Can't create Shadow Copy after full repairs v 3.9.12 - Windows Vista

[saka]

I had a situation similar to the one mentioned in topic
" Windows Repair task 04 (Register System Files) clobbering Vista VSS??"
but with version 3.9.12

Windows Vista backup could not be created and messages were the same:
"The restore point could not be created for the following reason:  Catastrophic failure (0x8000FFFF)  Please try again."

App Event Log shows "Volume Shadow Copy Service error: The VSS event class is not registered.  This will prevent any VSS writers from receiving events. This may be caused due to a setup failure or as a result of an application's installer or uninstaller."

I solved it by repeating repair 19, alone. But I'm mentioning it, since this happened with TWR v 3.9.12, whereas in quoted topic above, it seems to be solved with version 3.8.1.

Thanks

[Willy2]

- Do you  have a link to that topic ? Please post it.

- Do you still have the log files of that WR run that "broke" Volume Shadow Copy ? If so, then zip them up and post it in your next reply. It will give the author more info on what has happened and what repairs you ran. Because I am VERY curious what repairs you ran. I also DO have a good hunch of what could have gone wrong. And this particular issue - IMO - hasn't been fully adressed in all the repairs in WR.

- Have you been using previous versions of WR ? Do you recall which versions ? And did you install those programs in the same folder ? I could imagine that WR failed to overwrite one or more files. In that case remove the current version of WR with the official un-install program. Make sure that folder is empty and re-install WR and see what happens when you repeat the same procedure ? Problem solved ?

(The answers to these questions will give a good clue where WR broke VSS)

[saka]

The topic I mentioned is
http://www.tweaking.com/forums/index.php?topic=4097.0

I'm not sure I can help you with log files. This happened yesterday, so I have everything in my computer, but:
- In the WR\Logs folder there are 3 folders (the two full repairs I ran before the error, and the one I ran with repair 19 only, to fix it) but they seem empty. I can't open them, zip them, or attach them here.
- I run a Greek Language version of Vista, so the error events in Event Viewer are in plain greek, and they won't help you, I'm afraid. I received 5 errors: codes 34, 8193, 34, 8193, 4100.

It was TWR's first installation, no previous versions. I followed all the steps, ran in safe mode, etc. I ran default repairs (twice), did not tick or untick anything.

I'm not very experienced, so can only follow you. Please tell me how I can help and I'll do my best.

Cheers

[Willy2]

- No, I remain interested in the log files only. Not what's in event viewer. And the log files are in english.
- Do you have a 32 or a 64 bit system ? That should be in the logs as well.
- I made a picture of what you can expect in the WR folders with - among others - the log files. You should see something similar on your Vista system. See the attached picture inside the red & blue rectangles.
- Post the file called "system_reg_list.txt" (in the WR "files" subfolder) in your next reply. That also could help to see of what's going on. I then can compare that with my version of that file and it should be the same.

- Can you determine which repair breaks VSS ? Run ONE (!!!) repair (#4 and higher) only and see if it broke VSS. Repeat the procedure for each next repair (#4 and higher). And report at which point VSS broke. You always can repair VSS by running repair #19 only. I personally fear that repair #4 and/or #7 (each could) break VSS.

[saka]

1. I bet you're right, TWR log files could help, but as I said before, they seem empty (see attached). Actually, their file names don't seem correct (e.g: 17.10.2016_6.01.37-..) and I can't open them, copy them, zip them, or attach them.

2. I have a 32-bit OS Vista Home Premium with SP2

3. For the test runs you suggest, I need some time, maybe during the weekend.

Cheers

[Willy2]

- Ah, but when one is using Windows Explorer then it won't display the size of a folder, it will only show the size of files. You have to open those folders to see what's inside. (I use a different program instead (XYplorer)).
- See if you've got a file called "_Windows_Repair_log.txt". That will tell what repairs you have run. That's the one I am interested in.

[Willy2]

- The repairs that are most likely to break VSS are #4, 5, 7, 8 and 17. Each of these repairs register a bunch of files. In the thread you referred to, changing the order in which these files are registered solved that problem.

[saka]

Ok, here I am again,

I ran repair #4 alone, and it broke VSS. I repaired with #19, it was ok.
Then ran #5 and #7. None of them broke the VSS. So here I am now. Don't have time to test #8 and #17 now. If it's important to you, pls let me know and I'll try tomorrow.

As far as the log files are concerned, I tried with Windows Explorer, with Shadow Explorer, with Qdir. None of them can open those folders, sorry. TWR seems not creating proper log files on my machine, don't know why.

Cheers

[Boggin]

Are you still using 3.9.12 or have you updated to 3.9.13 and still getting the same problems ?

[Willy2]

- Grab the file in the attachment and change the extension from ".txt" to ".bat", run the (*.bat) file with administrator's rights. It's a heavily modified version of repair #4. If all is well, then it shouldn't break VSS anymore. If it works then I know where WR needs to be improved. (I know, VSS has been a "REAL pain in the a**")

- You also can try "ExplorerXP"
(http://www.explorerxp.com/)

to view what's going on, on your HD. Although it was designed for Win XP, it still works on my Win 7 system (and I assume on your Vista system as well.). It has some "rough edges" but in spite of that it does work well. And it is in some regards better than Windows Explorer.

[saka]

So, I ran the bat file, and it broke the VSS again. I had to ran repair #19 (twice, actually, as the first run in safe mode did nothing, then in normal mode, ok).
I think I managed to create 3 zip files for the logs in question (those about the incident in the first place). The first two, on Oct 17 (17.10.2016) are for the two first runs of the default set of repairs. The third one is for the repair #19, immediately after.
But to be honest, I'm not very optimistic that they do contain something. Hope this helps.

Boggin, no I haven't updated to 3.9.13 yet, as I wanted to be able to reproduce comparable results in these tests. We change one thing at a time, right? 

[Boggin]

As 3.9.12 is now irrelevant, I would have thought that using the latest version which is now 3.9.14, then that would be better served as that is what Shane will be working on to make any adjustments.

I've already passed this one onto Shane, but not sure if it has slipped the net so I'll give him a bump with it.

[Willy2]

- And I thought that running WR in Safe Mode was better than in Normal Mode. LOL.

[Willy2]

- We don't need Shane (YET). Because we can determine in what part of repair #4 the problem is "hiding". Grab the file in the attachment and upzip it. Change the extensions of the 3 files to *.bat. Run each file with administrator rights. And see which of the 3 files "breaks" VSS. Perhaps each file breaks VSS (something I am NOT hoping for).

- There were a number of changes made in WR v3.8.0 that have led to repair #4 "breaking" VSS on Vista machines. I know what those changes are. Perhaps it's better to make a decision whether or not to reverse those changes in the next version. But that decision also depends on how VSS behaves after running those 3 files (see above).

[Willy2]

- But we still need to know which of the files I attached (inside test.rar, see above) do and don't break VSS on a Vista system. That would already help A LOT.