asked on

VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT

When running VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS I get the following:

E:\Program Files (x86)\AppAssure Software\Replay Agent\Utils64>vssadmin list wri
ters
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'System Writer'
Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
Writer Instance Id: {3da3fd27-730f-40d7-aa8c-9ae9ba9a8f25}
State: [5] Waiting for completion
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {d9624bf5-35d4-40dc-9780-db137e86657e}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
Writer Instance Id: {fcfaf9f5-e504-495d-95ba-7d4fe86ea223}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Event Log Writer'
Writer Id: {eee8c692-67ed-4250-8d86-390603070d00}
Writer Instance Id: {5ecb4dc7-2e45-478b-865e-a1e490275697}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
Writer Instance Id: {de2e321c-099c-4718-a833-d3f200124051}
State: [1] Stable
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {d05b2e43-3945-47cc-9567-8dcf32adc922}
State: [5] Waiting for completion
Last error: No error

Writer name: 'TermServLicensing'
Writer Id: {5382579c-98df-47a7-ac6c-98a6d7106e09}
Writer Instance Id: {0ece12d8-dd48-4b07-8eb6-5b732326140e}
State: [5] Waiting for completion
Last error: No error

E:\Program Files (x86)\AppAssure Software\Replay Agent\Utils64>

Indicating no errors. However, when running the VSHADOW utility, everything starts out ok and fails the MSDEWriter with the following message:

ERROR: Selected writer 'MSDEWriter' is in failed state!
- Status: 8 (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT)
- Writer Failure code: 0x800423f4 (<Unknown error code>)
- Writer ID: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
- Instance ID: {278dfd0a-115a-4b4a-8d94-f9c8b2b12855}

This seems to inhibiting my ability to perform a Volume Image.

Paul Solovyovsky

This is a VSS issue. Had a similar issue with Exchange VSS and the same error.

Does this happen often? Are you running multiple backup software?

jso1965

ASKER

No additional backup software and the error is not intermittant. I can get around it by stopping SQL Server but I'm trying to get around that requirment. The Imaging software we are trying to use is by AppAssure. But basically they call VSS for the snapshot which end up failing in their event log.

Paul Solovyovsky

Check event logs, typically this is due to VSS writers conflicting Are you also doing Windows Volume Shadow Copies that conflict with the schedule?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

jso1965

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jso1965

ASKER

No other recommendation was successful.