Windows Server Backup Fails before it starts - Event id 517, 513

In command line type: vssadmin list writers
post the output here. It is not able to find the Microsoft VSS Server. It is either disabled or malfunctioning.

Update: looked your last screen shot. Is there any other partition except MSR partition that does not have a drive letter?
Check all of your partitions with CHKDSK /f and retry the backup.
Also, tell me how much space is used on 100MB MSR partition.
And VSS command should be run in any case.

the vssadmin list writers command output seems find

Last error: No error

diskmgmt.msc

The third partition is the culprit. It s marked as RAW and VSS cannot take snapshot of it. Do you know what thpe of partition is it? Have you created it?
If you do not have data on it then delete it and create new partition instead of it. Then try again your backup.

oh ok.

I am not sure how I ended up creating the partition or if it was created on its own.

But I can definitely delete it or add it to one of my other volumes.

Yes, try first to delete it and then run the backup. This way you will know if any other thing is blocking the backup.
Plus I would suggest your some third party backup software which is definitely more flexible than Windows Server Backup. I personally use Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Server Basic, have a look on it: http://www.paragon-software.com/small-business/index.html

I just deleted the partition and the files backup job failed with the same message. Do you think it may be worth while to reboot the machine?

Can you try to backup partition after partition?
Let's say MSR only, then C: or data from it, then D: etc.
So to narrow the problem to its bottleneck.

will do now..

i can't try on the original server with the issue. But I do have a windows 2012 r2 server with the same MSR partition. I tried what you told me. MSR seems to be the culprit.

How can i perform a baremetal backup if i cannot back up the MSR?

Normally it should backup it also. Can you assign a drive letter to this partition?
Or use simply another backup application which does not have problems like Microsoft.
For example try the trial version of this tool: http://www.paragon-software.com/small-business/hdm-business/
Are you able to take backup of your drive with this tool?

at the moment I cannot use paragon. I am in the process of getting approved for a new version of Symantec Backup Exec. In the meantime I must use the windows solution

After assigning a drive letter (F:) to the MSR, the job fails with the same message.

MSR is clearly the issue here. But I cannot perform a bare metal backup unless this is selected.

What else can i do?

thx

Paragon was suggested for troubleshooting purposes only> Means that it has good error reporting.
Check if MSR partition has Volume Shadow Copy enabled on it. If yes then delete existing copies through advanced properties of My Computer.
Also if MSR has drive letter on it then you can run CHKDSK on this partition. Do it.

i ran chkdsk on the msr partition. It took 5 seconds. I doubt this fix anything as no errors were found.

Is this related the VSS or the drive itself?