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Windows Server Troubleshooting: VSSADMIN - Backup Fails with Error Message "Writer Missing" or "Failed" or "Timed Out" or "Waiting for Completion"

  • Article

Applies to:

  • Windows Server 2008,
  • Windows Server 2008 R2

Error

In VSSADMIN, if backup Fails with error message

  • "Writer Missing" or
  • "Failed" or
  • "Timed Out" or
  • "Waiting for Completion", then

follow the below instructions to fix the issue

Fixing the issue

From elevated cmd (run as Admin) execute following commands sequentially …

************************************************************************************************************

Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /a 

icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)"

icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "YourDomain\Domain Admins":(RX)

icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "YourDomain\Domain Users":(RX)

icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant "NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)"

icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)

Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\ /a 

icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\.* /grant "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)"

icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\.* /grant "NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)"

icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\.* /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)

net stop cryptsvc && net start cryptsvc

net stop vss && net start vss

net stop Winmgmt && net start Winmgmt

P.S. Replace the name of your domain in place of YourDomain !

Make sure to Reboot the Server after running the above commands. Run vssadmin list writers from elevated cmd and you should see the missing or problematic Writer Listed without any errors.

Reference