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backup fails because of unknown folder \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy23\Users\

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My backup fails because of an unknown folder \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy23\Users. How is this folder created and how can I stop it being created? The rest of the string includes a normal folder and file, but it is the root that causes the problem. I cannot add it as an exclusion as it is not recognised. If I delete the file itself then it chooses another one.

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Any path that includes 'VolumeShadowCopy' is being created by the Microsoft VSS snapshot service when it is trying to capture data that may be locked during the backup operation.

The actual file name included with the path may indicate a file which is being locked by your antivirus software because is suspected as being malware.  I have seen the same behaviour when the antivirus I was using decided to quarantine certain specific files!

The source file is the local folder path where the file lives, not the shadow copy path.