cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Unable to create files to solve problem with VSS

oamador
Level 2

Running BE 16 on a Windows Server 2016. We started to received this VSS exection on the log.

Veritas response is to recreate the files or contact the supplier. I have tried to cretes this files but windows will not allow. I have searched the registry but the name is not there either.

Anyone could recomend a way to create this files? Find a way to tell VSS they do not exit?

VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.350\x86_installed is not present on the snapshot. VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.693\x86_installed is not present on the snapshot. VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.1051\x86_installed is not present on the snapshot. VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.1439\x86_installed is not present on the snapshot. VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.0\amd64_installed is not present on the snapshot. VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.350\amd64_installed is not present on the snapshot.

VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.693\amd64_installed is not present on the snapshot.

VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.1051\amd64_installed is not present on the snapshot.

VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.1439\amd64_installed is not present on the snapshot.

VSS Snapshot warning. File c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.0\x86_installed is not present on the snapshot.

7 REPLIES 7

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi,

Check the selection list and see if they are explicitly listed there. If they are then remove them. Otherwise try putting in exclusions for them.

Thanks!

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

If those errors are within the section of the backup job that relates to the System State backup (and not the drive letter  part of the backup) then they are caused by a 3rd party product registering items into the System State and then not removing them during an uninstall or when the items not longer exist. This is not really a Backup Exec issue as it is really an issue between 3rd party product and OS that is just being seen within a backup process.

 

The official solution (from us and Microsoft) is to contact the vendor of the application that caused the problem (which in your case would mean trying to identify what application uses this path c:\windows\servicing\version\10.0.14393.1439 )

Examples of this problem are covered in the following document (including some workarounds for some of them) however as there are potentially an infinite number of existing and future applications that could cause this issue, we (hopefully understandably) cannot ever research and document workarounds for all instances of the condition

https://www.veritas.com/docs/100001045

Yes folders are excluded from the selection list.

It seems that the are register in VSS.  Did not find the names in the registry.  Not sure where else to look.

The folder ower is SYSTEM.  It will not let an administrator to create the files.

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

File and folder exclusion do not operate against System State backups hence they have not fixed your problem - and your new info does more of less confirm that you have the issue I mentioned regarding an application (not Backup Exec) adding itself to the registry in an invalid way (or not being removed correctly)

 

As the application causing the problem is not a Veritas application it woulfd be difficult for us to confirm a fix (or guarantee that any actions we might suggest would not give you a worse problem) - hence if the folders and files do not exist then creating files and folders with the exact same names - is a safe workaround and the recommendatioin is to contact the original application vendor. Typically the registry problem itself usually relates to items relating to application services where the path or file name that cannot be backed up is mentioned in the configuration of the service itself.

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

File and folder exclusion do not operate against System State backups hence they have not fixed your problem - and your new info does more of less confirm that you have the issue I mentioned regarding an application (not Backup Exec) adding itself to the registry in an invalid way (or not being removed correctly)

 

As the application causing the problem is not a Veritas application it woulfd be difficult for us to confirm a fix (or guarantee that any actions we might suggest would not give you a worse problem) - hence if the folders and files do not exist then creating files and folders with the exact same names - is a safe workaround and the recommendatioin is to contact the original application vendor. Typically the registry problem itself usually relates to items relating to application services where the path or file name that cannot be backed up is mentioned in the configuration of the service itself.

Hi,

For me it makes no sense to
"if the folders and files do not exist then creating files and folders with the exact same names - is a safe workaround and the recommendatioin is to contact the original application vendor."
because then I could create round about 200 files on different servers (Windows). No one will do this!

And further it seems it makses no sense to ask the vendor (install/uninstall apps, clean etc.) because the most files are located in system folders of Windows (from MS, not other vendors).

So where is the catch?

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Just becase the files are in system folders does not mean they don't have an original vendor (which in some cases might even be Microsoft themselves)

The recommended practice for the situation is to speak to the original vendor as we can't safely say why the registry entries etc still exist, we have however had to state that you may have to just create the files as dummy files to provide a workaround for the case of the error being against a file called  something like oem15.inf where there is no way to identify the vendor. You can also elect to find and correct or remove the invalid registry information yourself (which without speaking to the OEM vendor would be a use at your own risk option)

 

Our document and Microsoft's related one are basically there to state that bad software installer (and uninstaller) coding can cause problems with System State backups for which we cannot be responsible and we give some potential suggestions of workarounds for some known examples of the problem however as there is potentially a huge number of both current and future software vendors that could cause such problems we will never be able to document all of them

What we know is

- Can be caused by uninstaller or software updates removing a file but not removing the registry information relating to that file (in this instance you will find the file that creates the error won't exist in the path)

- can be caused by installer registering a file using paths containing Unix style / characters instead of windows style \ characters (in which case file will exist and you have to look for the invalid character in the path Note: I think there is also another iteration where \\ was used when the correct character is a single \

- there is potentially a possibility  for individual file security to block access (although I am not sure we have ever had that reported)

- in some cases the job log will not show  the file name and you have to look at a full debug to find the real culprit

- an operating system that has been running for a longer time is more likey to have experienced a lot of local application installer changes and may therefore have more problems of this nature to solve than one that has only recently been installed.

Now I do agree that if lots of files report this error that it woud be difficult to correct, however that type of comment really needs to go to the vendors causing the issue as products such as Backup Exec and Windows backup are in reality experiencing an error as a symptom where the root cause is outside of our control.