Registry Backup Fails

[Charmin]

Hi

I am running Windows XP and am trying to use your Registry Backup program. Unfortunately it keeps failing to produce a backup with the following Log_VSS.txt file. 
I have tried your VSS repair program but no improvement.
Any ideas what is wrong.  The rest of my system seems to be working fine.

.......................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\XP Utilities\Tweaking.com\Registry Backup>
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[06/06/2012 - 16:26:32]
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CD /D C:\

C:\>
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[06/06/2012 - 16:26:32]
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"C:\WINDOWS.0\temp\vss_start.bat"

C:\>set path=C:\WINDOWS.0\system32;C:\WINDOWS.0;C:\WINDOWS.0\System32\Wbem;D:\XP Utilities\Tweaking.com\Registry Backup\files

C:\>"D:\XP Utilities\Tweaking.com\Registry Backup\files\vss_xp.exe" -script="C:\WINDOWS.0\temp\vss-setvar.bat" -exec="C:\WINDOWS.0\temp\vss.bat" C:

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[06/06/2012 - 16:27:02]
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VSHADOW.EXE 2.2 - Volume Shadow Copy sample client
Copyright (C) 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


(Option: Generate SETVAR script 'C:\WINDOWS.0\temp\vss-setvar.bat')
(Option: Execute binary/script after shadow creation 'C:\WINDOWS.0\temp\vss.bat')
(Option: Create shadow copy set)
(Gathering writer metadata...)
(Waiting for the asynchronous operation to finish...)
Initialize writer metadata ...
Discover directly excluded components ...
- Excluding writer 'MSDEWriter' since it has no selected components for restore.
Discover components that reside outside the shadow set ...
Discover all excluded components ...
Discover excluded writers ...
Discover explicitly included components ...
Verifying explicitly specified writers/components ...
Select explicitly included components ...
 * Writer 'WMI Writer':
   - Add component \WMI
 * Writer 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)':
   - Add component \COM+ Registration Database
   - Add component \Registry
 * Writer 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)':
   - Add component \Content Indexing Service
   - Add component \Config Directory
   - Add component \Event Logs
Creating shadow set {792017b2-6c3e-43f4-a568-1b7f40b296f6} ...
- Adding volume \\?\Volume{9f4c9fb1-a54c-11dc-8c0f-806d6172696f}\ [C:\] to the shadow set...
Preparing for backup ...
(Waiting for the asynchronous operation to finish...)
(Waiting for the asynchronous operation to finish...)
Creating the shadow (DoSnapshotSet) ...
(Waiting for the asynchronous operation to finish...)
(Waiting for the asynchronous operation to finish...)

ERROR: Selected writer 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)' is in failed state!
   - Status: 8 (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT)
   - Writer Failure code: 0x800423f4 (<Unknown error code>)
   - Writer ID: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
   - Instance ID: {85d26d76-dfc9-4207-9bb8-40a21ad46c4a}


C:\>
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[06/06/2012 - 16:29:41]
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Closed. No longer reading pipes.
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[Shane]

Looking up this error from the log

ERROR: Selected writer 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)' is in failed state!
   - Status: 8 (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT)
   - Writer Failure code: 0x800423f4 (<Unknown error code>)
   - Writer ID: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
   - Instance ID: {85d26d76-dfc9-4207-9bb8-40a21ad46c4a}

Everything seems to point to SQL, do you have SQL installed on the system?

Shane

[Charmin]

Sorry Shane but what is SQL and how can I check if I have it?

[Shane]

Go to Add/Remove programs and look for Microsoft SQL or anything like that and let me know

When I find a fix for this I will make sure to get it added to the help file/ So thanks for letting me know and not just dropping the program, you are helping make it better

Shane

[Charmin]

Hi Shane,

No sign of MicrosoftSQL iin add/remove programs, but on my system drive there are some SQL folders associated with Net Framework 3.  Should I try to get hold of Microsoft SQL?

[Shane]

No that is ok. Let me do more google searches for "Microsoft Writer (Service State)' is in failed state!" and see what I can come up with. I will post back in a few 

Shane

[Shane]

What is odd is the error you got matches perfectly with the sql errors.

Symptoms
Consider the following scenario. In Microsoft SQL Server, you create a snapshot backup of many databases at the same time. To do this, you use the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), or you use the Virtual Backup Device Interface (VDI). In this scenario, the snapshot backup operation fails. Additionally, you receive the following error message if you use the VSS to create the snapshot backup:

ERROR: Selected writer ‘Microsoft Writer (Service State)’ is in failed state!
– Status: 8 (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_SNAPSHOT)
- Writer Failure code: 0×800423f4 (<Unknown error code>)
- Writer ID: {WriterID}
- Instance ID: {InstanceID}You receive one of the following error messages if you use the VDI to create the snapshot backup:
Error message 1

Try the backup again. After it fails go to the event viewer and see if you have any errors from VSS and let me know what they are. I have to try to pin this down

I am heading out to a couple of customers to repair some systems. I will be back later today.

Shane

[Charmin]

Hi Shane.

Here is the VSS error corresponding to the log I sent you earlier. I hope it helps.

Event Type:   Error
Event Source:   VSS
Event Category:   None
Event ID:   5013
Date:      06/06/2012
Time:      16:26:37
User:      N/A
Computer:   CHARMIN
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Shadow Copy writer ContentIndexingService called routine VsServiceChangeState which failed with status 0x80070424 (converted to 0x800423f4).

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Data:
0000: 57 53 48 43 4f 4d 4e 43   WSHCOMNC
0008: 32 32 39 32 00 00 00 00   2292....
0010: 57 53 48 43 49 43 00 00   WSHCIC..
0018: 33 37 32 00 00 00 00 00   372.....

[Shane]

I found this

It seems that when I was beta testing Office 11 (aka Office 2003), Visio
installed a key in the Content Indexing Service creating a separate index
catalog for Visio files. When I uninstalled Visio, that key didn't go away.
Because CISVC was disabled, it never made a difference to content indexing.
However, it certainly got on the wrong side of VSS.

I deleted

hklm\SYSTEM\CurrentControlset\Control\ContentIndex\Catalogs\visio

and now VSS seems to run OK.

Let me know if you have that reg key and if you do try the fix and let me know if it works

Shane

[Charmin]

Hi Shane

Sorry for the delay but I am in the UK.

During my own investigation I was pointed to that reg key but found I did not have the "Catalogs" or "visio" sub keys.  Just to see if that was the area of the problem I added the following, which, from information on the web site, was the default:-

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex\Catalogs\System

Entry name                  Data type           Value

(Default)                       REG_SZ              (value not set)
IsIndexingNNTPSvc       REG_DWORD     0x0000000 (0)
IsIndexingW3Svc          REG_DWORD     0x0000000 (0)
Location                        REG_SZ             C:\System Volume Information


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex\Catalogs\Web

Entry name                                             Data type           Value

(Default)                                                  REG_SZ              (value not set)
FilterFilesWithUnknownExtensions          REG_DWORD      0x0000000 (0)
GenerateCharacterization                       REG_DWORD       0x0000001 (1)
IsIndexingNNTPSvc                                  REG_DWORD       0x0000000 (0)
IsIndexingW3Svc                                     REG_DWORD       0x0000001 (1)
Location                                                   REG_SZ                c:\inetpub
MaxCharacterization                                REG_DWORD        0x00000140 (320)
W3SvcInstance                                        REG_DWORD        0x0000001 (1)

Unfortunately it didn't help.

Sorry, not the source of the problem

Charmin (UK)

[Shane]

I dont have HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ContentIndex\Catalogs on my system either, but I am on Windows 7.

I am doing more searchers on google with this term

"Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Shadow Copy writer ContentIndexingService called routine VsServiceChangeState which failed with status"

let me see if I can find anything else

Shane

[Shane]

Found this, still looking for more

http://www.gfi.com/blog/vss-troubleshooting/

Shane

[Shane]

Forgot to ask, do you have Service pack 3 installed and all current updates?

Shane

[Shane]

See if this helps as well
http://vittoriop77.blogspot.com/2007/04/backup-error-volume-shadow-copy800423f4.html#.T9DpcLV2zk8

and any of these
http://kb.backupassist.com/articles.php?aid=2999

Once I find the fix I will add it to the help page

Shane

[Charmin]

Yes. I do have Service Pack 3 and all current XP updates

Charmin

[Charmin]

Just carried out all the checks given in the gfi.com link, including re-registering vss files.  No change, still the same log_vss.txt when I try to do a backup.  Also nothing in the "vssadmin" writers or provider lists.

Will try your other suggestions.

Charmin

[Shane]

vssadmin shows nothing for writers?

Shane

[Charmin]

I have just looked at the other two links that you suggested, but did not fully understand them as they seem to refer to server problems.  Have I got this right?

Charmin

[Shane]

Lets do this, I have xp pro sp 3 in vmware. Let me load it up and grab all the info in the reg for VSS and we can use that to compare with yours

Shane

[Shane]

Real quick, open a command window and do
vssadmin list writers

Does it list any? if so can you click in the cmd window do a select all and then paste it for me?

Shane

[Shane]

Here is mine from my xp machine


C:\Documents and Settings\User>vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {88f872c5-712f-4ee0-ac65-0466659777a3}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {088833f0-2f6d-43c1-81d3-1ea951a57f7c}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)'
Writer Id: {f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5}
Writer Instance Id: {4ab69309-95ea-4c40-82de-bf702766d95a}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)'
Writer Id: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
Writer Instance Id: {8a1bcff0-3ecb-44a4-8a43-85076426ffa7}
State: [1] Stable


C:\Documents and Settings\User>


Shane

[Shane]

Found another fix for the error you are getting try this

If the VSS error code 0x800423f3 is reported, the reason is a corrupt state of WMI (wmiutils.dll). This may happen if a registry cleaner was used or a third-party application was uninstalled incorrectly. What you need to do is re-register wmiutils.dll and then restart the WMI service.

In the command prompt, execute the following three lines (note that stopping the WMI service does NOT stop VMs, it only stops the management service):

net stop winmgmt

regsvr32 wmiutils.dll 

net start winmgmt

Shane

[Charmin]

When I did vssadmin list writers using "cmd.exe run" I did not see any list. Using the cmd window I got this:-

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {c2df3308-4177-4cfe-8839-4f438ecdef50}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)'
Writer Id: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
Writer Instance Id: {03404525-b5c5-4434-850d-86e8a8c385c1}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)'
Writer Id: {f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5}
Writer Instance Id: {e968ede3-8346-4c85-babb-5e765e8bafc8}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {9f7333a8-efa0-4684-bd60-66a93511135b}
State: [5] Waiting for completion


C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

Sorry if I mislead you earlier

Charmin

[Shane]

I think we are on the right track.

Notice yours here

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {9f7333a8-efa0-4684-bd60-66a93511135b}
State: [5] Waiting for completion

and mine

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {088833f0-2f6d-43c1-81d3-1ea951a57f7c}
State: [1] Stable

Try this

net stop winmgmt

regsvr32 wmiutils.dll

net start winmgmt

Shane

[Charmin]

Mine now reads as follows:-

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {c2df3308-4177-4cfe-8839-4f438ecdef50}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)'
Writer Id: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
Writer Instance Id: {03404525-b5c5-4434-850d-86e8a8c385c1}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)'
Writer Id: {f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5}
Writer Instance Id: {e968ede3-8346-4c85-babb-5e765e8bafc8}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {9f7333a8-efa0-4684-bd60-66a93511135b}
State: [5] Waiting for completion


C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>net stop winmgmt
The following services are dependent on the Windows Management Instrumentation s
ervice.
Stopping the Windows Management Instrumentation service will also stop these ser
vices.

   wscsvc
   Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
   IPv6 Helper Service

Do you want to continue this operation? (Y/N) [N]: y
The wscsvc service is stopping.
The wscsvc service was stopped successfully.


The Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service was stopped succe
ssfully.


The IPv6 Helper Service service was stopped successfully.

The Windows Management Instrumentation service is stopping.
The Windows Management Instrumentation service was stopped successfully.


C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>regsvr32 wmiutils.dll

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>net start winmgmt
The Windows Management Instrumentation service is starting.
The Windows Management Instrumentation service was started successfully.


C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>vssadmin list writers
vssadmin 1.0 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
Writer Instance Id: {964f5c85-7b31-421e-969a-58c4e2ecb2fb}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Service State)'
Writer Id: {e38c2e3c-d4fb-4f4d-9550-fcafda8aae9a}
Writer Instance Id: {03404525-b5c5-4434-850d-86e8a8c385c1}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
Writer Instance Id: {c2df3308-4177-4cfe-8839-4f438ecdef50}
State: [1] Stable

Writer name: 'Microsoft Writer (Bootable State)'
Writer Id: {f2436e37-09f5-41af-9b2a-4ca2435dbfd5}
Writer Instance Id: {e968ede3-8346-4c85-babb-5e765e8bafc8}
State: [1] Stable


C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

Have you cracked it?

Charmin