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The Volume Shadow Copy Service

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The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) provides the system infrastructure for running VSS applications on Windows-based systems.

Though largely transparent to user and developer, VSS does the following:

  • Coordinates activities of providers, writers, and requesters in the creation and use of shadow copies
  • Furnishes the default system provider
  • Implements low-level driver functionality necessary for any provider to work

The VSS service starts on demand; therefore, for VSS operations to be successful, this service must be enabled.