Help with failed backups

Using Win 10 (v 2004/OS Build 19041.746) and Macrium Reflect, I started getting a VSS Writer error. This occurred, as you would expect, during the opening volume snapshot of the backup (full image to external HD, done weekly). Macrium would then retry without VSS writers and finish the backup successfully. That lasted a week or two, then I could not conclude a backup at all. There were usually at least 2, sometimes more writers reporting failed states. I contacted Macrium support, danced with them for a week, and they concluded it was a Windows problem and I should go bother Microsoft. Much of what I found researching on-line pertains to servers, and this is a single Toshiba laptop. I've used Macrium for nearly a decade, through several iterations of Windows, and never had problems. I don't know whether something has been corrupted, if there's a utility out there that might work. Has anyone dealt with a similar problem?

@66gary81,

You are the second poster here on TenForums with a VSS writers problem. I am surprised that Macrium support could not help you. I am post a link below that is a Macrium Support page where you will find two .exe files. Select the proper one for your Windows installation, download and run it. It should resolve your errors.

How to troubleshoot Microsoft Volume Shadow copy Service errors (VSS)

Thanks everyone! I'm excited. I am surprised that the Macrium support person did not recommend "Fix VSS Problems." He knew it was a VSS Writer issue. Oh well.... I had already run chkdsk, and it did not reveal any problems. The sfc scan found and fixed quite a long list of things. Fix VSS ran, but did not give any info. re: issues found/fixed. But your timing was perfect, as Sunday is backup day for both my Toshibas. The machine with the problem is running anti-virus and malware scans now, and I will set up a full image backup in Macrium this evening prior to bedtime. I will actually look forward to getting up on a Monday morning, thanks to you folks. (OK, I know I need to get out more.)

So here is the story. The Macrium backup was successful, but the first VSS error message in the log file persists. This is what it looks like:VSSerrors.docx (I'm not sure attaching the Word document with screen shots worked.)

After the backup completed I ran Macrium's "Fix VSS errors" again, then ran [vssadmin list writers] at the command prompt, to see if they had indeed been fixed. The same 4 writers showed a failed state (error 9), yet the backup somehow completed anyway. The wording of the error on the backup log file was: "Failed - 0x8000ffff - catastrophic failure - retrying without VSS writers", and then "Success."

So I guess this is a partial success. I'd still feel better if I understood and could get rid of the error. Further suggestions? (On the subject of getting out more, we're not as restricted here in KY. Folks are definitely getting testy about staying home.)