"Failed to create volume snapshot" error
Most of my backup tasks are running fine; however the task that backs up my actual Windows 10 system disk now fails with this error. This backup task had been working for months and months until July 14th when this error starting occurring (it occurs every time). Some research on my part showed that this failure might have something with the "Acronis VSS Com Server Executable", and sure enough that executable in the Windows Task Manager shows a 2 or 3 minute cycle over and over again where its CPU usage builds up to 40% or 50% and then goes back down to 0%; then the cycle starts again. This cycle continues until the backup task finally fails with the error in the subject line.
I ran the VSS Doctor tool and the saved report is attached.
P.S. I created a brand new backup task that duplicates this simple full system disk backup of of the entire hard drive. The new task fails in the same way the original task does.
Steve, OK, did all that.Not much changed. Here's what I did:
1. Ran sfc /scannow as administrator twice; the first run made some changes; the second run was clean
2. Re-booted the computer
3. Ran VSS Doctor (which seemed to indicate the same errors as before)
4. Ran the system drive backup task again under ATI
5. Saw the same behavior of the "Acronis VSS Com Server Executable" starting, ramping up CPU, ramping down CPU, the VSS task disappearing from the task manager; then after a delay, the whole cycle started again; it did this maybe 5 times.
6. I did see a small change.....when the backup task ended, the status reported on the "Activity" screen for that backup task in the ATI UI said: "A backup error." instead of the previous status of "Failed to create volume snapshot"; however, I do see an indication that the volume snapshot did fail in the notification email in a similar fashion as when the "Failed to create volume snapshot" status had been reported.
I have attached the VSS Doctor report and the notification email I got from the failed backup task
Hello Sandy,
I had a look at your logs. They show that the VSS WMI Writer is the failing writer giving you the issue. Normally the SFC scan is used to fix corrupted writers but you have already done that and you say some changes were made yet the problem persists.
A reboot also failed to provide any joy it seems. So I suggest you do the following:
- Open and admin command prompt and type vssadmin list writers
- Wait for the command to populate the command prompt window then scroll down the list generated and make note of the names of any writers that show failed. Given what your logs show you should only find the WMI writer as failed and it will be the last writer in the list.
- WMI stands for Windows Management Instrumentation.
- In the search box of Windows task bar type Services
- In the results click on the Services app to open Windows Services
- Scroll down the list and find the Windows Management Instrumentation services
- Click on the WMI in this list to select it, a new menu will appear on the left.
- Find Restart the service in the menu and click on it to execute the restart.
- After the service has restarted go back to the command prompt and type vssadmin list writers again, scroll down the list to the WMI writer and see if the status now shows Stable. If it does then the problem should be resolved.
Thanks Enchantech,
I did all the steps you suggested, but unfortunately the problem remains; however, some interesting stuff occurred along the way.
Indeed the "vssadmin list writers" shows the WMI Writer to have failed. A restart of the WMI service did fix that as shown in another run of "vssadmin list writers" just as you said. Unfortunately, as soon as I attempt to run my system drive backup under Acronis, the WMI service fails in the same way; and another run of "vssadmin list writers" shows the WMI Writer in a failed state again.
Even more interesting is that when I run a backup of this same system drive using MiniTool's Shadow Maker, Shadow Maker behaved in the same way (that is, stable WMI, run backup, then WMI shows failed); however, unlike Acronis, Shadow Maker does succeed in completing the backup.
I'm 95% convinced the problem lies with my system. I have a vague memory of a Microsoft forced update that failed a few weeks ago. Windows 10 automatically rolled back the failed update if I remember correctly. I'm going to assume that update failure somehow messed up my W10 system. For now I am going to work on "repairing" the WMI service via re-registering it etc. I'll post back here after I try that.
P.S. I have run "sfc /scannow" several times now and it always shows no errors (except for the 1st time).
Rebuilding and re-registering the repository would have been my next suggestion. You're on the right track in that a failed Windows update is very likely the cause of the issue.
The problem is fixed!
I decided not to re-register since that entails changes to the registry, and I don't really understand what registering DLLs etc does; so I didn't want to make things worse until there was no other option. Instead I decided to pause Microsoft W10 updates for a week (MS allows this for up to something like 35 days), and to back off W10 updates one at a time testing the WMI Writer each time. I don't fully understand how MS updates work either, but at least it's a defined process. One thing I noticed is when you uninstall an update, the system seems to re-install the update just prior to the one you uninstalled. I guess this makes sense as it is sort of "installing the last good update" (I guess).
Anyway I uninstalled every W10 update one at a time. The initial ones made no difference, but finally after uninstalling:
May 12, 2020-KB4552931 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1903 and Windows Server 1903 RTM and Windows 10, version 1909 and Windows Server, version 1909
which automatically re-installed:
April 14, 2020—KB4549951 (OS Builds 18362.778 and 18363.778)
The WMI Writer remained stable under ATI processing. Now all my backups are working once again. In a few days I will lift the pause on W10 updates and see how Microsoft handles the situation. I suspect it will just re-install the latest cumulative update, but I don't know. If after the restarted update process is complete, the problem with WMI Writer returns, I will update this thread.
Makes perfect sense to me that a failed update was at fault here. In all probability the update did not fully install the first time. In the future it would be wise that when Windows needs to install updates that you choose the option install and restart over install and shutdown. The later can be problematic with some update installs as I think you have found here.
Glad the problem is solved for now. I suspect it will remain that way. If not my suggestion would be to perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 10 using a freshly built installation media. Google for a how to guide on this. The process will fix any corrupted files in Win 10 and is a last resort fix for many problems in Windows as long as Windows still boots.
Thanks for your help Enchantech; you pointed me in the right direction.
I don't know where to find the option of "install and restart over install and shutdown". In any case, I don't think "install and shutdown" was the problem since I seem to remember that Windows decided on its own to roll back the failed update.
Yes, that's my plan if the problem resurfaces......I will do an "in-place upgrade of Windows 10".
I have now un-paused Windows 10 updates from Microsoft. The system immediately downloaded and installed 3 of the updates I had previously uninstalled. After re-booting the system, all ATI2020 backups ran successfully and the WMI Writer remained stable throughout the entire process.
So it's pretty much for sure that the failures of backups I had been experiencing were due to a failed installation of a W10 update from MS.
P.S. From my experience here,I think the key lesson for other ATI users is that if you start having trouble with failed backups due to failed volume snapshots, the problem is likely with the VSS subsystem in W10.
Glad to hear you got back on track and thanks for posting.