Solved: Volume Shadow Copy Service Error Windows 10, 7, 8
Volume Shadow Copy Service Error
Volume Shadow Copy Service is a built-in technology in Microsoft Windows. It allows users to create backups of computer volumes. If this service is stopped, all components depending on the service are also not working.
When you meet Volume Shadow Copy Service error in Windows 11/10/7/8, the first thing you should check is that whether the Volume Shadow Copy service and SPP service are started. You can find "Services" in Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrator Tools or directly search for it.
Then, find "Volume Shadows Copy" service, make sure the status is "Running" and the startup type is "Automatic". If not, you can double-click it to start the sevice and change the type. Also, this service requires the file system to be NTFS so as to create and store shadow copies, so you need to check the File System as well.
It's possible that the service is enabled and the File System is NTFS, but the Volume Shadows Copy Service error still exists when backing up or restoring OS. To troubleshoot it, I've compiled some typical errors and coping solutions in the following article:
- Windows Backup Failed to Read from the Shadow Copy
- A Volume Shadow Copy Service Operation Failed
- Volume Shadow Copy Service Not Working When Restoring System
- Alternative: Easier Way to Backup and Restore Even with VSS Error
Windows Backup Failed to Read from the Shadow Copy
The issue: Windows backup failed to read from the Shadow Copy may occur if the SPP service is not started. So, you should manually enable it.
1. Go Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Administrator Tools.
2. Double-click Services. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. If the SPP service is disabled, double-click it to open the service properties.
A Volume Shadow Copy Service Operation Failed
This issue often happens on Windows 10/8/7 computer due to some reasons, for example, antivirus and windows firewall is enabled or hard drive has errors.
To disable antivirus, right click this program and choose Disable.
To disable Windows firewall, go to Control Panel, then System and Security, then Windows Firewall. Click Turn Windows firewall on or off option and choose to Turn off Windows firewall (not recommended) from Private /Public network settings. Finally, click OK.
To check Hard Drive errors, right-click the partition you want to check and choose Properties. Under Tools tab, click the Check (Windows 10/8) or Check Now (Windows 7) button followed by Scan drive. Then, follow the instructions to perform a check.
Volume Shadow Copy Service Not Working When Restoring System
Sometimes, you can encounter Volume Shadow Copy Service error in Windows 10/7/8 even during system restore. The typical error code is 0x81000202. To solve this error, follow the methods below.
Change System Restore Setting
1. Input gpedit.msc in the Run window.
2. Go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Template\System\System Restore.
3. In the right pane, set the Turn off System Restore policy to Not configured.
Perform a System File Checker Scan(SFC) on Your Computer.
SFC tool can help you to scan system files, and replace incorrect versions of the system files with the correct versions. To perform system file check can be helpful to fix Shadow Copy Service error 0x81000202.
1. Run CMD as administrator.
2. Type sfc /scannow.
Alternative: Easier Way to Backup and Restore Even with VSS Error
Qiling Disk Master Standard is a professional backup and restore software. It allows you to create system backup, disk backup, partition backup and file and folder backup. You can create backup to external hard drive and internal hard drive. The best part is it is free to use.
It has embedded with both Microsoft VSS technology and Qiling built-in VSS technology. Therefore, even there is an error with Volume Shadows Copy Service, you can still create VSS backup with the help of Qiling Disk Master. Besides, it can not only backup NTFS volume, but also FAT and EXT volume.
Optionally, you can use this software to schedule automatic backup, perform full backup or incremental backup, create bootable USB, clone disk, etc.
Take hard drive backup as an example, let’s see how to create VSS backup with Qiling Disk Master.
Download Qiling Disk Master and launch the software:
Step 1: Click Disk Backup under the Backup tab. As you can see, there are also File Backup, Partition Backup and System Backup options to suit your needs.
Step 2: Click Disk to select the disk you need to backup. Then, select another location to save the backup. You can backup Windows to USB.
Step 3: Click Options, the select VSS. If the VSS has problems, you can choose to use Qiling’s built-in technology in order to backup without interrupting and restarting the computer.
You can also use following features to customize the backup:
Schedule Backup: Create automatic backup based on Daily, Weekly, Monthly, etc. You can also upgrade to Professional edition to enjoy Event triggers backup or USB plug in backup.
Options: Manage backup mode, image compression and splitting, email notification, comment, etc.
Backup Scheme: Choose Backup Method, or enable Automatic Backup Cleanup (advanced edition only) to delete old backups and save storage space.
Step 4: After all this done, click Proceed and wait for the process finished.
Conclusion
When your meet Volume Shadow Copy Service error in Windows 10, you can follow the above-mentioned methods to solve this issue. If you cannot solve this issue, you can still use Qiling to create VSS backup under its built-in technology.
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