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 (file)
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.