Backup fails with useless message

I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
one, XP on another, and two for common data.
I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but both
times it has failed with the following error message...

"Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
relevant errors."
The error code is 0x81000037

I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I have
no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
Any ideas please?

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change gug to goog in my address)

lemel_man wrote:
> I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
> seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
> I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
> one, XP on another, and two for common data.
> I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but both
> times it has failed with the following error message...
>
> "Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
> of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
> relevant errors."
> The error code is 0x81000037
>
> I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I have
> no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
> Any ideas please?
>

Try a search on "0x81000037 vss" using your favorite search engine. This
thread gives a sampling of root causes, such as reparse points (mount points)
added to the volume being backed up, problems with AV software locking files,
problems with other software using VSS services, and so on.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...3-5882dc73a383

You'll have to look at the special properties of what you're doing, to
see what is triggering it.

Paul

On 22/12/2011 08:13, lemel_man wrote:
> I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
> seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
> I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
> one, XP on another, and two for common data.
> I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but both
> times it has failed with the following error message...
>
> "Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
> of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
> relevant errors."
> The error code is 0x81000037
>
> I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I have
> no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
> Any ideas please?
>

Might be worthwhile seeing if the free backups (such as EaseUs and
Macrium) give you the same message. If they work ok, forget W7 backup.
If they don't work either, just uninstall them (but you'll have to
solve the W7 problem).

Also, have you tried backing up each partition separately to see which
is/are causing the problem?

--

Jeff

Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 22/12/2011 08:13, lemel_man wrote:
>> I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
>> seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
>> I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
>> one, XP on another, and two for common data.
>> I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but both
>> times it has failed with the following error message...
>>
>> "Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
>> of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
>> relevant errors."
>> The error code is 0x81000037
>>
>> I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I have
>> no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
>> Any ideas please?
>>
>
> Might be worthwhile seeing if the free backups (such as EaseUs and
> Macrium) give you the same message. If they work ok, forget W7 backup.
> If they don't work either, just uninstall them (but you'll have to
> solve the W7 problem).
>
> Also, have you tried backing up each partition separately to see which
> is/are causing the problem?
>

Isn't Macrium also VSS based ? If so, it should fail the same way.

Don't know about EaseUs. The thing is, to back up C:, you either
need to "do the backup from DOS" (to avoid the busy file problem),
or use VSS to aid the backup process while Windows is still running.
I haven't heard of any, third solutions.

Backing up data only partitions, is a lot easier, with lots more
choices of solutions.

The fact that VSS exists, has made backup program designers pretty
lazy. If they all glom onto VSS as a solution, and your VSS is
broken for some reason, then you can find a lot of trialware
doesn't work either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy

Paul

On 22/12/2011 16:24, Paul wrote:
> Jeff Layman wrote:
>> On 22/12/2011 08:13, lemel_man wrote:
>>> I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
>>> seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
>>> I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
>>> one, XP on another, and two for common data.
>>> I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but both
>>> times it has failed with the following error message...
>>>
>>> "Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
>>> of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
>>> relevant errors."
>>> The error code is 0x81000037
>>>
>>> I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I have
>>> no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
>>> Any ideas please?
>>>
>>
>> Might be worthwhile seeing if the free backups (such as EaseUs and
>> Macrium) give you the same message. If they work ok, forget W7 backup.
>> If they don't work either, just uninstall them (but you'll have to
>> solve the W7 problem).
>>
>> Also, have you tried backing up each partition separately to see which
>> is/are causing the problem?
>>
>
> Isn't Macrium also VSS based ? If so, it should fail the same way.
>
> Don't know about EaseUs. The thing is, to back up C:, you either
> need to "do the backup from DOS" (to avoid the busy file problem),
> or use VSS to aid the backup process while Windows is still running.
> I haven't heard of any, third solutions.
>
> Backing up data only partitions, is a lot easier, with lots more
> choices of solutions.
>
> The fact that VSS exists, has made backup program designers pretty
> lazy. If they all glom onto VSS as a solution, and your VSS is
> broken for some reason, then you can find a lot of trialware
> doesn't work either.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy
>

Yes, EaseUs also uses VSS.

I assume you've googled the error code. There are many causes/solutions
for error code 0x81000037 discussed here:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...3-5882dc73a383

Hope one of them sorts out your problem.

--

Jeff

I did Google the error code and got lots of information about shadow
volumes and reparse etc, but very little that actually helped isolate
the real cause of the error.
I find it rather amazing that I should get any this type of system error
with a newly installed system - it's only just over a month old.
"It" (meaning Win7) created the shadow copy and then can't read it,
can't suggest possible causes, and can't even tell me what partition was
being processed when the error was encountered. How "user friendly" is that?
"It" implies that taking backups is really simple and straightforward,
but when it goes wrong gives absolutely no assistance in fixing it.
I've now started using Acronis True Image Home V11, which is apparently
working fine.
If I figure out what was wrong I'll post back, but it's pretty
impenetrable stuff.

(Yes, I know that some people despise "top posting", but I hate
ploughing down through stuff I've already read in order to find the most
recent addition.)

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change gug to goog in my address)



On 23/12/2011 09:47, Jeff Layman wrote:
> On 22/12/2011 16:24, Paul wrote:
>> Jeff Layman wrote:
>>> On 22/12/2011 08:13, lemel_man wrote:
>>>> I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
>>>> seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
>>>> I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
>>>> one, XP on another, and two for common data.
>>>> I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but
>>>> both
>>>> times it has failed with the following error message...
>>>>
>>>> "Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
>>>> of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
>>>> relevant errors."
>>>> The error code is 0x81000037
>>>>
>>>> I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I
>>>> have
>>>> no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
>>>> Any ideas please?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Might be worthwhile seeing if the free backups (such as EaseUs and
>>> Macrium) give you the same message. If they work ok, forget W7 backup.
>>> If they don't work either, just uninstall them (but you'll have to
>>> solve the W7 problem).
>>>
>>> Also, have you tried backing up each partition separately to see which
>>> is/are causing the problem?
>>>
>>
>> Isn't Macrium also VSS based ? If so, it should fail the same way.
>>
>> Don't know about EaseUs. The thing is, to back up C:, you either
>> need to "do the backup from DOS" (to avoid the busy file problem),
>> or use VSS to aid the backup process while Windows is still running.
>> I haven't heard of any, third solutions.
>>
>> Backing up data only partitions, is a lot easier, with lots more
>> choices of solutions.
>>
>> The fact that VSS exists, has made backup program designers pretty
>> lazy. If they all glom onto VSS as a solution, and your VSS is
>> broken for some reason, then you can find a lot of trialware
>> doesn't work either.
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy
>>
>
> Yes, EaseUs also uses VSS.
>
> I assume you've googled the error code. There are many causes/solutions
> for error code 0x81000037 discussed here:
> http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...3-5882dc73a383
>
>
> Hope one of them sorts out your problem.
>

lemel_man wrote:

>
> (Yes, I know that some people despise "top posting", but I hate
> ploughing down through stuff I've already read in order to find the most
> recent addition.)
>

Actually, we don't despise that much stuff.

No matter how you post, you can trim down the content to the thing
you're responding to. With a little luck, it fits into one window's
worth on the screen, making it easy to deal with top or bottom posting.

What we get more of a hate-on for, is news readers that screw up
the quoting, so we can't tell who said what, and question and answer
get mixed together. WLM 15 is the worst for that. WLM 14 works
acceptably well. Most other newsreaders (barring going back 20
years or more), will also get quoting right. And a certain other
tool, has "OEQuoteFix" to fix it's shortcomings.

*******

With regard to your complaint, that the backup tool doesn't produce a more
specific error, I think your comment is valid. The tool should be able
to report the context of what it was doing when the failure occurred.
Even a stack trace, would be better than what they give us.

Check to see what aggravating factors may be present on your machine,
such as the AV software mentioned in the thread I linked to. It might
be a new machine, but you've probably added stuff to it.

And this is a symptom of the design philosophy of Windows 7, which bit
Microsoft on the ass. Make the OS use every possible feature available
in NTFS. Then, have your backup utility, not be able to handle all the
resulting possibilities. That's the root cause. All the utility designs
have to be an order of magnitude more complicated, to deal with it.

Paul

lemel_man wrote:
> (Yes, I know that some people despise "top posting", but I hate
> ploughing down through stuff I've already read in order to find the most
> recent addition.)

Well since you're using Thunderbird, why not try using the Collapse
Quotes add-on? This add-on will collapse any quoted text in a message
down to just a single line for each level of quoted text. You can get
it here:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/thu...quotecollapse/

--

Roy Smith
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Postbox 3.0.2
Friday, December 23, 2011 10:15:58 AM

On 23/12/2011 16:16, Roy Smith wrote:
> lemel_man wrote:
>> (Yes, I know that some people despise "top posting", but I hate
>> ploughing down through stuff I've already read in order to find the most
>> recent addition.)
>
> Well since you're using Thunderbird, why not try using the Collapse
> Quotes add-on? This add-on will collapse any quoted text in a message
> down to just a single line for each level of quoted text. You can get
> it here:
>
> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/thu...quotecollapse/
>

Thanks Roy,
I didn't know about that add-on, it works well.

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change gug to goog in my address)

test

"lemel_man" wrote in message news:jcuor9$n1b$...

I've recently installed Win7 Ultimate X64 which I dual boot with, but
seldom use, my old XP Pro+SP3 system.
I have a single 1TB HDD which is divided into 4 NTFS partitions; W7 on
one, XP on another, and two for common data.
I've tried to use Win7 Backup (to an external 1TB drive) twice, but both
times it has failed with the following error message...

"Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one
of the volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any
relevant errors."
The error code is 0x81000037

I've checked the event logs, but they only repeat the above info. I have
no idea what volume is causing the error, or how to fix it.
Any ideas please?

--
Regards, Gary Wooding
(To reply by email, change gug to goog in my address)