Catastrophic failure with vssadmin?

Hi, I want to perhaps lower the space for the shadow storage. I'm running Vista Ultimate 64 bit.

I have run cmd as administrator (right click -> Run as administator).

Whenever I put in vssadmin list shadowstorage an error comes up (see picture).

Ideas? :/

P.S: I've uninstalled daemon tool's to see if that was the cause, didn't work. I've also uninstalled SP1, didn't work, reinstalled SP1, didn't work. I'm not sure what the problem is.

The third picture was made to show there is no System Restore in the System Tools area.

http://thevistaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=51887&st=0&gopid=339408&#entry339408

Bump. Anyone? If this isn't the right section, please feel free to move.

The error message might simply mean exactly what it says - VSS isn't running.

Try this from a CMD prompt first:

NET START VSS

If that produces anything other than positive-sounding results (the service has now started), I'd be curious to see the output of this:

SC QUERYEX VSS

:/ results in pic

Your VSS service configuration is messed up to the point where the system is unable to start the service. That exit code 3 simply means the same thing as the textual error representation: "the system cannot find the file specified."

If you're sufficiently confident to have a look in the registry, start REGEDIT and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS

Right-click that VSS key and you'll get an option to "Export". If you save that as say vss.reg, rename it to vss.txt, and upload it here, I or someone else may be able to help.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS]
"DisplayName"="Volume Shadow Copy"
"Description"="@%systemroot%\\system32\\vssvc.exe,-101"
"ObjectName"="LocalSystem"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000002
"Type"=dword:00000010
"DependOnService"=hex(7):52,00,50,00,43,00,53,00,53,00,00,00,00,00
"ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\SPP]
"SppCreate (Enter)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,7a,77,4e,bb,f0,a2,c9,01,2c,11,\
00,00,70,11,00,00,d0,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00
"SppGatherWriterMetadata (Enter)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,e0,0e,b1,1e,a8,\
46,c9,01,e0,03,00,00,58,08,00,00,d3,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SppGatherWriterMetadata (Leave)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,a0,61,7a,24,a8,\
46,c9,01,e0,03,00,00,58,08,00,00,d3,07,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SppCreate (Leave)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,aa,5d,51,bb,f0,a2,c9,01,2c,11,\
00,00,70,11,00,00,d0,07,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ff,ff,00,80,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00
"SppAddInterestingComponents (Enter)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,b0,88,7a,24,\
a8,46,c9,01,e0,03,00,00,58,08,00,00,d4,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SppAddInterestingComponents (Leave)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,20,e6,98,24,\
a8,46,c9,01,e0,03,00,00,58,08,00,00,d4,07,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SppEnumGroups (Enter)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,fa,65,5e,4e,e4,a2,c9,01,60,\
0c,00,00,5c,13,00,00,d1,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00
"SppGetSnapshots (Enter)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,0a,8d,5e,4e,e4,a2,c9,01,\
60,0c,00,00,5c,13,00,00,d2,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00
"SppGetSnapshots (Leave)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ca,d2,62,4e,e4,a2,c9,01,\
60,0c,00,00,5c,13,00,00,d2,07,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ff,ff,00,80,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00
"SppEnumGroups (Leave)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,da,f9,62,4e,e4,a2,c9,01,60,\
0c,00,00,5c,13,00,00,d1,07,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ff,ff,00,80,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\SystemRestore]
"SrCreateRp (Enter)"=hex:40,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,5a,29,4e,bb,f0,a2,c9,01,0c,0d,\
00,00,54,0b,00,00,d5,07,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SrCreateRp (Leave)"=hex:40,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,aa,5d,51,bb,f0,a2,c9,01,0c,0d,\
00,00,54,0b,00,00,d5,07,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ff,ff,00,80,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\BITS Writer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\MSSearch Service Writer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\System Writer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\VolSnap]
"Volume{cfd50d03-920b-11dd-9ea1-806e6f6e6963}DiscoverSnapshots (Enter)"=hex:48,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,22,5f,66,8a,db,a2,c9,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,20,00,\
00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"Volume{cfd50d03-920b-11dd-9ea1-806e6f6e6963}DiscoverSnapshots (Leave)"=hex:48,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,22,5f,66,8a,db,a2,c9,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,21,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"VolumesSafeForWrite (Enter)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,ea,95,66,93,db,a2,c9,\
01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,1e,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"VolumesSafeForWrite (Leave)"=hex:48,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,2d,47,1b,96,db,a2,c9,\
01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,1f,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\VssapiPublisher]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Diag\WMI Writer]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers\{b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}]
@="Microsoft Software Shadow Copy provider 1.0"
"Type"=dword:00000001
"Version"="1.0.0.7"
"VersionId"="{00000001-0000-0000-0007-000000000001}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers\{b5946137-7b9f-4925-af80-51abd60b20d5}\CLSID]
@="{65EE1DBA-8FF4-4a58-AC1C-3470EE2F376A}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Settings]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Settings\WritersBlockingRevert]
"{2707761B-2324-473D-88EB-EB007A359533}"="DFS-R Writer"
"{D76F5A28-3092-4589-BA48-2958FB88CE29}"="FRS Writer"
"{B2014C9E-8711-4C5C-A5A9-3CF384484757}"="AD Writer"
"{DD846AAA-A1B6-42a8-AAF8-03DCB6114BFD}"="ADAM Writer"
"TornComponentsBlockRevert"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\VssAccessControl]
"NT Authority\\NetworkService"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Enum]
"0"="Root\\LEGACY_VSS\\0000"
"Count"=dword:00000001
"NextInstance"=dword:00000001


Text file attached also. Also, thanks for helping thus far.

Someone's been deleting stuff from your registry. You're not a "registry cleaner" user, are you?

The ImagePath value is missing, so the system has no idea what executable corresponds to this service, hence the "missing path" error message. Of course, other stuff might be missing too, but this one is obvious.

With VSS still highlighted on the left, click the edit menu, New, expandable string value. Call it ImagePath and set its value to this:

%systemroot%\system32\vssvc.exe

Then try to start the VSS service again (NET START VSS).

Yes, I have a registry cleaner X_x. I did what you put and the vssadmin shadow storage started! However, there is something else that has come to my attention.

Whenever I put in vssadmin list shadowstorage, it comes up with (pic attached)




Also, what would you recommend doing instead of using a registry cleaner, if anything?

And thanks for the help thus far! Woohoo

Jouho said:

Yes, I have a registry cleaner X_x. I did what you put and the vssadmin shadow storage started! However, there is something else that has come to my attention.

Whenever I put in vssadmin list shadowstorage, it comes up with (pic attached)

Click to expand...

As feared, the missing ImagePath was only the tip of the iceberg

I'd suggest you run a repair install of Windows at this point. That will hopefully reconnect the dots and allow VSS to function again.

Jouho said:

Also, what would you recommend doing instead of using a registry cleaner, if anything?

And thanks for the help thus far! Woohoo

Click to expand...

Almost any other activity which is not illegal or immoral is a better use of your time than running registry "cleaners". Visit grandma, learn to play the mandolin, or just sit and watch the grass grow

Seriously, registry "cleaners" are one of the biggest swindles in IT today. The mere idea that a small cutesy utility written by developers who couldn't get a real job will be able to distinguish between what's needed and what's not, and then remove those entries whose absence will make a safe yet meaningful difference to performance is tragicomical. If you think I've got vitriol it's cos a goodly percentage of the problems brought up on forums like this one stem directly from registry "cleaner" usage. Say 10%, as a ballpark figure.

Hi Guru

I saw the posts on how to overcome the rstrui with the cmd. I ran the commands and my error code is 1077 and not 3. What should i do?

I tried windows installer from dvd but it said windows cannot find disk.