Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:0xffffffff.

my windows 2003 server is installed with service pack 1, it has sql and vss,
its a very new machine, dosn't have much data on it, and the server has 4 gb
ram, and dual xeon processors


it gives the following error
Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:0xffffffff.
i went thru a few forums n they said microsoft recomends registering a few dll
net stop vss
regsvr32 /s ole32.dll
regsvr32 /s vss_ps.dll
Vssvc /Register
regsvr32 /s /i swprv.dll
regsvr32 /s /i eventcls.dll
regsvr32 /s es.dll
regsvr32 /s stdprov.dll
regsvr32 /s vssui.dll
regsvr32 /s msxml.dll
regsvr32 /s msxml3.dll
regsvr32 /s msxml4.dll

i registered the above, but all invain,
I also installed a patch from
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;891957


any help would be very much appreciated...

right now I'm trying the backup with a software called handy backup... the
backup has been going on for 8 hrs now.... with such lil data it shld be done
in 30 min or so, coz i'm not writing it on a tape, I'm writing it onto
another server...


thanks
-Ravinder

I have seen MSDE instances cause this error. Reboot the server. Stop any SQL
or MSDE instances. Try the backup. If the backup works this will tell you
something is wrong with the VSS MSDEwriter.

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2


"Ravinder" <Ravinder@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F9E94293-0F30-4C07-BB97-00C74A4A4E97@microsoft.com...
> my windows 2003 server is installed with service pack 1, it has sql and
> vss,
> its a very new machine, dosn't have much data on it, and the server has 4
> gb
> ram, and dual xeon processors
>
>
> it gives the following error
> Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:0xffffffff.
> i went thru a few forums n they said microsoft recomends registering a few
> dll
> net stop vss
> regsvr32 /s ole32.dll
> regsvr32 /s vss_ps.dll
> Vssvc /Register
> regsvr32 /s /i swprv.dll
> regsvr32 /s /i eventcls.dll
> regsvr32 /s es.dll
> regsvr32 /s stdprov.dll
> regsvr32 /s vssui.dll
> regsvr32 /s msxml.dll
> regsvr32 /s msxml3.dll
> regsvr32 /s msxml4.dll
>
> i registered the above, but all invain,
> I also installed a patch from
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;891957
>
>
> any help would be very much appreciated...
>
> right now I'm trying the backup with a software called handy backup... the
> backup has been going on for 8 hrs now.... with such lil data it shld be
> done
> in 30 min or so, coz i'm not writing it on a tape, I'm writing it onto
> another server...
>
>
> thanks
> -Ravinder

Maybe that's the case of KB 907574
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907574) and problems with Content
Indexing Service or KB 913360 with Running 32 bit SQL on x64
Xeons(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913360)? I mean, maybe it's a
well-known problem with corrupted VSS writers? Also try to look whether
Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider service is working.
Ravinder wrote:
> my windows 2003 server is installed with service pack 1, it has sql and vss,
> its a very new machine, dosn't have much data on it, and the server has 4 gb
> ram, and dual xeon processors
>
>
> it gives the following error
> Error returned while creating the volume shadow copy:0xffffffff.
> i went thru a few forums n they said microsoft recomends registering a few dll
> net stop vss
> regsvr32 /s ole32.dll
> regsvr32 /s vss_ps.dll
> Vssvc /Register
> regsvr32 /s /i swprv.dll
> regsvr32 /s /i eventcls.dll
> regsvr32 /s es.dll
> regsvr32 /s stdprov.dll
> regsvr32 /s vssui.dll
> regsvr32 /s msxml.dll
> regsvr32 /s msxml3.dll
> regsvr32 /s msxml4.dll
>
> i registered the above, but all invain,
> I also installed a patch from
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;891957
>
>
> any help would be very much appreciated...
>
> right now I'm trying the backup with a software called handy backup... the
> backup has been going on for 8 hrs now.... with such lil data it shld be done
> in 30 min or so, coz i'm not writing it on a tape, I'm writing it onto
> another server...
>
>
> thanks
> -Ravinder

By the way, in that your list you've forgotten to stop VSS Provider
(net stop swprv). By the way, what you get when you execute: "vssadmin
list writers"?