Backup on Windows XP fails with error "Failed to create volume snapshot" if MS SQL Server is installed.

Symptoms

1. You have installed Acronis software on a Windows XP System;
2. On this system MS SQL Server is installed and running;

   (!) MS SQL Express 2008 is automatically installed along the installation of Acronis Management Server component.

3. You run a disk or volume backup with the default settings:
   1. Use VSS option = enabled (default backup option value);
   2. Software-System provider or Software-Select automatically selected (default backup option value);
   3. Enable VSS Full Backup is disabled (default backup option value);
4. This backup fails with:
   

   Failed to create volume snapshot.

   See a complete sample error message:

   Command 'Running backup plan 'Backup 3/1/2013 8:24:23 PM'' has failed.
   Additional info:
   --------------------
   Error code: 61
   Module: 309
   LineInfo: 4a8728dc8a1c950f
   Fields: $module: mms_vs_37588
   Message: Command 'Running backup plan 'Backup 3/1/2013 8:24:23 PM'' has failed.
   --------------------
   Error code: 41
   Module: 307
   LineInfo: e6792a5ee190dda7
   Fields: $module: agent_protection_addon_vs_37588
   Message: ProtectCommand: Failed to execute the command.
   --------------------
   Error code: 3
   Module: 329
   LineInfo: 1cd98aae889424f9
   Fields: $module: disk_bundle_vs_37588
   Message: Backup has failed.
   --------------------
   Error code: 1060
   Module: 1
   LineInfo: b43e776571144dec
   Fields: $module: disk_bundle_vs_37588
   Message: Failed to commit operations.
   --------------------
   Error code: 33
   Module: 7
   LineInfo: a5695862aaf8e69b
   Fields: $module: disk_bundle_vs_37588
   Message: Failed to create volume snapshot.
   --------------------
   Error code: 50242
   Module: 16
   LineInfo: 14181c22ef45b0f6
   Fields: $module : disk_bundle_vs_37588
   Message: Failed to start creating the volume snapshot.
   --------------------
   Error code: 50281
   Module: 16
   LineInfo: 14181c22ef45a9e9
   Fields: $module : disk_bundle_vs_37588
   Message: VSS writer 'SqlServerWriter' with class ID 'A65FAA63-5EA8-4EBC-9DBD-A0C4DB26912A' has failed to process the snapshot.
   --------------------
   Error code: 65520
   Module: 0
   LineInfo: bd28fdbd64edb8ea
   Fields: code: 2147754996, $module : disk_bundle_vs_37588
   Message: Unknown Win32 error
   --------------------

    

   ProtectCommand : Échec de l'exécution de la commande.
   Informations additionnelles :
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 41
   Module : 307
   LineInfo : e6792a5ee190dda7
   Champs : $module : agent_protection_addon_vs_37613
   Message : ProtectCommand : Échec de l'exécution de la commande.
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 3
   Module : 329
   LineInfo : 1cd98aae889424f9
   Champs : $module : disk_bundle_vs_37613
   Message : La sauvegarde a échoué.
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 1060
   Module : 1
   LineInfo : b43e776571144dec
   Champs : $module : disk_bundle_vs_37613
   Message : Échec de la validation des opérations.
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 33
   Module : 7
   LineInfo : a5695862aaf8e69b
   Champs : $module : disk_bundle_vs_37613
   Message : Impossible de créer une image statique du volume.
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 50242
   Module : 16
   LineInfo : 14181c22ef45b0f6
   Champs : $module : disk_bundle_vs_37613
   Message : Échec du démarrage de la création de l'instané du volume.
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 50281
   Module : 16
   LineInfo : 14181c22ef45a9e9
   Champs : $module : disk_bundle_vs_37613
   Message : L'enregistreur VSS « SqlServerWriter » avec l'ID de classe « A65FAA63-5EA8-4EBC-9DBD-A0C4DB26912A » a échoué le traitement de l'instantané.
   --------------------
   Code d'erreurs : 65520
   Module : 0
   LineInfo : bd28fdbd64edb8ea
   Champs : code : 2147754996, $module : disk_bundle_vs_37613
   Message : Unknown Win32 error

Cause

By default the product uses COPY method of VSS snapshotting. However, Microsoft 'SqlServerWriter' VSS Writer doesn't support VSS COPY method on Windows XP - and thus VSS snapshot can't be created successfully in this OS. The workaround is to switch to VSS Full backup option (see below) which will switch the VSS snapshot method to FULL - and it is supported properly by SqlServerWriter in Windows XP.

Solution

To work around this issue, please enable the VSS Full backup option.

Navigate to the backup plan options or to the default backup options -> Volume Shadow Copy Service and enable the VSS Full backup option. See Enabling VSS Full backup in user guide.

More information

(!) Ifthe issue happens NOT on Windows XP, or the above workaround implemented on Windows XP machine doesn't help - then there must be some other Microsoft VSS corruption (e.g. another component of Microsoft VSS subsystem malfunctions). You'll need to investigate this VSS issue separately, e.g. as described in Acronis Backup: VSS Troubleshooting Guide