Windows 8.1: System Image Backup of C: drive fails, Error 0x8078012D and 0x8007045D

Anonymous
2014-01-04T23:16:08+00:00

Hello everyone.

I've a lot of people encounter problems similar to this, but here is my particular flavour:

I have a Windows 8.1. Pro (64 bit) desktop PC.

I am trying to use File History > System Image Backup to create a backup image of my C: drive.

I have been trying to save the backup both an external USB 3.0 drive, and this time to a network location (on a WD 'MyCloud' EX4 NAS)

Every time, the backup fails about 3/4 of the way through.

I get an error dialog saying

"The backup failed.  The operation failed due to a device error encountered either with the source or the destination. If the source or destination volume is on a disk, run CHKDSK /R on the source or destination volume, and then retry the operation. (0x8078012D)Additional Information: The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error. (0x8007045D)"

I've spent many hours diligently running CHKDSK /R  both on my C:\ and the destination drives, and it has never once found any problems.

I've tried closing all applications, unnecessary services, background processes and disabling Windows Defender's real time malware checking whilst the backup takes place, but that doesn't seem to fix anything.

My hunch is that there's nothing wrong with the disks or hardware at all, and that this is some kind of obscure permissions problem, where Windows can't access symbolic links on my C: drive.

But I basically haven't a clue! :) 

I'd be very grateful for any suggestions at fixing this, as currently I don't have any backup image of my C:\ drive, so if my PC goes kaputt, I'll have days of manual re-installing and configuring to do.

Thanks.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-07-11T15:08:57+00:00

    Did you look in Event Viewer to see what error was being thrown at the time of crash. I didn't read all the posts but I/O error is caused by more than a bad disk. Security issues, not available, no permissions to do a certain task ECT.

    If the image fails right away it sounds like the target drive is declining the transfer. Or it could be the source drive either blocking it because security software or a network related issue. If it fails at 99% that's probably the source disk is bad at the last sector. If you have a ssd is there another disk scan you can run? I would start there

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-07-11T15:31:37+00:00

    Sgms, you have to be careful about the Reply to options. since my reply was meant for feline1.  It took me a while in this forum to understand how they have the replies set up.

    But as long as you seem to indicate you have found a problem, I would suggest you drill down the folder structure until you find folders/files which will copy off to another location.  You might be able to discover the problem folder or file types involved.

    I have seen problems with certain types of Video player files, or maybe even backup utility files left over from a prior install.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-07-11T15:31:49+00:00

    Hi,

    I stated at the beginning of my post that you folks would NOT like what I was about to say.  I'm just stating my observation and what worked for me.

    I also ran extensive testing on my drive and found no errors.  I did not decide to replace my drive just for fun.  This was truly the last resort.

    I am well aware of what the "whole point" of a System Image is.  However,  A system Image cannot possibly cure a bad hard drive.  HDD or SSD.  The fact is - HARD DRIVES FAIL ALL THE TIME!!!  Its a fact of life.  I would think the tests you mentioned would detect it but they are not 100%.  If your hard drive fails - there is no remedy other than replacing it.

    To laugh at and totally disregard my post just goes to show how true the old cliche is:

    "A man hears only what he wants to hear"  I've made millions in marketing and the financial markets relying solely on this fact.

    If it was the OS back up software like you're inclined to suspect, why did replacing my drive work?  I used the exact same OS and back up environment software after said replacement.

    I know a failed hard drive is hard to swallow and I am not saying that it is in fact your or the other folks' problem.  I'm just saying that it was probably my problem.  Of course it could just be a coincidence that all was fine after I replaced it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-07-11T16:07:37+00:00

    If it was the OS back up software like you're inclined to suspect, why did replacing my drive work?  I used the exact same OS and back up environment software after said replacement.

    Nope - if you reinstalled your OS, there could be a bazillion and one different configuration changes between that fresh install and your old installation. It's impossible to troubleshoot like that!

    The likelihood is that your old installation had developed some misconfiguration or corruption somewhere which the new clean install did not have. It tells us nothing about the health of the physical drive.

    Let me try and explain again why your 'solution' made me laugh:

    My problem is NOT "I cannot make a system image of my C: drive".

    Rather, my problem is "If my C: drive should ever fail or get corrupted, I will have to re-install my OS and applications and data again from scratch, because I cannot make a system image of my C: drive. And having to re-install my OS and applications again from scratch is a pain, because it takes the best part of a week." (My data is safely backed up.)

    So, spending the best part of week reinstalling my OS and applications from scratch cannot, by definition, be the solution to my problem! I already know I can do that if my drive should fail.

    Having a system image backup is just a time saver, that would mean I could rebuild my system again in hours rather than in a week.

    See? :)

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  5. Anonymous
    2014-07-11T17:36:44+00:00

    We seem to disagree on what the "simple" answer is.  For me, knowing thousands of folks are using the imaging utility without problems, would mean the simplest answer is your system is having some type of problem.

    When you troubleshoot a problem, you have to change something.  You don't need to do a complete reinstall to troubleshoot the situation, just enough to try doing a backup using all the other components of your system.

    Your restatement of the problem seems a little disconnected.   It would be about the same relationship if I told you I could not drive my car to the grocery store because it would not start.  You suggest I check the fuel, which would be a good thing to do to troubleshoot.  But I tell you I don't want to check the fuel because the problem is not that the car will not start, but is that I cannot drive it to the store.  :-?

    Don't take this the wrong way, I am just trying to explain there may be some misunderstanding as to what you require to answer your question.

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