Disable the SQL Server VSS Writer service to fix the issue

This article applies to:

• Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Workstation
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server - Virtual Edition
• Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Server for Windows (Standalone)
• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003

Symptoms

1. You have SQL Express and Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 components installed on the same Windows XP machine or on Windows Server 2003 machine;
2. You run a disk or partition backup on the machine with Create snapshots using VSS set in the backup options:

   

3. The backup fails with an error message similar to the following one:

   Failed to start creating the volume snapshot
   The device is not ready

4. Windows Application Event Logs (Start-Run -> type eventvwr.msc -> Application) show the following error:

   SQL writer error: Backup type 5 not supported

   

Cause

Conflict with the SQL Express VSS writer.

Solution

Disable the SQL Express VSS writer:

• Invoke Windows Services (Start-Run -> services.msc);
• Right-click on the SQL Server VSS Writer service and click Stop:

  

• Double click on the SQL Server VSS Writer service and set the Startup type to Disabled:

  

• Click OK.

More information

Disabling the SQL Express VSS writer will not affect the product's performance. See also Microsoft TechNet Article: SQL Writer Service. You may check that the still required 'MSDEWriter' is active, by looking the output of the "vssadmin list writers" command.

Special thanks go to Carol Haynes for her most valuable assistance in finding this solution.

Troubleshoot other VSS-related issues with the free Acronis VSS Doctor tool.