Back up failure

[Pazy]

Hi,

can anyone help me with backup problem.
I getting a notification on the bottom bar right hand side saying backup failure. When i click on this, "Backup status & configuration" window appears, which says

The Backup did not complete succesfully

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (0x8000FFFF).

So then if i try and do a a back up from control panel. a green bar appears and then go's red completely.

Finaly i get the same message on the bottom right hand side.

can someone please please help because i am what to do, as i am not familiar with this kind of issues.

thanks
Paz

 

[Joan Archer]

What backup program are you using, is it the one included with Vista or one you've installed.?

 

[Submarine]

Welcome Pazy,

Take a look in the Event Viewer (find it through the search function) and check if you have any entries in the log that can provide more info on this error.

Then search for "Problem Reports and Solutions". Check if there is any additional indication of the nature of the problem.

Check if there is a yellow exclamation mark on any device in device manager.

Let us know what you are backing up to and how it is connected.

That's a good start.

 

[kword88]

i can offer a few suggestions, none of which are a sure bet.

1- run disk cleanup to flush extraneus files
2- run thorough scandisk
3- run defrag
4- turn off all running programs, including antivirus
5- make sure your destination drive has enough space

 

[SIW2]

Hi pazzy,

Unfortunately, that is a generic error message and could mean a number of things.

Two things you can try:

1. Click Start>Computer>Rt click the Drive>Properties> Tools>Check the drive for errors

It may schedule the check for your next reboot - restart to let it check.

2. Ensure the "Volume Shadow Copy" service is running:

Type Services.msc into the start search box, click it when it pops up.

Scroll to "Volume Shadow Copy". It should be Started and Automatic. If not:

Rt click "Volume Shadow Copy" >click Properties. Change startup type to Started and click Apply >Start>OK.

Hope it helps

SIW2

 

[Kernel]

Hi,

can anyone help me with backup problem.
I getting a notification on the bottom bar right hand side saying backup failure. When i click on this, "Backup status & configuration" window appears, which says

The Backup did not complete succesfully

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (0x8000FFFF).

So then if i try and do a a back up from control panel. a green bar appears and then go's red completely.

Finaly i get the same message on the bottom right hand side.

can someone please please help because i am what to do, as i am not familiar with this kind of issues.

thanks
Paz

Hi Pazy,

Welcome to the vista Forum.

Try this and let us know.

Delete the following keys and check:
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

Good luck.

 

[Pazy]

Hi pazzy,

Unfortunately, that is a generic error message and could mean a number of things.

Two things you can try:

1. Click Start>Computer>Rt click the Drive>Properties> Tools>Check the drive for errors

It may schedule the check for your next reboot - restart to let it check.

2. Ensure the "Volume Shadow Copy" service is running:

Type Services.msc into the start search box, click it when it pops up.

Scroll to "Volume Shadow Copy". It should be Started and Automatic. If not:

Rt click "Volume Shadow Copy" >click Properties. Change startup type to Started and click Apply >Start>OK.

Hope it helps

SIW2

Hi SIW2,

i have tried what you have suggested but still "NO JOY"

By the way my back up location is OS (C

i have not done the Click Start>Computer>Rt click the Drive>Properties> Tools>Check the drive for errors
to Recovery (D. Do you think i should do this as well.

 

[Pazy]

Welcome Pazy,

Take a look in the Event Viewer (find it through the search function) and check if you have any entries in the log that can provide more info on this error.

Then search for "Problem Reports and Solutions". Check if there is any additional indication of the nature of the problem.

Check if there is a yellow exclamation mark on any device in device manager.

Let us know what you are backing up to and how it is connected.

That's a good start.

Hi submarine,

thanks for responding. well, when i go into control panel> system maintenance>back up your computer.

clicking on back up your computer brings up another window whic says "Back up files" whch shows next back schedule date and where to save file : OS (C.

therefore i suppose the answer to your question about what i am backing up to is as OS (C.

 

[Pazy]

What backup program are you using, is it the one included with Vista or one you've installed.?

Hi Joan,

thanks for the reply. it is one included with vista.

 

[Submarine]

Hi submarine,

thanks for responding. well, when i go into control panel> system maintenance>back up your computer.

clicking on back up your computer brings up another window whic says "Back up files" whch shows next back schedule date and where to save file : OS (C.

therefore i suppose the answer to your question about what i am backing up to is as OS (C.

So you are backing up C: to C:? I am not sure this is possible. Someone else might know.

 

[SIW2]

Hi pazy,

You cannot save the backup on the same partition that Vista is on.

You can save the backup to another partition, or (better) an external HD.

If you want to save to another partition, do not use the "recovery" D partition - it is best left alone.

You can create another partition from your Vista one to save your backups on

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/95398-disk-management-shrink-partition.html

Hope it helps

SIW2

 

[orcim]

Welp, my Vista Business 32bit started giving the 0x8000FFFF error on the day after the backup set was 1 year old. It was working flawlessly through that time, after all the system upgrades this past year, etc.

Following the advice in this and other forums, I checked all the disks, then deleted the SystemRestore key in the registry as advised here. When I went to do another backup, it failed and told me that System Restore had changed my backup settings, and I needed to edit my settings. I did (with the effect that now I have a different date on my backup set) and it's working fine.

I don't know if it was the chkdsk, the SystemRestore key delete, or the backup set date change. But.. it's back. FYI.

I don't know how MS looks at this internally from a severity/priority point of view, but keeping people's machines from losing their data from absolutely sure-to-occur hardware/user failure someday would be a s1/p2 system reliability bug in my book. It seems like lotsa people are having this problem without getting a lot of help in solving it, it seems.

 

[Pazy]

Hi,

can anyone help me with backup problem.
I getting a notification on the bottom bar right hand side saying backup failure. When i click on this, "Backup status & configuration" window appears, which says

The Backup did not complete succesfully

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (0x8000FFFF).

So then if i try and do a a back up from control panel. a green bar appears and then go's red completely.

Finaly i get the same message on the bottom right hand side.

can someone please please help because i am what to do, as i am not familiar with this kind of issues.

thanks
Paz

Hi Pazy,

Welcome to the vista Forum.

Try this and let us know.

Delete the following keys and check:
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

Good luck.

Hi Kernel,

Thanks for your response but where shouldi start with this on my compute. i don't know where to look for these keys and check. Do i search from start icon or what? i hav not got a clue. Please help and by deleting this keys i hope the computer doesn't stop working.

thanks

 

[delphin]

What backup program are you using, is it the one included with Vista or one you've installed.?

Hi Joan,

thanks for the reply. it is one included with vista.

Hey pazy,

This tutorial may help u to backup your data.