From: Duje Mihanović Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:49:12 +0000 (+0200) Subject: New post: Windows Backup fails with... X-Git-Url: http://git.dujemihanovic.xyz/html/static/%7B%7B%20%24.Site.BaseURL%20%7D%7Dposts/%7B%7B%20%24style.RelPermalink%20%7D%7D?a=commitdiff_plain;h=2c7ab1c161ad9ecd6c861c59275dc770616ce5ed;p=dujemihanovic.xyz.git New post: Windows Backup fails with... --- diff --git a/content/posts/windows-backup/index.md b/content/posts/windows-backup/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e6ab8bb --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/windows-backup/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,64 @@ +--- +title: "Windows Backup fails with 0x81000037? Check your filesystem" +date: 2023-08-17T17:58:49+02:00 +--- +# The Problem +Yesterday, in preparation for a "downgrade" to Windows 10 from 11, I was trying +to make a backup of my Windows files *(using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore +control panel)*. Not long after it actually started copying the files, it spat +out this error: + +`Windows Backup failed while trying to read from the shadow copy on one of the +volumes being backed up. Please check in the event logs for any relevant +errors.` + +The error code listed was `0x81000037`, and the first thing I did out of +instinct was look this code up. The [official Microsoft support +topic](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/windows-backup-or-restore-errors-0x80070001-0x81000037-or-0x80070003-e63576a2-22c9-8e90-bdde-e51a9e8e1893) +stated that this error is caused if a reparse point *(Windows slang for +symlink)* points to a FAT volume or is located on a volume containing compressed +files. The listed workaround for this error is to delete the offending reparse +point, and to locate it the topic suggests using the command `dir /al /s`, which +is roughly equivalent to `find -type l` in Unix-like systems. + +The first roadblock occurred when I found out that there is no offending reparse +point which could cause this error, so I consulted `eventvwr` and found out that +Windows Backup leaves some logs at `%WINDIR%\Logs\WindowsBackup`. It seemed to +me that there are certain cache files that caused it to fail, so I deleted them +and tried again. The backup again failed and I tried doing this a few more +times, but as nothing helped I eventually gave up. + +# The Solution +Having been unable to fix Windows' backup utility, I decided to just copy the +files to the backup drive and copy them over back after the "downgrade". This is +when the actual solution to my problem becomes visible: Windows Explorer +errored, I forgot the exact message by now but it went something like *"The file +XYZ is not available at the location"* or something, searching for the exact +message is as pointless as always. + +This usually indicates filesystem errors, so I ran `chkdsk C:` and, +unsurprisingly, it found errors on the filesystem. Besides others, it mentions +the files XYZ that couldn't be copied to the backup drive. I ran `chkdsk /scan +C:`, rebooted through the filesystem error notification that popped up right +after *(`chkdsk /f C:` and reboot will work as well)* and let it fix the errors. +Once it rebooted, the backup completed without errors. After installing Windows +10, restoring the backup was a breeze *(I only had AppData to back up, +everything else was already on other drives)* and so I was quickly up and +running, then amazed by how fast and snappy Windows 10 is compared to its +"successor", but that's worthy of a separate post. + +(I don't expect to get around to writing such post anytime soon though.) + +# *"Why are you writing about this?"* +As you may know, Microsoft stuff is notorious for being not very well documented +and it's entirely possible *(even if very unlikely)* that someone else encounters +the same issue I have and is left helpless thanks to Windows' lack of a +**proper, easy-to-use, centralized and well-written technical documentation +system** *(think of `man`'s sections 4, 5, 7 and 8 for an idea of what I mean)*, +not to mention countless YouTubers that parrot the same solutions as mentioned +on the web many times before. I hope that this article will be useful to the one +or so person with the same issue that may stumble upon it. + +TLDR: Nobody seems to have mentioned this before *(please correct me if I'm +wrong)*, so might as well help the potential other person stuck in the same boat +as me.