Backup Fails with Error Message "Writer Missing" or "Failed" or "Timed Out" or "Waiting for Completion" in VSSADMIN

Backup Fails with Error Message "Writer Missing" or "Failed" or "Timed Out" or "Waiting for Completion" in VSSADMIN

Applies to: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

If Backup Fails with error message "Writer Missing" or "Failed" or "Timed Out" or "Waiting for Completion" in VSSADMIN, follow the below instructions to fix the issue

From elevated cmd (run as Admin) execute following commands sequentially …

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Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /a 
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "YourDomain\Domain Admins":(RX)
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "YourDomain\Domain Users":(RX)
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)

Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\* /a 
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant "NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)"
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)

net stop cryptsvc && net start cryptsvc

net stop vss && net start vss

net stop Winmgmt && net start Winmgmt

P.S. Replace the name of your domain in place of YourDomain !

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Make sure to Reboot the Server after running the above commands. Run vssadmin list writers from elevated cmd and you should see the missing or problematic Writer Listed without any errors.

Ref: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2009272

 

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  • Richard Mueller edited Revision 13. Comment: Removed (en-US) from title, added tags

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 12. Comment: Tags Update

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 11. Comment: Formatting errors have been fixed

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 10. Comment: Tags Update

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 9. Comment: Title Change and Applies to section added

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 8. Comment: syntax errors in commands mentioned in the article have been fixed !

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 7. Comment: syntax errors in commands mentioned in the article have been fixed !

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 4. Comment: update

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Comments
  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 4. Comment: update

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 7. Comment: syntax errors in commands mentioned in the article have been fixed !

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 8. Comment: syntax errors in commands mentioned in the article have been fixed !

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 9. Comment: Title Change and Applies to section added

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 10. Comment: Tags Update

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 11. Comment: Formatting errors have been fixed

  • Good information because I'm going to use the application later.

  • Did I just write application?

  • Livio - thanks for the kind words. You might want to use the suggestion mentioned in this article only if you are facing VSS writer related issues ;-)

  • I hope I won't even get any issue. :)

  • Agree with you Livio :)

  • Santosh Bhandarkar edited Revision 12. Comment: Tags Update

  • Santosh, Is there any other possibility to fix this issue? I have tried these steps and I am still receiving errors.

    From WSB " The operation was stopped. Detailed error: The system writer is not found in the backup."

    It stops immediately after it shows "Preparing to run consistency check"

    From Event Viewer:

    Backup source: The backup operation that started at '‎2012‎-‎09‎-‎20T21:30:22.925572500Z' has failed with following error code '2155347997' (The operation ended before completion.). Please review the event details for a solution, and then rerun the backup operation once the issue is resolved.

    Fail to acquire Security Audit privilege.

    VSS Source: Security Audits for shadow copy creation and import will not be logged. 0x80070514, Not all privileges or groups referenced are assigned to the caller.

    System Writer is listed with "No Errors" from vssadmin list writers.

    I tried removing and reinstalling the WSB Feature

    I did find a Hotfix (KB2182466), however it won't install the .msu claiming that the update is not applicable to your computer (W2008 R2 SP1)

    I am at a loss here, any other suggestions?

  • Daniel,

    Sorry to hear that you are having issues.

    I came across a similar discussion, please have a look and see if that helps

    social.technet.microsoft.com/.../0dbcb0d8-bf73-4cb2-b41f-f0bc8aafc4af

    If it doesn't help, I would suggest you to create a thread in Windows Server Backup  forum

    social.technet.microsoft.com/.../threads

    Thanks

  • Thanks Santosh. I didn't get this working through the UI, but I did succeed through the CLI, which is better for me anyway as I want to script this.

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