Windows 7 backup fails with Error code: 0x8078012D

Anonymous
2009-12-21T01:28:35+00:00

Vista backups worked fine till I upgraded to Windows 7.

Now every backup fails with the same I/O error code 0x8078012D.

This is on a Toshiba laptop manually backing up over USB to external 500 GB harddrive.

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Anonymous
2009-12-21T22:42:55+00:00

Hi Searey,

Welcome to Microsoft answers.

The error might have occurred if the services related to Windows backup might have been disable, you may try restarting the service, follow the steps below:

1.      Click Start.

2.      Type Services in the Start Search.

3.      In the Services Windows search for Volume Shadow Copy in the list.

4.      Right click on the Service.

5.      Click on Properties.

6.      Select the Startup Type to Manual.

7.      Click OK.

8.      Now repeat the same for Windows Backup service.

If the issue persists, then I suggest that you run the chkdsk which repairs the chkdsk errors, follow the steps below:

i. Click on start

ii. Type cmd in start search box.

 iii. Right click on cmd.exe in the Program list and then select the option Run as administrator.

iv. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.

 v. In the command prompt window, type the following command and press enter Chkdsk /R 

 vi. Press Y when you are prompted to check the disk the next time that the system restarts.

vii. Close all applications, and then restart the computer.

 Note: During the restart process, Windows checks the disk for errors, and then Windows starts. Now run the check disk in command prompt, follow the steps below:

Now when you try to perform backup, I recommend that you may try disabling the security software temporarily on the computer and perform a backup, make sure to enable the security software back on the computer.

Swathi B 

  • Microsoft Support.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-10-08T22:48:57+00:00

    It turned out that for me the problem was a defective hard drive, the only thing which fixed the problem was replacing the hard drive.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-10-10T18:57:52+00:00

    That is a coincidence, or is it? I have Windows7 backup set to backup once a week on a second internal drive. I recently discovered that it has not completed the backup for a couple of months and there were a stack of Error code 0x8078012D messages unread.

    I watched the process right through and also found that the backup of my data worked with no hitch until the System image backup stage and that just got stuck. It never completed, so presumably I had been turning the computer off with it still running.

    So I tried what RightPaddock suggested and renamed the previous image backup file. The backup then ran and completed OK, but the very next day I got an error message from the Bios that said the drive I am using for the backup is about to fail. It is a WD drive but only about 18 months old. Chkdsk finds no errors. I can still read and write to it with no problems. The only problem seems to be that it hangs whenever the System image backup is tried, unless I rename the old file every time.

    I have ordered a new drive to replace it but the posts on this thread do make me wonder if there is something more going on here.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-10-17T11:12:49+00:00

    Thanks for the info, have renamed the files as you said and all works well, I used old1, old2 etc, to keep more than one copy. Cheers Billycans

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-10-20T20:05:17+00:00

    I, too, spent hours running Chkdsk on my perfectly good WD External HD. I tried a lot of the other suggestions, too. More wasted time. Still kept getting this stupid error code. This is an MS problem as far as I'm concerned.

    I am careful about backup. I use Mozy Pro, and I use Good Sync as a local back up. They both work fine. I was using the Win backup, too. But I'm going to give up on it now. If third-party backups products work fine but MS doesn't, then it seems to me that the problem is with MS.

    I would recommend ditching Win backup and using a thrid-party product.

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