Can't Backup windows server 2012 R2 drive C: and D:

this is a screen shot from the server

Go to a command prompt and run VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS

Are any of the writers in a failed/error state?

Also, try backing up the same volumes using DiskShadow (http://www.veritas.com/docs/000097851) - does this work or also show problems?

i will try it and then i will get back to you with the results

thanks in advance

Dear Chris Riley ;

i followed your instruction as you mention on the link and i got the following logs:

first i tried to run the following in the command prompt VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS i got the following:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.3.9600]
(c) 2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Administrator>VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative comma
(C) Copyright 2001-2013 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
   Writer Id: {d61d61c8-d73a-4eee-8cdd-f6f9786b7124}
   Writer Instance Id: {1bddd48e-5052-49db-9b07-b96f96727e6b}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'VSS Metadata Store Writer'
   Writer Id: {75dfb225-e2e4-4d39-9ac9-ffaff65ddf06}
   Writer Instance Id: {088e7a7d-09a8-4cc6-a609-ad90e75ddc93}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Performance Counters Writer'
   Writer Id: {0bada1de-01a9-4625-8278-69e735f39dd2}
   Writer Instance Id: {f0086dda-9efc-47c5-8eb6-a944c3d09381}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
   Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}
   Writer Instance Id: {f1f9a457-1c7e-4f72-aad1-051a30252d06}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'System Writer'
   Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
   Writer Instance Id: {5a502133-06c1-475a-abca-11d44eba6627}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Microsoft Exchange Writer'
   Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
   Writer Instance Id: {36274daa-aa4b-4748-a79a-5e93ae2cd19c}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'IIS Config Writer'
   Writer Id: {2a40fd15-dfca-4aa8-a654-1f8c654603f6}
   Writer Instance Id: {0f12f1a3-2e0e-4871-ac03-86421c6da68b}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
   Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
   Writer Instance Id: {be049334-3da1-4bb4-ae91-986a23cf139f}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'DFS Replication service writer'
   Writer Id: {2707761b-2324-473d-88eb-eb007a359533}
   Writer Instance Id: {906bf83e-bb60-436d-8b40-41b9da9bd931}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
   Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
   Writer Instance Id: {d87bfaa4-2190-4ef0-92e5-90ace1b016bf}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'MSMQ Writer (MSMQ)'
   Writer Id: {7e47b561-971a-46e6-96b9-696eeaa53b2a}
   Writer Instance Id: {24cc5ae3-8769-4a9f-b71c-6dbff6e48473}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'IIS Metabase Writer'
   Writer Id: {59b1f0cf-90ef-465f-9609-6ca8b2938366}
   Writer Instance Id: {207d0d54-0bf7-4975-874f-e62f6d940663}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
   Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
   Writer Instance Id: {c3dcbf54-a3ab-47e5-aa47-ea170fc1c7fb}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Dhcp Jet Writer'
   Writer Id: {be9ac81e-3619-421f-920f-4c6fea9e93ad}
   Writer Instance Id: {a7a43b91-9c1f-4d4e-a8ec-de1f94bb409d}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'NTDS'
   Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757}
   Writer Instance Id: {c83efe2c-5b74-44fb-b4e5-a62813dcfdec}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
   Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
   Writer Instance Id: {14c307eb-0e53-4e34-b4a1-699db638aa13}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'BITS Writer'
   Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}
   Writer Instance Id: {161c3198-5fda-4b08-9127-ac8a6da9a47a}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Then i run the backup as you mention i got the following:

C:\Users\Administrator>diskshadow
Microsoft DiskShadow version 1.0
Copyright (C) 2013 Microsoft Corporation
On computer:  SERVER,  1/5/2016 3:05:27 PM

DISKSHADOW> set verbose

SET VERBOSE {ON | OFF}

        ON                      Turn on verbose mode. This provides information
about writer inclusion/exclusion.
        OFF                     Turn off verbose mode.

        Example: SET VERBOSE ON

DISKSHADOW> set context volatile

DISKSHADOW> add volume c:

DISKSHADOW> begin backup

DISKSHADOW> create

COM call "lvssObject4->GetRootAndLogicalPrefixPaths" failed.
Alias VSS_SHADOW_1 for shadow ID {64e1afae-845f-41ee-9bcf-18e6dd89e6c6} set as e
nvironment variable.
Alias VSS_SHADOW_SET for shadow set ID {cefdd698-d7c9-4b52-aa84-fa5d9beaeaf0} se
t as environment variable.

Querying all shadow copies with the shadow copy set ID {cefdd698-d7c9-4b52-aa84-
fa5d9beaeaf0}

COM call L"vssObject->Query" failed.

The last operation failed.
        - Returned HRESULT: 8004230f
        - Error text: VSS_E_UNEXPECTED_PROVIDER_ERROR

DISKSHADOW> end backup

DISKSHADOW> exit

after the backup is finished i rerun the following command VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS i got this:

C:\Users\Administrator>VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS
vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative comma
(C) Copyright 2001-2013 Microsoft Corp.

Writer name: 'Task Scheduler Writer'
   Writer Id: {d61d61c8-d73a-4eee-8cdd-f6f9786b7124}
   Writer Instance Id: {1bddd48e-5052-49db-9b07-b96f96727e6b}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'VSS Metadata Store Writer'
   Writer Id: {75dfb225-e2e4-4d39-9ac9-ffaff65ddf06}
   Writer Instance Id: {088e7a7d-09a8-4cc6-a609-ad90e75ddc93}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Performance Counters Writer'
   Writer Id: {0bada1de-01a9-4625-8278-69e735f39dd2}
   Writer Instance Id: {f0086dda-9efc-47c5-8eb6-a944c3d09381}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'ASR Writer'
   Writer Id: {be000cbe-11fe-4426-9c58-531aa6355fc4}
   Writer Instance Id: {68ac33fb-1503-4c9d-9a78-accadff51782}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'System Writer'
   Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
   Writer Instance Id: {5a502133-06c1-475a-abca-11d44eba6627}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Microsoft Exchange Writer'
   Writer Id: {76fe1ac4-15f7-4bcd-987e-8e1acb462fb7}
   Writer Instance Id: {36274daa-aa4b-4748-a79a-5e93ae2cd19c}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Dhcp Jet Writer'
   Writer Id: {be9ac81e-3619-421f-920f-4c6fea9e93ad}
   Writer Instance Id: {a7a43b91-9c1f-4d4e-a8ec-de1f94bb409d}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
   Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
   Writer Instance Id: {22069018-46f2-427d-9e43-fa0b925691b9}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'MSMQ Writer (MSMQ)'
   Writer Id: {7e47b561-971a-46e6-96b9-696eeaa53b2a}
   Writer Instance Id: {24cc5ae3-8769-4a9f-b71c-6dbff6e48473}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'IIS Config Writer'
   Writer Id: {2a40fd15-dfca-4aa8-a654-1f8c654603f6}
   Writer Instance Id: {0f12f1a3-2e0e-4871-ac03-86421c6da68b}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Shadow Copy Optimization Writer'
   Writer Id: {4dc3bdd4-ab48-4d07-adb0-3bee2926fd7f}
   Writer Instance Id: {3b1b2235-ec2e-4b8e-ac95-65047c91960e}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
   Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
   Writer Instance Id: {c3dcbf54-a3ab-47e5-aa47-ea170fc1c7fb}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
   Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
   Writer Instance Id: {b88ff6dc-f734-45d6-8dfe-f12513dac40a}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'DFS Replication service writer'
   Writer Id: {2707761b-2324-473d-88eb-eb007a359533}
   Writer Instance Id: {906bf83e-bb60-436d-8b40-41b9da9bd931}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'IIS Metabase Writer'
   Writer Id: {59b1f0cf-90ef-465f-9609-6ca8b2938366}
   Writer Instance Id: {207d0d54-0bf7-4975-874f-e62f6d940663}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'BITS Writer'
   Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}
   Writer Instance Id: {161c3198-5fda-4b08-9127-ac8a6da9a47a}
   State: [1] Stable
   Last error: No error

Writer name: 'NTDS'
   Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757}
   Writer Instance Id: {c83efe2c-5b74-44fb-b4e5-a62813dcfdec}
   State: [5] Waiting for completion
   Last error: No error

if you see the state has been changed from stable to waiting for completion

please advise and thanks for your help

So it looks like there are some VSS related issues that have nothing to do with SSR. In my opinion, you should contact Microsoft support to see what they say.

The writers should not be left in a 'Waiting for completion' state.

I found the following: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3025158

HI Ihajjar,

    Reboot your machine and check the writers status again using:  VSSADMIN LIST WRITERS

Anuj Kr,

Yes, that may work initially. But chances are, the problem will come back again sooner or later ...

Rebooting the machine is not a long-term solution in my opinion.

now i opened a case with Microsoft to check the problem of the VSS on the server as soon as i have an answer i will get back to you

thanks all