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janaFlag for United States of America

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Is Volume Shadow Copy requester required in order for Cobian backup 11 run successfuly

We have Cobian backup 11 and noticed halfway of the process a message saying: "Couldn't contact the Volume Shadow Copy requester. Please check that the service is installed and running".  We understand that the shadow copy is for use if a file being backed up is in use.

However, we run this apps when no user is in the PC and always make sure all apps  are closed.

Is Volume Shadow Copy requester required?
Can we backup successfully without it?
If so, how do we disable  this so the message doesn't keep showing?
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John Tsioumpris
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It depends what you are backing up. If it is just data files and no one is using those files it shouldn't have to run. But if you are also backing up something else it may have to run.
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Just finished going thru yor steps and this is what it displayed as what is setup:

User generated image
Seems it's not installed.
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Just finish checking the task (see below)....

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Could it be we had it checked? (we just unchecked it)

please advice if this was the problem.
I don't know what you are backing up. Is it the complete OS partition or just the data folders? Cobian isn't meant to backup system (OS) folders, but rather just for data. If you want to backup the whole system you are better off with an image type backup, for example what Paragon backup & Recovery does.
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It's data.
Then some of that data may still be accessed by something, for example your AV scanning tool could be scanning files.
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Accessing the data while Volume Shadow Copy requester running?  But it seems off as displayed in ID 41852546.

So we can't turn it off as an EE recommended or uninstall it because it's already off.
I wouldn't turn off Volume shadow copies. It is a part of Windows and should run. If it doesn't run properly, you should troubleshoot why it doesn't run.
Open a system information tool in Windows and check in Software Components which program or file is using this volume. See my attached example.
System-Information.jpg
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NO, wait.  We think you guys are thinking of  Windows Volume Snapshot Service, Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). Our problem is NOT VSS, the error message comes from Cobian Backup.  The message displays: "Couldn't contact the Volume Shadow Copy requester. Please check that the service is installed and running".  

We don't think the problem is the Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), it's seems like Cobian has apps called 'Volume Shadow Copy requester' (see pix below seems Cobian hasn't installed it, same pix as in ID: 41852546 - notice in the right image, it's not installed):

User generated image
For some reason Cobian Backup cannot contact or see or work with the it' Volume Shadow Copy requester.

So, going back to our original question,
  • Is Volume Shadow Copy requester required?
  • Can we backup successfully without it?
  • If so, how do we disable  this so the message doesn't keep showing?
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Thanx!

One last question regarding our entry in ID: 41852549 (see pix below), if unchecked on the Task the option "use volume shadow copy", it's just that? Cobian will not rely on  Windows Volume Snapshot Service (Volume Shadow Copy Service - VSS)?

 User generated image
Yep. It is exactly what I am referring to.
But if you uncheck this and there are files used on partition then the logic of the program will make the system restart.
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Scenario:

When Cobian backup is executed, the user always make sure that no software is running, like Word, Excel, Accounting software etc.  Also the user does this every night leaving it running when he leaves so we he gets in in the morning, its done.

(We know that there better apps for backups, but this users doesn't want anything else)

Based on this scenario, and the Cobian task option "use volume shadow copy" is unchecked, would the apps work with no problem?
I thought I have already answered this question. But inly the developers of Cobian can give complete answer. According to the logic of backup software (most of it) should work with VSS enabled. VSS is used exactly in cases when there are some apps of files in use. If nothing is used the vss feature is not needed.
In your case it does not work with vss. And I suspect it will not work with vss unchecked as well because it will claim that some files are used.
Have you tried reinstalling Cobian? This could repair the VSS.
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This is a new PC installed from scratch.
Then it is bug in Cobian.
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We chose our entry as best answer because by unchecking the option, the error stopped; se we want other members to benefit from it.