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I ran Server Backup to my X: drive within Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard one time to see if it works, and it did.

But now when i try to setup a backup schedule, it gives me this error on the last step:

An error occured while creating the diff area (space for maintaining previous backup versions) file on the backup destination volume. The specified backup destination has the shadow copy storage on another volume.

And it won't let me setup a scheduled backup now. I tried deleting the X:\WindowsState backup file it made on the original run, but that didn't do anything, I still get this error. I never thought backups were so complicated these days, can anyone help with this?

Zee Tee
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1 Answers1

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The answer might be in the question, so to speak.

Take a look in Disk Management at the properties for the volume that you're backing up to. The Shadow Copies tab will show you which drive is currently configured for storing its shadow copies (NB, this tab doesn't appear if you open the volume properties from Explorer).

Chris McKeown
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  • Ok so it says this for drive `X:` under the Shadow Copies (Properties) Next Run Time: `Disabled` Shares: `0` Used: `3000 MB on Z:` – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:13
  • I open the `Z:` drive, and nothing is there.. What's next? – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:15
  • The shadow copy storage is hidden in the System Volume Information folder, but you shouldn't delete that manually anyway. In the Shadow Copy settings for drive X, can you click the settings button and change the volume for storing shadow copies to X:? – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:18
  • It's probably worth mentioning that your shadow copies for X: may have been put onto Z: due to lack of available disk space on Z:, so you may have problems if you shift it back. YMMV. – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:21
  • I get an error now when i try that: `Failed to create the storage area association, Error 0x8004231d: The specified shadow copy storage association is in use and so can't be deleted` – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:21
  • Also, there is more room on `X:` than `Z:` – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:21
  • You'll probably have to use `vssadmin delete shadowstorage /For=X: /On=Z:` to delete the existing shadow copies. Be careful that you're not going to be getting rid of something you need to keep though - previous versions uses the shadow copy area so this will clear all previous versions of files on this drive. – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:26
  • I use the `Z:` drive for other backups, will this command delete all the files on this drive or will it just remove the invisible/shadow copies of drive `X:` ? I'm sort of new to this shadow copies thing, and do have important data on both X and Z, but i don't see how deleting the shadow copy will affect anything with the existing files on these drives, such as SQL Server MDF files. – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:29
  • It won't touch the data on the drive, just the shadow copies which are stored in a Hidden folder called `System Volume Information` on the root of the drive. Be careful though - as I said, shadow copy storage is also used for Previous Versions. – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:32
  • Well what do previous versions do for the server/me? If I delete them, what is the trade-off? – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:33
  • Erm, have you considered using Google? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:38
  • It looks like it's primarily used for when doing backups and system restore. What you meant by to be careful is what exactly? That once deleted i cannot go back in time to a restore point on this drive? That would be fine, but is there anything else it may cause unusable besides the system restore (and any prior backups of course) – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:43
  • Deleting the shadow storage is a destructive operation. Therefore, be careful you're not going to be deleting something you later find you were actually using (previous versions being one) – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:50
  • Well how else should i get this thing to start scheduling backups, because it won't let me do anymore backups now. – Zee Tee Apr 27 '12 at 13:53
  • let us [continue this discussion in chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/3254/discussion-between-chris-mckeown-and-zee-tee) – Chris McKeown Apr 27 '12 at 13:55
  • https://blog.ijun.org/2013/06/volume-shadow-copy-failed-to-create.html helped find that a Shadow Copy was setup to use a network share – Grasshopper Nov 20 '19 at 07:45