Backup hangs on open exclusive files

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Tue May 19, 2009 9:52 am

I'm running V2.6.2 on Windows XP Pro and have done so for a number of years without problems.

However, AIS now hangs when it gets to the exclusive files stage. The only recent change I've made is to install Office 2007, so I rather suspect it could be (say) my PST that's causing the problem, although it happens whether or not Outlook is running.

I am backing up to a USB-connected Harddrive, the same one I've always used.

...this has happened 3 times in a row, so it's not a momentary glitch; backup has essentially ceased to operate

Thanks
Patrick

Post by **Barry** » Tue May 19, 2009 6:36 pm

Version 2.7 of AISBackup displays the VSS initialisation stage and may help diagnose the problem.

Type the command vssadmin list writers in a command prompt window to see if there is a problem with VSS. This PC shows:

Code: Select all

Microsoft Windows XP &#91;Version 5.1.2600&#93;
&#40;C&#41; Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C&#58;\> vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
&#40;C&#41; Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name&#58; 'IIS Metabase Writer'
Writer Id&#58; &#123;59b1f0cf-90ef-465f-9609-6ca8b2938366&#125;
Writer Instance Id&#58; &#123;0b7723f5-54fd-426c-a94c-008e84aad92c&#125;
State&#58; &#91;1&#93; Stable

Writer name&#58; 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id&#58; &#123;a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0&#125;
Writer Instance Id&#58; &#123;688de589-96f1-4757-b1b3-afecbc8304e9&#125;
State&#58; &#91;1&#93; Stable

Writer name&#58; 'Microsoft Writer &#40;Service State&#41;'
Writer Id&#58; &#123;e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a&#125;
Writer Instance Id&#58; &#123;819c243b-8357-4576-ad39-0bb20d05202e&#125;
State&#58; &#91;1&#93; Stable

Writer name&#58; 'Microsoft Writer &#40;Bootable State&#41;'
Writer Id&#58; &#123;f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5&#125;
Writer Instance Id&#58; &#123;bcbb6921-41ae-48ed-8929-0888cfcc1e50&#125;
State&#58; &#91;1&#93; Stable

Writer name&#58; 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id&#58; &#123;f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277&#125;
Writer Instance Id&#58; &#123;1ea90e0d-8ac1-4363-9a03-6e739468448c&#125;
State&#58; &#91;1&#93; Stable

If there is a problem with VSS you could try re-registering the VSS modules using the following commands, please note that some of the commands will fail because they are meant for Server 2003.

You could copy the following to a batch file rather than type them out one at a time.

Code: Select all

cd /d %windir%\system32 
Net stop vss  
Net stop swprv  
regsvr32 ole32.dll /s
regsvr32 oleaut32.dll /s 
regsvr32 vss_ps.dll /s  
vssvc /register /s  
regsvr32 /i swprv.dll /s  
regsvr32 /i eventcls.dll /s  
regsvr32 es.dll /s 
regsvr32 stdprov.dll /s 
regsvr32 vssui.dll /s 
regsvr32 msxml.dll /s 
regsvr32 msxml3.dll /s 
regsvr32 msxml4.dll /s 
@echo finished

Barry

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:16 am

How do I tell if it's right or not? It all looks like it's OK...

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)'
Writer Id: {f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5}
Writer Instance Id: {d5852b68-6f97-4d3e-92b3-a87939bb9c66}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)'
Writer Id: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
Writer Instance Id: {aeb61e87-c15b-4d03-9232-2d7485abfb27}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {ac7a72bf-9a32-4f58-bab1-90adba1f7eca}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {d4309474-a8d7-4299-b460-c40917be39ca}
State: [1] Stable

Post by **Barry** » Sat May 23, 2009 12:39 pm

VSS looks okay to me here.

Please try the latest version of AISBackup because a problem was fixed with VSS on XP 64 bit.

Barry

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Sun May 24, 2009 2:40 am

I already have the latest version 2.7 (343) installed. Did that before checking VSS

Patrick

Post by **Barry** » Sun May 24, 2009 10:04 am

When VSS is initialising the progress is shown in a 'Please Wait' message, at which stage does it hang?

Are there any VSS related error messages in the Microsoft event logs?

VSS looks okay on your PC.

Barry

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Mon May 25, 2009 5:58 am

Sorry Barry, you'll need to give me more guidance here...what does VSS do exactly and which MS logs do you need me to look at?

Patrick

Post by **Barry** » Mon May 25, 2009 10:05 am

VSS is Microsoft's Volume Copy Shadow service that is used by AISBackup to backup opened exclusive files:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy

Windows event logs may be displayed using:

Right click My Computer / Manage / Expand System Tools / Expand Event Viewer.

There is an AISBackup addon called AISFAM that may be used in place of Microsoft's Volume Copy Shadow Service, but there is an extra charge.

AISFAM must be used on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008.

If you would like to try AISFAM you may download a 15 day trial from here:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/aisfam.php

Barry

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Mon May 25, 2009 10:57 am

But I'm using XP Professional, and always have. I haven't changed anything from what I've always done, but AIS has suddenly stopped working; why would that be?

Post by **Barry** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:04 pm

From what you said in an earlier post AISBackup does not backup opened exclusive files any more. AISBackup uses a Microsoft product called Volume Copy Shadow Service (VSS) to backup opened exclusive files. I suspect that VSS is not wrking properly but I need information from you to try and diagnose the problem.

Example: VSS stopped working on a PC here when a USB disk with a mounted TrueCrypt was installed. If the volume was dismounted then AISBackup (and VSS) would work. I have no idea why and installing AISFAM on the PC fixed the problem.

As I mentioned earlier: there may be messages in the MS Event logs - there may be unrelated errors in the event logs that may be causing the problem.

I also mentioned that AISBackup displays the current initialisation step when initialising VSS: If you can tell me exactly where AISBackup is freezing then I may be able to help.

Did you run the VSS repair routines I posted? Another user recently ran this and the problem with his VSS was fixed.

Barry

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Sat May 30, 2009 5:09 am

Barry,

I hadn't run the batch file as from my previous post is seemed like VSS has checked out OK. Anyway, I did that and notwithstanding I got messages that it couldn't shut down VSS (but it did write to the Registry OK), the backup has since worked!

Thanks
Patrick

Post by **Barry** » Sat May 30, 2009 4:51 pm

I am fixing various problems on a laptop running XP home and prior to attempting the repairs I ran a backup - lo and behold, for the first time that I have seen the problem, VSS hung during initialisation as step 'add to snapshot set'. I too ran the repair batch file after re-booting the PC (The VSS service would not stop without re-booiting) and the backup ran with success!

Perhaps I should build the VSS repair into AISBackup as an 'Extra tools' option?

Barry

Newbietoo · Post by **Newbietoo** » Sat May 30, 2009 11:36 pm

Sounds like a good idea :)

Patrick

www.aiscl.co.uk

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