Backup Exec VSS Error

Windows Server 2008 R2 – Backup Exec 2010 / 12.5 – AOFO: Initialization failure on: “\\SERVER01\Microsoft Information Store\Information Store”. Advanced Open File Option used: Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). V-79-10000-11226 – VSS Snapshot error. The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) snapshot provider selected returned: “Unexpected provider error”. Ensure that all provider services are enabled and can be started. Check the Windows Event Viewer for details.

Scenario:

Windows Server 2008 R2 – Symantec Backup Exec fails backing up Exchange Server. The following error is recorded in Windows System Log:

Log Name:      Application
Source:        VSS
Date:          8/15/2013 6:34:55 PM
Event ID:      8193
Task Category: None
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Computer:      Server01.Domain.local
Description:
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine Cannot find 
anymore diff area candidates for volume \\?\Volume{f6cd5a9b-04cf-11e1-b482-5cf3fc2b627f}\ [0].  
hr = 0x8000ffff,  Catastrophic failure. 

Operation:
   Automatically choosing a diff-area volume
   Processing EndPrepareSnapshots

Context:
   
Volume Name: \\?\Volume{f6cd5a9b-04cf-11e1-b482-5cf3fc2b627f}\
   Execution Context: System Provider
Event Xml:
Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event"
  System
    Provider Name="VSS" 
  EventID Qualifiers="0"8193
 2
 0
    Keywords0x80000000000000 Keywords
    TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-08-15T22:34:55.000000000Z" 
    EventRecordID316735 /EventRecordID
    Channel Application Channel
    Computer Server01.Domain.local/Computer 
  EventData
Cannot find anymore diff area candidates for 
0x8000ffff, Catastrophic failure


Operation:
   Automatically choosing a diff-area volume
   Processing EndPrepareSnapshots

Context:
   Volume Name: \\?\Volume{f6cd5a9b-04cf-11e1-b482-5cf3fc2b627f}\
   Execution Context: System Provider
    2D20436F64653A20535052414C
4C4F4330303030313137342D2043616C6C3A20535052414C4C4F4330
303030303739302D205049443A202030303031343838342D205449443A20203
0303030393234302D20434D443A2020433A5C57696E646F77735C5379737
4656D33325C737663686F73742E657865202D6B2073777072762D20557365723A204E616D653
 A204E5420415554484F524954595C53595354454D2C205349443A532D312D352D313820 Binary
  EventData
Event

Resolution:

Took me a while to figure it out. The error was happening to me because the Shadow Copy setting for C:\ was set low for VSS to operate. Increasing that disk space fixed it! Right click on C: drive, Properties, Shadow Copies, Highlight C:\ (Even though shadow copy might be disabled),click Settings –> Under Maximum size, change it to a bigger size., I set it to 300G to test it and that worked for me.

If Exchange Stores are located on a different drive, adjust that drive shadow copy setting.

If you find this article helpful, please send us a note to Mike@bostonIT.com so I can keep on adding quality hands-on articles.

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