Volume Shadow Copy Service Tools and Settings
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Volume Shadow Copy Service Tools and Settings
In this section
Volume Shadow Copy Service Tools
Volume Shadow Copy Service Registry Entries
Volume Shadow Copy Service WMI Classes
Related Information
Volume Shadow Copy Service Tools
The following tools are associated with the Volume Shadow Copy Service.
DiskRaid.exe: RAID Configuration Tool
Category
Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tool
Version compatibility
Runs on computers running the Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
Enables configuration and management of redundant array of independent (or inexpensive) disks (RAID) storage subsystems.
To find more information about DiskRaid.exe, see “Resource Kit Tools” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
VSSadmin.exe: Volume Shadow Copy Service Administrative Tool
Category
Windows Server 2003 operating system tool
Version compatibility
Runs on computers running the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
Displays current volume shadow copies and all installed shadow copy writers and providers in the command window. The Windows Server 2003 version of this command contains more parameters than the one that is in Windows XP.
To find more information about VSSadmin.exe, see “Command Line References” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
VolPerf.exe: Shadow Copy Performance Counters
Category
Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tool
Version compatibility
Runs on computers running any of the Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
Enables administrators to use System Monitor to monitor their shadow copies.
To find more information about Volperf.exe, see “Resource Kit Tools” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
VolRest.exe: Shadow Copies for Shared Folders Restore Tool
Category
Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tool
Version compatibility
Runs on computers running the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
Searches for and restores previous file versions from shared folders that are protected by the Shadow Copies for Shared Folders feature. With VolRest, administrators can browse or restore previous versions of one or multiple files that are stored on a server where Shadow Copies for Shared Folders has been enabled.
To find more information about Volrest.exe, see “Resource Kit Tools” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
Vrfydsk.exe: Verify Disk
Category
Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit tool
Version compatibility
Runs on computers running Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
Checks the consistency and integrity of the file system (FAT or NTFS) on a specified volume. It creates and displays a status report for the volume based on the file system and also lists the errors on that volume, if any. However, if any errors are discovered, VrfyDsk cannot correct them. To correct these errors, run Chkdsk in fix mode.
To find more information about Vrfydsk.exe, see “Resource Kit Tools” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
Volume Shadow Copy Service Registry Entries
The following registry entries are associated with Volume Shadow Copy Service.
The information here is provided as a reference for use in troubleshooting or verifying that the required settings are applied. It is recommended that you do not directly edit the registry unless there is no other alternative. Modifications to the registry are not validated by the registry editor or by Windows before they are applied, and as a result, incorrect values can be stored. This can result in unrecoverable errors in the system. When possible, use Group Policy or other Windows tools, such as Microsoft Management Console (MMC), to accomplish tasks rather than editing the registry directly. If you must edit the registry, use extreme caution.
VSS
The following registry entry is located under \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS.
VssAccessControl
Registry path
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\VssAccessControl
Version
Windows Server 2003
Enables or prevents a writer from using a specific user account.
In order for any writer to use the VSS infrastructure, the writer must run under an account that is a member of the local Administrators or Backup Operators group on the local computer. For example, a writer running under the Local System account meets this requirement. This is true for the vast majority of writers.
You can, however, enable a writer to use a specific user account by adding the appropriate registry entry. You can also prevent a writer from using a specific user account.
To enable a writer to use a specific user account, add a REG_DWORD entry with the name equal with the user name. Set the value of the registry entry to 1 (one).
To prevent a writer from using a specific user account, add a REG_DWORD entry with the name equal with the user name. Set the value of the registry entry to 0 (zero).
VOLSNAP
The following registry entry is located under \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VOLSNAP.
MinDiffAreaFileSize
Registry path
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VOLSNAP\MinDiffAreaFileSize
Version
Windows Server 2003
Controls the initial size of the shadow copy storage area for each snapshot. The MinDiffAreaFileSize registry key uses the REG_DWORD data type.
The MinDiffAreaFileSize registry key specifies the minimum size of the shadow copy storage area. The default size of the shadow copy storage area is 300 MB, and the maximum size is 3 gigabytes (GB). For an accurate setting, specify a value that is a multiple of 300 MB. Otherwise, the next multiple of 300 MB will be used. A value of 300 is equal to 300 MB, and a value of 3,000 is equal to 3 GB.
Shadow copies might not function correctly if the value of the MinDiffAreaFileSize registry key is larger than the maximum size of the shadow copy storage area. Before you change this registry entry, run the vssadmin list shadowstorage command. Make sure that the shadow copy storage area is larger than 300 MB or that the shadow copy storage area is larger than the value that is set in the registry. Also, make sure that you have at least 300 MB of free space on the shadow copy storage volume.
Volume Shadow Copy Service WMI Classes
The following table lists and describes the WMI classes that are associated with the Volume Shadow Copy Service.
WMI Classes Associated with Volume Shadow Copy Service
| Class Name | Namespace | Version Compatibility |
|---|---|---|
Win32_ShadowBy |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowContext |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowCopy |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowDiffVolumeSupport |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowFor |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowOn |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowProvider |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowStorage |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_ShadowVolumeSupport |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
Win32_Volume |
\root\cimv2 |
Windows Server 2003 family |
For more information about these WMI classes, see the WMI SDK documentation on MSDN.
Related Information
The following resources contain additional information that is relevant to this section.