1

I am having issues recently with some workstations not able to create backups due to “error creating VSS snapshot”.
Things I’ve tried:
Reinstalling VEEAM
Installing an older version
Creating a Backup on the local machine (Instead of our network drive)
Forcing the Volume Shadow Copy and Window Backups services to run

Does anyone know how to fix this? We need it to work especially on some of our important systems like our Phone Server

1 Spice up
2

None of this is related to Veeam, it’s the client device you need to look at.

Check your event logs, make sure there is enough space and disable/re-enable the VSS service if it is failing.

3

Disk space is good, attempted to stop and start the service multiple times. Same thing after system restart

This is the error: 8/23/2023 10:32:51 AM :: Error: Failed to create snapshot: Backup job failed. Cannot create a shadow copy of the volumes containing writer’s data. VSS asynchronous operation is not completed. Operation: [Shadow copies commit]. Code: [0x80042306].

4

OS version?

Veeam agent version?

Does the service start?

Can you clean previous snapshots on the client, perhaps one of them is corrupt or there are too many.

Are there any pending or started restores to this machine?

5

OS Version: Varies. Newest versions of Windows 10 and 11 systems are experiencing the issue (22H2)
VEEAM Agent: 6.02.1090
Service starts and stops with no errors
I have attempted removing the folder and all files contained for the Backup Job on our network drive and creating a new job locally
No pending restores

6

I wasn’t specifically talking about the backups, more the VSS/Previous versions - try clearing these

7

Where do I do this?

8

from a cmd/PowerShell/Terminal with admin rights

vssadmin list shadowstorage

This will show you how much space it can use and how much is in use.

vssadmin delete shadows all – will delete them all

(to only delete specifics, vssadmin delete shadow - and look at the commands)

9

Still no luck. Deleted all of the VSS Snapshots, restarted the PC and restarted the VSS service. Same issue still present

10

Earlier you mentioned phone server - is this a server OS or are you using the term loosely?

Is this physical or virtual?

Just asking so I can build a mental image of the scope of the issue.

11

It’s just hosting our Windows software for it. It holds all the phone’s configurations. It’s just a Windows 10 HP Desktop. The one I am doing testing on is a Dell Optiplex 7040 Micro having the exact same issue.

12

Are you using Manage Engine or any anti-ransomware products, if so please disable those and try again.

The error code suggests something is interfering with snapshots being modified - in a way to prevent ransomware removing these copies.

1 Spice up
13

We do use ManageEngine but we are not permitted to change or remove it. Even for testing. We have a lot of systems running ManageEngine and VEEAM that are working as expected

14

Not permitted is fine, but I’ve found a couple of posts (yesterday) that report a patch being needed for manage engine as the version in use was causing a lock on the VSS therefore Veeam was not able to create it’s own and fails.

If this is the case that a patch or policy change is needed you would have to ask for the changes to be made or not backup these devices.

Are you allow to stop the service to test?

15

Our IT Manager wants to know if there is a specific patch to install to fix it. Also, how do I stop the service? You can’t stop it from services.msc so there must be a different way you have to do it

16

I’ll have to see if i can find the article again, but you could always log this with Veeam to speed up the process.

17

I have tried several times to contact them but since it’s free software, their customer service is slim to none. I’ll keep trying though. I appreciate your help

18

You get community support with their free products.

I would wonder though, if your system is important, why you wouldn’t have a paid solution in place to be able to assist you with such errors in the future.

Your error code suggests something is blocking the creation of the VSS, if your manager wont allow disabling something as a test, even if Veeam did give you the same response, I’m not sure where you would go from here.

I’ll see if I can find the article I had last night, but it was relating to your error code, manage engine and a patch.

19

I talked with the Manager and we can disable ManageEngine temporarily on one machine. It’s just a matter of how we do that… He also said he would do a patch but he just needs to know what patch to do

20

I’m trying to find it