Image backup keeps failing

rmk9785e · 21 Jun 2016

Upgraded to Windows 10 Pro today from 8.1 Pro. Trying to do an image backup (Windows 7 style) in case my disk crashes. I keep getting this error. I have both Volume Shadow Copy service and the Windows Backup service running with automatic start.
Digging a little more into this, seems like the underlying problem is with the inability to create a restore point. System protection was turned off which I have turned on but now the Volume Shadow Copy service has disappeared.
Already ran CHKDSK and SFC /SCANNOW but neither found any errors with the disk which happens to be SSD.
Will appreciate any ideas about solving this problem. Thank you.

rmk9785e · 23 Jun 2016

Been working with Microsoft Tech Support on this issue. I'm told that while Windows 8.1 worked fine with 200MB GPT Protection Partition (Mac's EFF partition), Windows 10 requires 300MB so I need to figure out a way to reduce the size of my MacBook's EFF partition and free up some storage to increase the size of the Protection Partition before I can perform an Image backup on Windows 10. Apple support forum says you can't change EFF partition size.
The two sides are providing conflicting information. Who should I trust?

dalchina · 25 Jun 2016

Hi, I guess you know system restore is off by default in Win 10.. so have you actually enabled it?

Some senior members here have commented that Backup and Restore isn't so reliable. Try Macrium Reflect (free) - so much more reliable and flexible. You should aim to use a backup medium at least twice the size of what you're backing up, so you can add several incremental (smaller) or differential (larger) images to your base image as you update your backup.

RolandJS · 25 Jun 2016

...and make sure to make the usb and/or dvd Macrium Reflect boot -- before a restore is needed.

Steve C · 26 Jun 2016

You can also add a Macrium Reflect recovery option to the boot screen.

RolandJS · 26 Jun 2016

Steve C said:

You can also add a Macrium Reflect recovery option to the boot screen.

Thanks for reminding me, I actually have that on all three of my computers. What I sometimes run into is: end-user, today, simply wants Windows to come up yesterday -- meaning the less boot/startup screens, the better.
Steve, you aok, man [if you have any more Macrium ideas, please toss 'em my way, I want to learn more!].

Steve C · 26 Jun 2016

RolandJS said:

Thanks for reminding me, I actually have that on all three of my computers. What I sometimes run into is: end-user, today, simply wants Windows to come up yesterday -- meaning the less boot/startup screens, the better.
Steve, you aok, man [if you have any more Macrium ideas, please toss 'em my way, I want to learn more!].

Ideas:

Create a Macrium Reflect recovery Flash Drive
Schedule automatic full and differential backups - I do a monthly full backup and weekly differential backup
Note you can mount a backup imaged disk as a disk drive and explore it to extract files / folder you may need to recover without doing a full restore

All for free!

rmk9785e · 26 Jun 2016

dalchina said:

Hi, I guess you know system restore is off by default in Win 10.. so have you actually enabled it?

I assume you mean System Protection to be turned on. Yes, it is turned on.
Since upgrade to Windows 10, the system fails to create a Restore point. The error message is:
"The shadow copy provider had an error. Check the System and Application event logs for more information. (0x80042306)"

dalchina said:

Some senior members here have commented that Backup and Restore isn't so reliable. Try Macrium Reflect (free) - so much more reliable and flexible. You should aim to use a backup medium at least twice the size of what you're backing up, so you can add several incremental (smaller) or differential (larger) images to your base image as you update your backup.

Does Macrium Reflect also work for creating and restoring a BootCamp based Windows image?

dalchina · 27 Jun 2016

Regarding your VSS error ref. restore points: have you tried fixing this?
E.g.
VSS Error: 0x80042306 - Volume Shadow Copy Error (VSS)
(nothing to do with Macrium .. but about VSS)
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/w...83bae27?auth=1

I also think I've seen sthg about this on this forum.. feel free to search using the search box above.

Sorry, can't comment definitively on your last..

rmk9785e · 30 Jun 2016

dalchina said:

Regarding your VSS error ref. restore points: have you tried fixing this?
E.g.
VSS Error: 0x80042306 - Volume Shadow Copy Error (VSS)
(nothing to do with Macrium .. but about VSS)
......

Tried it but it didn't fix my error issue. I see this TAPI2 error in event log every time before VSS error:

Cryptographic Services failed while processing the OnIdentity() call in the System Writer Object.

Details:
AddLegacyDriverFiles: Unable to back up image of binary Microsoft Link-Layer Discovery Protocol.

System Error:
Access is denied.

I found this old thread about TAPI error..
Event ID 513 â€” Shadow Copy System Writer Functionality
When I ran the Verify step, with VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS command, System Writer, WMI Writer and MSSearch Service Writer all failed with Time Out error.
Spoke to Microsoft Tech support again today. They keep telling me that the EFI partition has to be larger than 300MB. First, I didn't create this partition, the system did and I have no control over changing it. If Windows 10 required a larger partition, shouldn't it have fixed it or at least complained when the upgrade was being installed? Why can't they find any Microsoft document that states this requirement?
As it stands, I do not have the ability to create a Restore Point since this upgrade and Microsoft tech support is of no help.

Image backup keeps failing

Image backup keeps failing - Can't create restore point