Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service

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mart
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:51 am

Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service

Post by mart »

I'm getting the following errors backing up my Windows 7 64bit system:

19:55:17 SSTART Backup Session 3 Auto Run: Started on Donnerstag, 26. Mai 2011 at 19:55:17 Version: 2.9 (398)
19:55:17 INF Platform: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, 64-bit Service Pack 1 (Build 7601)
19:55:17 INF Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Aquarius IS Consultancy\AISBackup\AISBACKUP.exe
19:55:17 INF Run Time Parameters: [MZYYYYYYY]
19:55:17 INF User Account: CJ
19:55:17 INF Running as Administrator
19:55:35 INF Creating Session: 3
19:55:35 INF Calculating backup
19:59:19 STAT Files Selected For Backup: 235 (948,94 MB)
19:59:19 STAT Already Backed up: 254.531
19:59:19 STAT Excluded From Backup: 122 Files and 22 Folders.
19:59:19 DEST Backup destination: X:\Backup\Billy\Billy.zis, Volume ID: [EXTERNAL], Signature: [BE0A554D007E000000000000]
19:59:19 INF Backing up NTFS Security Settings and Alternate Data Streams.
19:59:19 INF Test Method: File Integrity Method.
19:59:19 INF Backing up: 235 Files of 948,00 Megabytes
19:59:19 INF Excluding: 122 Files (See Modify Files and Folders/Exclusions)
19:59:19 INF Already on Backup: 254.531 Files
19:59:19 INF Compression Level: High
19:59:19 STAT Estimated Size of Backup: 595,66 MB
19:59:19 INF Backing up NTFS folder security settings
19:59:34 INF Using Media: [EXTERNAL]
20:00:18 INF Backing up 75 Exclusively Opened Files
20:00:19 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
20:00:21 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
20:00:21 ERR Failed to initialise Volume Copy Shadow Service on drive
... (long list of files that couldn't be backed up)
20:00:34 INF Testing Backup
20:00:52 RESERR 73 Files could not be backed up
20:00:52 RESINF 89 Files were backed up and tested successfully
20:00:52 RESULT Scheduled Backup:
73 Files could not be backed up
A full restore using this session may not be safe
20:01:13 INF Backing up Backup Contents File Database Files
20:01:16 STAT Time Calculating Backup: 3 Minutes 44 Seconds
20:01:16 STAT Time Backing up: 1 Minute 5 Seconds
20:01:16 STAT Time Testing Backup: 21 Seconds
20:01:16 STAT Total Time: 5 Minutes 11 Seconds
20:01:16 STAT Time Deleting Old Versions: 6 Seconds
20:01:16 STAT Backed up at 871,72 MB per minute
20:01:16 STAT Compression Ratio: 41%
20:01:16 STAT Not Compressible 273,82 MB 29% (Not included in compression ratio)
20:01:16 STAT Tested backup at 2.597,21 MB per minute
20:01:16 SESSEND Backup Session Ended: Donnerstag, 26. Mai 2011 20:01:16



I'm not using truecrypt or any other form of encrypted drive.

Is there anything you can suggest to fix this problem?

Thanks
Martin
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

VSS

Post by Barry »

The usual reason why open exclusive files are not backed up on 64-bit Windows Vista or 64-bit Windows 7 is that System File Protection has not been enabled.

The next version of AISBackup will display a more meaningful error if System File Protection is disabled.

To check if System File Protection is enabled chose the AISBackup menu option Tools / Extra Tools / Launch Microsoft System Protection.

For each drive that contains open exclusive files at the time of backup click Configure, select Restore system settings and previous versions of files / OK

Barry
cpp275
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:16 pm

VSS fails on W7-64, AIS v3.0.0.410

Post by cpp275 »

Like the OP, I'm getting VSS errors, even though System File Protection is enabled on the source drives:

01:02:01 SSTART Backup Session 6 Auto Run: Started on 04 September 2012 at 01:02:01 Version: 3.0 (410)
01:02:01 INF Platform: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition, 64-bit Service Pack 1 (Build 7601)
01:02:01 INF Path: D:\Program Files (x86)\Aquarius IS Consultancy\AISBackup\AISBACKUP.exe
01:02:01 INF Run Time Parameters: [MYYYYYYY]
01:02:01 INF User Account: xxxxx
01:02:01 INF Running as Administrator
01:05:00 DEST Backup destination: G:\AISBackups\PCBackup of CHILLI5\PCBACKUP.zip, Volume ID: [BUFFALO_2TB], Signature: [6296DC540080000000000000]
01:05:00 INF Backing up: 2,758 Files of 13,514.00 Megabytes
01:05:00 INF Excluding: 71 Files (See Modify Files and Folders/Exclusions)
01:05:00 INF Already on Backup: 200,841 Files
01:10:30 INF There are 0 VSS Shadows prior to shapshot:
01:10:30 INF There are 0 VSS Shadows after shapshot:
01:10:30 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
01:10:31 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
01:10:31 ERR Failed to initialise Volume Copy Shadow Service on drive
01:10:56 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: E:\
01:10:57 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: E:\
01:10:57 ERR Failed to initialise Volume Copy Shadow Service on drive
01:11:13 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
01:11:13 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
01:11:13 ERR Failed to initialise Volume Copy Shadow Service on drive
01:11:44 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: E:\
01:11:44 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: E:\
01:11:44 ERR Failed to initialise Volume Copy Shadow Service on drive
01:12:34 RESERR 74 Files could not be backed up
01:12:34 RESINF 2 Files were deleted prior to backup
01:12:34 RESINF 2608 Files were backed up and tested successfully
01:12:43 SESSEND Backup Session Ended: 04 September 2012 01:12:43

Am I missing something here? Is there anything else I can check?

Thanks.
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

VSS and Windows 7

Post by Barry »

Are you running Truecrypt? If so the only work-around is to mount the drive as a removable drive. I e-mailed Truecrypt to point out that they are breaking Windows but this fell on deaf ears.

There may be a message in the Event Logs (Right click Computer / Manage / Expand Event Viewer / Expand Windows Logs / Application

When I have a Truecrypt drive mounted as an external drive I get the following error:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Error calling a routine on a Shadow Copy Provider {b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}. Routine details IVssSnapshotProvider::QueryVolumesSupportedForSnapshots(ProviderId,-1,...) [hr = 0x8000ffff, Catastrophic failure
].

Operation:
Query volumes supported by this provider

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


If you are not using TrueCrypt then we may be able to find a solution once we know what the error is.

Even if you are not running TrueCrype please try running a command prompt as an administrator then enter the command

VSS LIST SHADOWS

What was the reply? The reply here is:

Code: Select all

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\windows\system32>vssadmin list shadows
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001-2005 Microsoft Corp.

Contents of shadow copy set ID: {3ab5fe7d-1989-4717-abd6-23b95a2c4188}
   Contained 3 shadow copies at creation time: 04/09/2012 11:10:18
Error: The shadow copy provider had an unexpected error while trying to process
the specified command.
When I remount the drive as a removable volume (Mount Options) VSS ADMIN LIST SHADOWS works - As far as I am concerned TrueCrypt breaks Windows - that's is not the same as me saying TrueCrypt is a bad product because I think it is a good product.

Off subject: Thanks for the heads up about the Black Hat SEO spammers; It takes too much time to go through and remove these posts.

Barry
jmtces
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 6:26 am

Re: Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service

Post by jmtces »

mart wrote:I'm getting the following errors backing up my Windows 7 64bit system:

19:55:17 SSTART Backup Session 3 Auto Run: Started on Donnerstag,
---skip---
20:00:18 INF Backing up 75 Exclusively Opened Files
20:00:19 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
20:00:21 ERR Failed to Initialise Volume Shadow Copy Service for Drive: C:\
20:00:21 ERR Failed to initialise Volume Copy Shadow Service on drive
... (long list of files that couldn't be backed up)
20:00:34 INF Testing Backup
---skip---
20:01:16 SESSEND Backup Session Ended: Donnerstag, 26. Mai 2011 20:01:16



I'm not using truecrypt or any other form of encrypted drive.

Is there anything you can suggest to fix this problem?

Thanks
Martin
I had this problem with a client's Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit HP Envy 173D Notebook. I spent hours over 3 days on different forums, trying all the proposed fixes. The client originally brought in the notebook with a problem with one of the 1TB hard drives in a 2TB striped RAID array and was in danger of losing his whole system. The first thing I did was to Install AISBackup and attempted to do a PC backup. AISBackup was unable to backup 79 files because of a broken VSS.

I spent 3 days trying to fix VSS to get a complete backup then decided to use a Live CD to backup the 79 files that failed before so that I could go ahead and replace the faulty drive before all was lost. I had no idea what I was in for....

I replaced the faulty 1TB drive, ran the H.P. Factory Image Restore program & went into Recovery Manager. I got the error message "the hard drive of this computer is smaller than the original shipped hard drive". It appears that HP, in it's infinite wisdom, RAIDs the drive at the factory but does provide a RAID utility in the BIOS or on the Recovery CDs and fixes the recovery image to the size of the shipped drive configuration. On the HP forum they only suggest purchasing windows 7 Pro to RAID the drives as a work around. There are many HP Envy & DV6 users on many forums who are pissed off because they can't replace one of their Hard drives with an SSD. They can take heart though, because they can replace a drive if they use AISBackup, do a PC backup, replace the drive and do a bear metal recovery with an AISBackup Live CD or bootable External drive. All partitions, (System, C:, Recovery & Tools) can be restored proportionally to a smaller Hard drive.

See: http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Micr ... 31150.html
and: http://boardreader.com/thread/HP_Pavili ... Xtnzl.html


Note: Barry, you should post this solution on some of those forums!

Google: "the hard drive of this computer is smaller than the original shipped hard drive"

I did an AISRestore using a Live CD, and used AISBackup to recreate all the partitions manually, fixing the System, Recovery & Tools partitions at their original size and gave the remaining space to C: on the the first 1TB drive. I am now able to do a safer software Mirror RAID rather than striped with the second 1TB drive. I gave him back his system working as before without an eminent HDD Failure looming but with AISBackup still unable to backup (now 89) Opened exclusive files. I asked him to let me have another go at his VSS problem when he was caught up on his work.

He decided rather than my spending a lot more time trying to fix VSS, to get me to buy a copy of Windows 7 Professional 64Bit, backup his documents and start over from scratch. I told him that he had no idea what all settings, programs, MRUs, saved passwords, etc he would lose but he said that he'd just have to live with it and dropped it off to me.

I still did not want to be defeated by this problem so spent 4 hours today scavenging the forums and ran across this: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... f45?auth=1

I uninstalled "Office Click to run", ran AISBackup again and the 89 files that refused to backup before backdup up successfully. No more VSS errors in the event log and when running VSSAdmin commands from the command prompt.
James Taylor
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