has the following limitations: It works

- only on Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server or Windows Vista (32-bit)

- only for users with administrator access rights to copy open files

- only on local hard drives

- only on NTFS formatted partitions

- only if the VSS (Volume Shadow Service) is running and it is properly configured

[arcarter]

I am running Windows XP SP3. The id I am using is an administrator.

I am trying to backup e-mail using the Outlook express plugin, I last ran it manually on Mar 30 and it worked correctly. I tried to run it on Apr 24 an it would go no further than the message "Preparing the shadow copy". I left it and came back 90 minutes later and it was still "Preparing the shadow copy"

The drive is formatted NTFS, the VSS service is running, the RPC service is running, and the MS Shadow copy Provider service is running. The only way I can get it to stop is to end the FBackup process.
I have also had problems even when a backup I was running did run and finish I still had an error with VSS. As you can see from portions of the log. Also what do you mean by properly configured??
4/16/2009 10:51:33 PM] Preparing shadow copy

[4/16/2009 10:52:33 PM] Could not create Volume Shadow Copy. Locked files will not be copied. Catastrophic failure

[4/16/2009 10:52:33 PM] Folders found to backup: 20

[4/16/2009 10:52:33 PM] Files found to backup: 216 (70,896,378.29 KB)
This backup completed with no errors even with a catastrophic failure of the Volume Shadow Copy as you can see from the end of the log...
Test finished at 4/17/2009 6:49:01 AM, 216 file(s) and 20 folder(s) tested, 0 error(s) and 0 warning(s) found
Total number of files added to backup: 216

Total number of folders added to backup: 20

Total size of files added to backup: 70,896,378.29 KB (uncompressed), 70,892,283.21 KB (compressed)

Number of files excluded: 0

Number of folders excluded: 0

Next scheduled backup:

Backup completed at 4/17/2009 6:49:01 AM with 0 error(s), 0 warning(s)
thanks Tony

[Adrian (Softland)]

Hi,
In your case, the VSS is not correctly working.

Please read this document about how to configure the VSS.

[arcarter]

I have checked the document and the services are running correctly. I have checked the writers and providers and they seem to be fine.. See below. All are listed as being stable. I am still having the same problem when I try to run a backup. The message "Preparing Shadow copy ...Please wait" runs continuously and never ends. I am not running Visio or Windows server 2003 so as far as I can see the rest of the document does not apply. Can you suggest anything else?
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\ARC>vssadmin list providers

vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool

(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.
Provider name: 'MS Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0'

Provider type: System

Provider Id: {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}

Version: 1.0.0.7
C:\Documents and Settings\ARC>vssadmin list writers

vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool

(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.
Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'

Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}

Writer Instance Id: {13794e6d-757a-4de0-8ef2-6975cfc1a64d}

State: [1] Stable
Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)'

Writer Id: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}

Writer Instance Id: {a0c2133f-4647-442b-b62e-29572027a399}

State: [1] Stable
Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)'

Writer Id: {f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5}

Writer Instance Id: {8758fc2f-d93e-43ec-8640-b971416bab57}

State: [1] Stable
Writer name: 'WMI Writer'

Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}

Writer Instance Id: {740457b4-a663-4d0b-aa0d-2049b8e4c2e0}

State: [1] Stable
C:\Documents and Settings\ARC>

[Adrian (Softland)]

Hi,
Please send us the complete backup log to info[at]fbackup[dot]com.

We want to analyze the log.

[arcarter]

Information sent

[arcarter]

I have just tried running a backup again and the backup ran with an error concerning VSS

Here is part of the log of the backup I ran of my Webshots..
14/2009 11:14:43 PM] Found file <Webshots>\The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscB.tmp

[5/14/2009 11:14:43 PM] Found file <Webshots>\The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscC.tmp

[5/14/2009 11:14:43 PM] Found file <Webshots>\The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscD.tmp

[5/14/2009 11:14:43 PM] Found file <Webshots>\The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscE.tmp

[5/14/2009 11:14:43 PM] Found file <Webshots>\The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscF.tmp

[5/14/2009 11:14:43 PM] Preparing shadow copy

[5/14/2009 11:14:45 PM] Could not create Volume Shadow Copy. Locked files will not be copied. VSS Error : VSS_E_MAXIMUM_NUMBER_OF_SNAPSHOTS_REACHED

[5/14/2009 11:14:45 PM] Folders found to backup: 110

[5/14/2009 11:14:45 PM] Files found to backup: 1,775 (81,141.64 KB)
[5/14/2009 11:14:45 PM] Archiving files to 1_Data.zip

[5/14/2009 11:14:48 PM] Added file C:\Documents and Settings\ARC\My Documents\Webshots Data\Collections.html

[5/14/2009 11:14:48 PM] Added file C:\Documents and Settings\ARC\My Documents\Webshots Data\PlayList.txt
This is from the end of the backup it says that there were no errors
[5/14/2009 11:16:12 PM] The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscD.tmp OK

[5/14/2009 11:16:12 PM] The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscE.tmp OK

[5/14/2009 11:16:12 PM] The Webshots Desktop\WebshotsInternetCache\wscF.tmp OK

Test finished at 5/14/2009 11:16:12 PM, 1775 file(s) and 110 folder(s) tested, 0 error(s) and 0 warning(s) found
Total number of files added to backup: 1775

Total number of folders added to backup: 110

Total size of files added to backup: 81,141.64 KB (uncompressed), 78,097.42 KB (compressed)

Number of files excluded: 0

Number of folders excluded: 0

Next scheduled backup:

Backup completed at 5/14/2009 11:16:12 PM with 0 error(s), 0 warning(s)
Can I do anything about the VSS error ??

thanks Tony

[Adrian (Softland)]

1. Restart your computer and try again.
Other possible reasons:
2. There is not enough free disk space on the drive where the locked file is located. Delete temporary files, empty recycle bin, etc
3. Fow WinXP, VSS has the limitation that only one shadow volume can be created per drive at a time. There could be another software that is already using the shadow volume for the drive.