Backup keeps failing : Error 0x81000033

Anonymous
2010-02-05T02:01:36+00:00

I keep getting the error: 0x81000033 when I try do run backup.

I have tried various backup devices all with ample disc space.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2010-02-05T23:17:21+00:00

Hi,

If you have any security software installed on the computer it would take longer for the backup center to backup files. Try to disable security software and try to take a backup and verify.

If that works fine later enable the security software.

Follow the link for more information

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Disable-antivirus-software

You may also run disk cleanup utility and check if that helps.

Start Disk Cleanup

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Start-Disk-Cleanup

Also try to run a Check disk for the hard drive.

To run Check disk

1.       Open Computer by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Computer.

2.       Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.

3.       Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check Now. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors. Otherwise, the disk check will simply report problems but not fix them.

To perform a thorough disk check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

4.       Click Start.

Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this may take several minutes. For best results, don't use your computer for any other tasks while it's checking for errors.

For information follow the link

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Check-a-drive-for-errors 

After you perform a check disk try running the backup process and check if that helps

Hope this information is helpful.

Amrita M

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-03-14T15:52:40+00:00

    Hello,

    I solved this exact problem quite differently. I did none of the above.

    In short, I increased the size of System Reserved partition. It was 100MB and now it is 445MB. Now backup runs just fine.

    I used free software called GParted to increase the partition size, but you can use any software that can resize and move partitions.

    Hope this helps,

    Ohto Nordberg

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-03-15T03:59:44+00:00

    I am having this same problem with Windows 7 Ultimate.   I have found many support responses to the issue - like cleaning up the disk and disabling virus checking, they have all either failed to solve the problem or  have failed to explain the root cause.

    Ohto's solution to the problem is makes sense, but it also seems a bit wasteful to reserve space exclusively for backup - I mean, it seem like poor implementation of the backup function itself.   

    Can the support rep please verify that this is the solution to the problem, as this seems to be a fairly common error that Windows 7 users are experiencing.

    Thanks.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-05-08T02:56:57+00:00

    Amrita

    I too am having the same problem with doing a backup.I have tried everything you have listed, none have worked. This problem seems to be ongoing and something that Microsoft is aware of. I am not a computer tech and therefore do not know how to do many things that people have suggested. I have a external HD of which there is a capacity of 232 GB of which 211 Are free. The next suggestion written by Olotila seems to be the answer. However I do not know how to create a partition within my external HD. Can you either provide explicit and simple instruction or a patch, update or whatever it takes to get my Widows 7 ultimate working the way it should. I paid good money to have this upgrade and it seems rather ridiculous to have to go through all this aggravation to cure a problem that should not exist. 

    Please, if Olotila is correct would you send me directions or a update that will remedy this problem. Seems rather outlandish that I might have to put out more money to MS techs to get this issue fixed.

    Guess what I need are directions (written for a laymen) so that I can do what Olotila did.

    If I understand things then I need the ability to do a backup and to have the ability to use system restore.

    Would you please advise me ASAP

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this dilemma.

    Spencer

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-05-08T03:05:11+00:00

    Olotila

    I too am having the same problem, would you please tell me in laymen s terms how you did what you did? Meaning, where did you get this free software, is it self explanatory and are backup and backup and restore the same? I want to make sure that I am proted

    Thank you very much for your time

    spencer

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