VSS problematic

[warhed]

We receive the same errors as described in this post: post1541.html#p1541

The problem for us is that this happens every time we run the backups during after hours. The main files affected are Quickbooks, Access database files and any file that is opened by the user and left open over night, such as Excel, Word etc.

We have worked with Tobias on this but ultimately never came to a solution that seemed to work, thus making our backups worthless unfortunately. The question is this - What VSS provider could we install that may correct this issue?

Products that we have tried and used successfully that do make complete backups (Full/Incremental/DIfferential) using their VSS provider are the following:
Symantec System Recovery -2008-Current
Acronis True Backup v9-v11
Syncrify

The first two are disk imaging products and they work flawlessly, but then again the are about $1000 per machine. Syncrify is very similar to Syncovery but has worked better for us even though it is missing many of the lovely features Syncovery has.

Does anyone have a suggestion for us, perhaps installing a 3rd party VSS app and forcing Syncovery to use it or are we just completely misunderstanding VSS and what it can/cannot do?

Thanks!

[superflexible]

Can you post a complete log file with errors, or send it to support@syncovery.com ?

[warhed]

I have already done this in the past and it as assumed that the WIndows 2008 server had a broken VSS part. I used this from Symantec:
http://www.symantec.com/connect/downloa ... erver-2008

Which did not solve the problem, however their program System Recovery 2010 works flawlessly on the exact same server as Syncovery. I am wondering if there is an option or ability for me to use the Symantec VSS that is included with their expensive product as it seems to never fail.

[superflexible]

Of course you can play with the Advanced VSS settings and choose any VSS writer you want.

[warhed]

While there is about 20 items in the advanced VSS options, none of them state something such as Symantec VSS or similar. I am not sure that all of them are valid options, the majority start with ASR

[warhed]

2/13/2013 2:20:59 PM Starting volume snapshot for D:\ (method: External with default writers)
2/13/2013 2:20:59 PM Using VSS Helper Service
2/13/2013 2:21:02 PM Error: StartSnapshotSet failed with code 80042316. (method: External with default writers)

2/13/2013 2:21:02 PM Starting volume snapshot for D:\ (method: External with standard writers)
2/13/2013 2:21:03 PM Using VSS Helper Service
2/13/2013 2:21:06 PM Error: StartSnapshotSet failed with code 80042316. (method: External with standard writers)

Could not use volume shadow copying for D:\, error: StartSnapshotSet failed with code 80042316.

Errors / Access problems with 4 File(s):
D:\Quickbooks\2011\Painting\Painting - QB2006.qbw (32:The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.)
D:\Quickbooks\2011\Painting\Painting - QB2006.qbw.TLG (32:The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.)
D:\Quickbooks\2011\WaterProofing\Proofing QB2011v2.QBW (32:The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.)
D:\Quickbooks\2011\WaterProofing\Proofing QB2011v2.QBW.TLG (32:The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.)

[superflexible]

Theoretically the error code 80042316 simply means that VSS is busy on another job. Maybe some other application is also doing something in the background, or at the same time. Or even another job in Syncovery could cause it.

[warhed]

This happens on every 2008 server we have, but all of them are setup the same and all of them use Symantec System Recovery our primary disk imaging software and backup. THere are no other active jobs that we run during the day time, all backups are run in the late evening or early morning.

[superflexible]

It's possible that Symantec breaks VSS for Syncovery. We get almost no such reports from other customers.

You don't have anything from Acronis installed?

Another customer fixed this by removing a VSS writer from Acronis ...
by removing this from the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers\{f782463b-33bb-4043-ad8d-60b728d26a6c}

[warhed]

Acronis is on another system. It wouldn't be out of the question for me to make a Windows 2008 R2 VM vanilla, try Syncovery on say some in use files on that system (Such as me installing Office, opening some files, even quickbooks is not a prob) and seeing how that backs up. Then snapshot and add Symantec System Recovery and run the same job again to see if it breaks? It would take some time though for me to do all this however due to other commitments.

Are there any common scenarios of some files I should be using when I try to backup? QB ok etc?

BTW if we do find out there is a problem, then what are we to do? We cannot remove our primary backup program when it works so well and others like Syncrify and I believe Backup Assist exhibit no problems in the same environment.