[Solved] IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

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bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

[Solved] IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Hello,

When doing a full image backup yesterday, I was confronted with something new:

VSS refuses to work but fortunately, Phylock took the relay.

There is plenty of free space on my C drive, over 100 Gb.

I've also tried to remove a FAT32 (EFI) volume from the backup to no avail.

Here are the logs (culprit looks to be "VSS Snapshot Creation Failed (1h)"

Thanks,

Patrice

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Image for Windows (x64) 3.46
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Starting ...
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] imagew64.exe /b /d:w0@0x1,0x2,0x3,0x4 /f:"L:\Win10" /v /vb
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Windows 10 Home 21H1 64-bit (10.0.19043.1.300)
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Warning: Validate Byte-for-Byte may fail because the source SSD drive does not support DRAT.
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Attempting to Create VSS Snapshot...
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Added \\?\Volume{a804a6e5-0938-4d46-a9db-3601a62abfbd} to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Added \\?\Volume{7f5b42e4-31ed-11e6-b53a-806e6f6e6963} (C:) to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 11:58:30 AM] Added \\?\Volume{4e561f1f-cd53-40f2-af3c-72c0ddbc7812} to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] VSS Snapshot Creation Failed (1h)
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - Task Scheduler Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - VSS Metadata Store Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - Performance Counters Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - ASR Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - IIS Config Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - Shadow Copy Optimization Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - MSSearch Service Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - Registry Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - WMI Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] 00000000 - COM+ REGDB Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 11:58:31 AM] PHYLock is waiting for drive writing to stop ...
[09/04/2021 12:00:55 PM] PHYLock using drive C:
[09/04/2021 12:00:55 PM] PHYLock Started
[09/04/2021 12:00:55 PM] PHYLock Using Disk
[09/04/2021 12:00:55 PM] PHYLock version 14
[09/04/2021 12:00:55 PM] Backup: Drive 0 SYSTEM Partition (01) 100 MiB EFI System (FAT-32)
[09/04/2021 12:00:55 PM] To: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:00:56 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:204800 Total Allocated:114296
[09/04/2021 12:00:56 PM] INFO: 114296 Sector(s) backed up
[09/04/2021 12:00:56 PM] Backup: Drive 0 Microsoft reserved parti Partition (02) 128 MiB Microsoft Reserved
[09/04/2021 12:00:56 PM] To: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:00:57 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:262144 Total Allocated:262144
[09/04/2021 12:00:57 PM] INFO: 262144 Sector(s) backed up
[09/04/2021 12:00:57 PM] Backup: Drive 0 (C:) WIN7 Partition (03) 299800 MiB NTFS
[09/04/2021 12:00:57 PM] To: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:20:14 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:613989887 Total Allocated:366443872
[09/04/2021 12:20:14 PM] INFO: 307685424 Sector(s) backed up
[09/04/2021 12:20:14 PM] Backup: Drive 0 Restored Partition (04) 875 MiB Windows RE (NTFS)
[09/04/2021 12:20:14 PM] To: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:20:18 PM] INFO: Total Sectors:1792000 Total Allocated:936184
[09/04/2021 12:20:18 PM] INFO: 935784 Sector(s) backed up
[09/04/2021 12:20:19 PM] Validating: SYSTEM Partition (01) 100 MiB EFI System (FAT-32)
[09/04/2021 12:20:19 PM] From: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:20:20 PM] Validating: Microsoft reserved parti Partition (02) 128 MiB Microsoft Reserved
[09/04/2021 12:20:20 PM] From: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:20:22 PM] Validating: WIN7 Partition (03) 299800 MiB NTFS
[09/04/2021 12:20:22 PM] From: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:37:50 PM] Validating: Restored Partition (04) 875 MiB Windows RE (NTFS)
[09/04/2021 12:37:50 PM] From: L:\Win10.TBI
[09/04/2021 12:37:54 PM] Time Elapsed: 0:00:39:24
[09/04/2021 12:37:54 PM] Operation Completed with Error Code 0
[09/04/2021 12:37:54 PM] Stop
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Image for Windows (x64) 3.46
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Starting ...
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] imagew64.exe /b /d:w0@0x1,0x2,0x3,0x4 /f:"K:\Win10" /v /vb
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Windows 10 Home 21H1 64-bit (10.0.19043.1.300)
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Warning: Validate Byte-for-Byte may fail because the source SSD drive does not support DRAT.
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Attempting to Create VSS Snapshot...
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Added \\?\Volume{a804a6e5-0938-4d46-a9db-3601a62abfbd} to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Added \\?\Volume{7f5b42e4-31ed-11e6-b53a-806e6f6e6963} (C:) to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 12:50:07 PM] Added \\?\Volume{4e561f1f-cd53-40f2-af3c-72c0ddbc7812} to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] VSS Snapshot Creation Failed (1h)
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - Task Scheduler Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - VSS Metadata Store Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - Performance Counters Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - ASR Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - Shadow Copy Optimization Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - Registry Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - WMI Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - COM+ REGDB Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - IIS Config Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] 00000000 - MSSearch Service Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 12:50:08 PM] PHYLock is waiting for drive writing to stop ...
[09/04/2021 12:50:11 PM] Are you sure you want to cancel?
[09/04/2021 12:50:12 PM] PHYLock Failed to Start
[09/04/2021 12:50:12 PM] Deleting incomplete or failed backup.
[09/04/2021 12:50:12 PM] Time Elapsed: 0:00:00:05
[09/04/2021 12:50:12 PM] Operation Completed with Error Code 1
[09/04/2021 12:50:12 PM] Stop
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Image for Windows (x64) 3.46
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Starting ...
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] imagew64.exe /b /d:w0@0x2,0x3,0x4 /f:"K:\Win10" /v /vb
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Windows 10 Home 21H1 64-bit (10.0.19043.1.300)
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Warning: Validate Byte-for-Byte may fail because the source SSD drive does not support DRAT.
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Attempting to Create VSS Snapshot...
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Added \\?\Volume{7f5b42e4-31ed-11e6-b53a-806e6f6e6963} (C:) to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 12:51:33 PM] Added \\?\Volume{4e561f1f-cd53-40f2-af3c-72c0ddbc7812} to snapshot.
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] VSS Snapshot Creation Failed (1h)
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - Task Scheduler Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - VSS Metadata Store Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - Performance Counters Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - ASR Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - Shadow Copy Optimization Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - MSSearch Service Writer - Stable (N/A)
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - WMI Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - Registry Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - IIS Config Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] 00000000 - COM+ REGDB Writer - Stable
[09/04/2021 12:51:34 PM] PHYLock is waiting for drive writing to stop ...
[09/04/2021 12:51:36 PM] Are you sure you want to cancel?
[09/04/2021 12:51:39 PM] PHYLock Failed to Start
[09/04/2021 12:51:39 PM] Deleting incomplete or failed backup.
[09/04/2021 12:51:39 PM] Time Elapsed: 0:00:00:06
[09/04/2021 12:51:39 PM] Operation Completed with Error Code 1
[09/04/2021 12:51:39 PM] Stop
Last edited by bpatrice on Mon Nov 15, 2021 8:52 pm, edited 4 times in total.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3596
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by TeraByte Support »

enable LogLevel=50 in ifw.ini then launch again, or add /logl:50 to command line used to launch IFW, that will output a little more information. But yes, something with VSS is reporting a problem (you may want to chkdsk /f the various partitions, and run sfc /scannow). See https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=461
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Ok, found the culprit:

I usually backup four partitions for my Win10 installation.

- SYSTEM (FAT32 EFI)
- Microsoft reserved partition (128 mib) NTFS
- Win10 NTFS
- Restored (875 MiB). NTFS

If I remove the "Restored" one, all is fine... Go figure!

**Yess! There were some NTFS table errors looking with AOMEI Partition Assistant. Re-formated the partition. Copied the content from the succeeded backup with PhyLock and all is well!

Thanks,

Patrice
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Well,

I flagged the thread as "Solved" but got the same problem again.

- If I leave the partition empty (restored) and don't set the ID as a recovery and don't put anything (two files for recovery duties), all is fine with Image for Windows;

- As soon as I set the ID as a Windows recovery partition, copy the content of a normal recovery partition (two files, ReAgent.xml and the other one...), IFW cannot complete the backup...;

- If I try to restore another Recovery from another of my computers , it does the same and even tell me that there's a LBA where it cannot write???

Maybe it has to do with my particular setup, an Hackintosh with a mixed SSD (output of Diskutil list).

/dev/disk3 (internal, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk3
1: EFI SYSTEM 104.9 MB disk3s1
2: Microsoft Reserved 134.2 MB disk3s2
3: Microsoft Basic Data WIN7 314.8 GB disk3s3
4: Windows Recovery 524.3 MB disk3s4
5: Microsoft Basic Data DOCS1 221.1 GB disk3s5
6: Apple_APFS Container disk4 383.4 GB disk3s6
7: Microsoft Basic Data 80.2 GB disk3s7

**Oops, disk3s7 should be empty space... gonna fix it!

***Done, deleted the big FAT 80.2 gb partition. It is the overprovisioning (empty space) for the Samsung 850 EVO.
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Well, deleted the data on the last partition for overprovisioning and here's the new diskutil output:

(I would guess, maybe, that Windows and IFW don't like a mix of APFS and NTFS on the same SSD).

/dev/disk1 (internal, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk1
1: EFI SYSTEM 104.9 MB disk1s1
2: Microsoft Reserved 134.2 MB disk1s2
3: Microsoft Basic Data WIN7 314.8 GB disk1s3
4: Windows Recovery 524.3 MB disk1s4
5: Microsoft Basic Data DOCS1 221.1 GB disk1s5
6: Apple_APFS Container disk4 383.4 GB disk1s6

Here's the output of the APFS container:

/dev/disk4 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +383.4 GB disk4
Physical Store disk1s6
1: APFS Volume Hackintosh HD 125.0 GB disk4s1
2: APFS Volume Preboot 43.5 MB disk4s2
3: APFS Volume Recovery 510.6 MB disk4s3
4: APFS Volume VM 20.5 KB disk4s4

For now on, two solutions:

- get rid of the Windows Recovery or
- I do not include the Recovery in the backup of Windows (what I've done yesterday).

*** I don't remember any problems with prior versions of IFW but I backup completely my Windows machines maybe 4 or 5 times a year...
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Ok, 3.47, no progress.

- Paragon Hard Disk Manager Free 16.5 doesn't see any error on the partition;

- AOMEI discover that " All NTFS boot sectors are damged or unreadable. and cannot fix it...

**Booting GParted and checking partition, no errors found. Puzzled!
**Looking in GParted, there are two 1 mib unallocated spaces on the SSD but I doubt that is my problem and I don't wanna mess with it.

In fact, having IFW supercedes the need for a recovery partition.
Last edited by bpatrice on Sun Nov 14, 2021 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3596
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by TeraByte Support »

The issue is with VSS not a program, windows error code 1 is Invalid Function, which would seem it doesn't like something about a volume being added, if you use /logl:10 you'll see in the ifw.log what volume is attempting to be added at the point of VSS reporting a problem. Do you have "Lock Unsupported Volumes" and "Ignore Unsupported Volumes" enabled in IFW PHYLock/VSS settings?
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Thanks for the fast reply.

No, I don't have those options checked. I'll give it a try...
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Quite interesting:

I’ve made an attempt to backup each 4 partitions separately. I’ve unchecked « Lock unsupported volumes » and « Ignore unsupported volumes » prior to this. Instead, I’ve checked « Agressive locking ».

So:

1- EFI FAT32: no problem with VSS;
2- Microsoft Reserved (128mb): VSS failed but Phylock took the relay and all was ok?? Strange as this partition is 128mb unformatted…
3- Win 10 partition: VSS, no problems (it’s in backup process right now);
4- Restored (500mb recovery): alone, no problem with VSS.

So, it appears that trying to backup all the partitions together fails VSS but I’ll try again, waiting for Phylock this time.

**I can’t look at the log right now, waiting for the main partition backup.
bpatrice
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:38 pm

Re: IFW 3.46 - Win10 - VSS fail

Post by bpatrice »

Well,

With the four partitions, Phylock waits its 10 minutes and the backup starts…
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