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
    2014-05-27T16:30:39+00:00

    I have successfully been able to perform a system image backup by taking the following steps:

    • After having Windows 8.1 crash for me a couple of times, I discovered that when I had to restore my operating system that the C: hard drive had some extra partitions created.
    • Make sure that your hard drive (or SSD) only has two partitions, the EFI System Partition and the C: partition.  I wound up removing the extra partitions.
    • You can view your partitions by going to Control Panel and selecting -
      • Administrative Tools
      • Computer Management
      • Storage - Disk Management
    • If you see extra partitions, removing the extra partitions worked for me after some playing with the Disk Management (included with Windows 8,1) and Paragon Partition Manager (a free application available on the internet).  Be really careful, however, as you can easily mess up the hard drive or SSD.
    • When trying the System Image Backup (after selecting File History from within Control Panel) only select the EFI partition and the C: drive partition.  There may be additional partitions shown for any other backup drives you may have installed.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-05-27T17:16:06+00:00

    JVDEV#, a UEFI install has 4 critical partitions.  After an 8.1 update, there are probably 5.  Removing any of those cannot be advised....

    Yours is probably because the Recovery partition was the original partition causing the VSS error.  If you do not back it up, or delete it, then that problem goes away.  Of course you no longer have your Recovery options available if you delete it.  If you choose not to back it up, then configuring your system after an image recovery will problematic.

    I think feline 1 may have a Legacy install so partition configuration is different.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-27T18:42:26+00:00

    In my case my PC originally came with Windows 8.  I upgraded to Windows 8.1.

    After my PC originally crashed, and after trying all of the recovery options, including time on the phone with Dell Technical support, Dell sent an OS Recovery and Restore USB Key which I had to use to get my PC to work at all.  The restore key, unfortunately kicks me back to Windows 8.

    After another month of use it crashed again.  Once more I still was unable to recover or restore the operating system and had to use the Restore USB key.

    The recovery partition, even if kept was for Windows 8, not Windows 8.1. 

    Once having upgraded to Windows 8.1, the last thing I wanted was to go through weeks of recovering my operating system and applications from a baseline Windows 8 again.

    I will be using the CustomRefresh.wim, made from RECIMG.EXE in the command line (administrator) for any possible future possible crashes.  However I've also updated all of the drivers from Dell that are different between Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. 

    Since that last go-around my system appears to be stable at least for more than a month.

    I've also created several other backup/restore scenarios in case I have trouble in the future.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-05-27T18:55:02+00:00

    JDEV, I just have a single partition on my SSD drive, my C: drive.

    (This was originally a Windows 7 installation, upgraded to Win 8, now 8.1)

    I'm afraid the stuff you are talking about is not relevent to the issue on this thread!

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  5. Anonymous
    2014-05-27T20:14:31+00:00

    Tried again today with a 'clean boot' (all 3rd party services and start up processes disabled) and it still fails as usual. Error 0x8007045D.  CHKDSK /R passes with no errors on both source and destination volumes. 

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