Cant backup 8.1 using system image backup! Error 0x80780119, Cant optimise system partition, (this is why i cant backup) please read. . .

Anonymous
2013-10-19T14:16:48+00:00

I am having this issue, cant optimise the system partition 350mb. 8.1 official release,

This is also causing a huge problem, the optimise option in windows 8.1 allows me to optimise the c: drive but not the system partition this prevents a system image backup...!!

Due to the system partition being out of space for a shadow copy to be placed onto it the backup fails every time with this error code, -- 0x80780119 --.

Backups are a huge factor in operating systems and since upgrading I cant backup my system using windows image backup, if I could optimise the system partition and straighten out the file structure within it (free up some space) for the shadow copy then the volume shadow copy could be placed onto the drive but it cant...

This all worked fine in 8.0 but not now...please fix this problem!?

Not being able to backup your system is not good enough...

here is my my issue again in pictures...

1.system volume needs optimising

but pressing the optimise for this does nothing at all.. current status remains "Needs optimisation".

The way an ssd reclaims drive space is to use the optimise function, this not working prevents the reclaim for files/data to be written to space where files have been deleted previously. Giving the impression the drive/partition is full when really its not full just needs optimising/trimmed.

 

  1. initiate the system image backup

  1. both volumes to be backed up

  1. error message due to insufficient space on the system partition for shadow copy. 

 

  1. finally here is a capture of the current disk setup on my system, notice the system partition only has 17mb free space and according to the above error message I need atleast 50mb free for the volume shadow copy !? Due to this I cant create a backup of my system using windows 8.1 !

(system partition has no drive letter assigned to it 350mb)

PLEASE HELP !! Thanks for reading.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2013-10-20T20:19:10+00:00

I have found a way around this getting Windows System Image Backup working again. I did this on my laptop and desktop confirming that I could recover from the images. It is actually pretty easy but should not be necessary. The reason that the backup would not work was because the recovery partition was using 284MB of the 300MB available. There was not 50MB available for shadow copy. Here are the steps I took on an EUFI GPT disk:

Note: All commands are without quotes. 

Disclaimer: I would recommend backing up all of you important data as any time you mess with partitions, there is the possibility to lose data. This process was done one both my laptop (Win8.1 Home) and desktop (Win8.1 Pro). I cannot take responsibility if this causes any damage. With that being said, I hope this helps.

Download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html Note that none of the changes will take effect until you hit apply. I am sure others may work but this is the one that I used and it is free. 

You should have 3 Windows partitions; Recovery - 300 MB, EFI System - 100 MB, and your system Volume to start off with. 

  1. Once installed, Open Partition Wizard and Shrink your system volume, C: in my case, by 101MB at the beginning of the partition. (I had to put 101MB as when I tried 100 it said that the space was too small when doing the next step) To do this, Right Click the C: Drive, select, Move/Resize, and the put 101 in box named "Unallocated Space Before:" and click OK.
  2. Copy the EFI System partition (100 MB FAT32) to this new Free Space by right clicking, selecting copy, and then selecting the unallocated space. Then next the OK.
  3. Delete the 100MB EFI System Partition after the Recovery Partition. 

After this is done, you will see 100MB unallocated space after the Recovery Partition. 

  1. Right click on Recovery partition and select Extend. Drag the bar to take up all of the extra free space. This will change the recovery partition from 300MB to 400MB allowing for enough space (50MB) for the shadow copy. Click OK. 
  2. Next Click Apply. I received an error stating that it could not make changes due to C: being in use. I clicked restart. 

When the computer restarts, Partition Wizard will do its thing. Once it is done you should boot into Windows again.

This next part is essential, because, windows now does not recognize the partition that was moved before as an EFI System Partition. If you try and do a backup image now, only the system partition will show and not the Recovery or EFI System

  1. Open a cmd prompt with administrator privileges. Press Start Key, Type cmd, right click, select run as administrator. 
  2. Type diskpart to start windows command line disk manager. 
  3. Find the disk that Windows is installed on by typing List disk. This will be different on each machine but for illustration mine was disk 0
  4. Select that disk by typing the command "select disk" and the disk number.
  5. Next, determine the EFI partition that was moved earlier. This is the partition that was moved earlier and should be 100MB. Type in the command "list part" to see a list of the partitions on the disk. Mine was Partition 3. This may be different on your system. 
  6. Once you have determined the partition number, type "select partition " and your partition number
  7. Next you have to set this partition as an EFI System volume. Type in this command - "set id = c12a7328-f81f-11d2-ba4b-00a0c93ec93b" This changes the partition type to an EFI system volume.
  8. After all of this is done, restart your computer and you should now be able to back up you system using the System Image Backup in File History.

I know some of this may seem a little elementary to some but you never know who needs help and their technical knowledge. 

I hope that this helps and let me know if you have any questions.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-10-29T22:48:01+00:00

    I have to say the same. I actually like Windows 8.1 and everything is set up the way I want it now. I have to say, I was not familiar with the word "niggles" and I had to look it up (not a common word in the U.S. as far as I know) and yes there are a couple of things that I feel they could change. I have a 3 monitor set up and I would like for the start screen to always open on a particular monitor. Also, the Xbox, music does not play music on my NAS (not a biggy but....) I don't think it is necessary to take up a whole screen for a single app. I wish that in order to use the Skydrive, you did not have to use a Microsoft login on the local computer. I prefer to keep my authentication separate from Microsoft but I do find the SkyDrive convenient. I could name a few more "niggles" that I have found but honestly, overall, I find Windows 8.1 to be fast, appealing and working. I have yet to get a BSOD or other major issues (thankfully), and I hope that it stays that way.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-10-29T21:32:19+00:00

    Does anyone with a strong technical background understand the reply provided over at SuperUser?

    http://superuser.com/questions/663782/windows-8-1-insufficient-storage-available-to-create-shadow-copy

    Here's the beginning of his post at SuperUser:

    Burned an MSDN tech support incident and just got off the phone with the support engineer. He reproduced this problem on a UEFI system with Windows 8.1 installed. It turns out that the-AllCritical qualifier to the wbAdmin command does not work on a UEFI system because Volume Shadow Service (VSS) can not create a shadow copy of the FAT32 EFI partition.

    I am surprised and disappointed that Microsoft hasn't provided a solution to this common problem.

    I am not keen on using third party partition tools. I have a feeling that I am going to be doing a reinstall.

    I have an average technical understanding and this is fairly straightforward.

    The link you have provided is simply describing the same issue as discussed in this thread but instead of using the Windows GUI in 8.1 the user is using this from the command line:-  

    wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:\\?\Volume{2a2b...994f} -allCritical -quiet

    fails with this text displayed:The backup operation stopped before completing.The backup operation stopped before completing.Detailed error: ERROR - A Volume Shadow Copy Service operation error has occurred:

    Then the user realises there is a problem with shadow copy and attempts to adjust this:- vssadmin resize shadowstorage again from the command line but this does not help.

    The issue is insufficient space for a shadow copy and this is at the heart of this forum thread.

    Somehow during an upgrade to 8.1 the system reserved partition is "filled up" with extra data and the result is less "free space" for data to be written...more specifically the data in question is the shadow copy data during a system image attempt.

    Then a "fix" is described

    "The solution is to explicitly back up the C partition (without the -allCritical option):

    wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:C:

    You can ignore the warning that "this backup cannot be used to perform a system recovery". Both the Recovery and EFI partitions are restored during the system restore operation. (Makes sense... they were created during the initial system installation, so Windows obviously knows how to create them again.)"

    **I have no personal experience in attempting this as mentioned above so I would not know if a system image restore would be possible and successful. TheUSER states that Both the Recovery and EFI partitions are restored during the system restore operation but If they are restored then they are restored to original installation size, so you will have the same issue again from GUI if you try to system image backup, (ignoring this would concern me "this backup cannot be used to perform a system recovery"--- mmmmm??

    The user then points this out :- To restore a partition, attach the backup disk and boot from the Windows 8.1 distribution media. Select "Repair your computer", then "System image recovery". When the restoration process is done, your EFI and Backup partitions are also restored. (Or at least so claims the Microsoft engineer. I have not verified that this is correct.)

    This is an interesting part as in this thread we have successfully restored from a modified system partition ie-extended it and the system partition remains "extended" following that restore,(it was there at point of backup so therefore it will be restored but if it was not backed up does the 8.1 recovery USB preform the rebuild of missing partitions ~Trying to restore from C:image only? I don't know?)  I am really not sure if the partitions EFI and backup partitions restore to original because I only have 2 partitions, system and O/S, and following a restore these have remained "identical" size taken from the system image, so if you have adjusted a partition then taken a snapshot image (system image backup) you are restoring to the adjusted size you created previously, unless of course you fresh install then you are returning to installation partition defaults.

     ... this issue is not confined to one set of partition layouts, it seems to be present in the 2, 3 and even 4 partition layouts... they all have this in common :- Insufficent space on system partition also Note that the "Recovery" partition is a misnomer. That partition is actually the boot partition. In a legacy (non-UEFI) system, the "System reserved" partition serves the same purpose. So the system reserved is the problem.

    I hope this helps you in some way Kevin? I presume you are getting the error message as described in the heading of this thread? Whats your partition layout?

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-10-29T21:27:49+00:00

    Perhaps Microsoft isn't dealing with it right now because they don't want to look like they screwed up on a MAJOR backup component on their new, greatly touted upgrade.  Remember, this upgrade is supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and for them to have a goof in a major backup component would make them look like idiots.  If you ignore the problem it will eventually go away.  Right?

    You would think that somewhere along the line they would have tested this a few times on a few different configurations.  I would expect, and possibly even forgive, some minor, tiny glitch.  But this?  Sheesh, talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees. 

    Again, it drives me crazy because it is such a major thing.  I would love to find out how many technical requests they have had because of this problem.  I bet it would be a HUGE embarrassment for them.  They are the Almighty Microsoft.   It should be called, " Windows 8.once in a blue moon."

    Remember Windows Me?  The Windows Mistake Edition?  That was fun as well.  BSOD galore.

    HEY MICROSOFT, PEOPLE LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BACK UP THEIR COMPUTERS.  PLEASE ADDRESS THIS!!!

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-29T19:52:57+00:00

    Does anyone with a strong technical background understand the reply provided over at SuperUser?

    http://superuser.com/questions/663782/windows-8-1-insufficient-storage-available-to-create-shadow-copy

    Here's the beginning of his post at SuperUser:

    Burned an MSDN tech support incident and just got off the phone with the support engineer. He reproduced this problem on a UEFI system with Windows 8.1 installed. It turns out that the-AllCritical qualifier to the wbAdmin command does not work on a UEFI system because Volume Shadow Service (VSS) can not create a shadow copy of the FAT32 EFI partition.

    I am surprised and disappointed that Microsoft hasn't provided a solution to this common problem.

    I am not keen on using third party partition tools. I have a feeling that I am going to be doing a reinstall.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments