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VSS Error VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO (0x80042306)

Overview

The product uses the 'volume shadow copy' (VSS) technology built in to Windows to safely perform backups of open files. VSS provides the functionality to take a snapshot of a volume, allowing backups to backup data from the unchanging snapshot instead of the volume that is changing all the time. This technology is available on Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 (or better) operating systems. On older operating systems it will still try to backup open files when possible, and then will check after a file has been backed up to make sure it was not modified while being backed up.

VSS has three parts that work together:

• VSS Providers: Providers implement the logic to actually take and maintain a snapshot of a volume. Windows comes with a default provider authored by Microsoft. It works with any volume so long as there is at least one volume in the system that is formatted with NTFS. Expensive NAS/DAS devices may provide their own hardware-based VSS provider.
• VSS Writers: Writers represent server applications that need to flush cached data to disk before a snapshot is taken, so that the snapshot represents good, consistent data. Both Exchange 2003 (or better) and SQL Server 2000 (or better) provide VSS writers. Many times problems with VSS are caused by the failure of some application-specific writer, outside the control of the backup application.
• VSS Requestor: Requestors represent applications that need to make, release, and use snapshots. For example, a backup application.

Diagnosing Failures

When open file backup fails, the problem is almost always caused by the failure of the Microsoft VSS provider or one of the application-specific VSS writers. The top of the backup log should contain some informational messages that give more information about which provider or writer failed, including an error message and number. The error number and the word VSS can often be used in a web search to find specific information about the possible causes of the error.

Additionally, both VSS providers and VSS writers oftentimes write events to the Windows event log. You should inspect the Windows application and system logs (Start, run, eventvwr) for any vss, volsnap, or other entries around the time when the backup started. You should consider events from applications whose VSS writer has failed. For example, if the backup log indicates that the Exchange writer failed, then you should also look for Exchange events in the Windows event log.

Another source of information is the vssadmin command line utility that comes with Windows. You should try the following commands at a command prompt to see the status of the providers and writers in your system, and whether any are in a failed state:

vssadmin list providers
vssadmin list writers

Note that in Windows Vista you will need to execute these commands from an Administrative command prompt (start task manager, show all tasks, File menu, New task, cmd).

Problem Resolution

Most VSS related errors are temporary and are fixed by rebooting the server. You should also try applying the following Microsoft hotfixes to ensure the issue is not related to a bug in VSS:

• http://support.mic

  Problem

  Open file backup fails with error messages similiar to the following:
      INFO: Initializing open file backup [C:\] {VSS-XP.dll}
      INFO: VSS: ERROR: Error during the last asynchronous operation.
      INFO: VSS: ERROR: - Returned HRESULT = 0x80042306
      INFO: VSS: ERROR: - Error text: VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO
      Open file backup failed to initialize because the snapshot was vetoed. ...
      INFO: 30000: Failed to initialize open file backup: SYSERR: -2147212538 (80042306) [VSS_E_PROVIDER_VETO] [-2147212538 (0x80042306)] {eFolderWWorker:2328}

  This error means that the software component providing the actual physical snapshots refused to create a snapshot.

  Resolution

  Common causes of this error include:

  1. You don't have a drive (partition) on your system formatted with NTFS.
  2. You don't have a drive (partition) on your system formatted with NTFS that has at least 100MB of free space for every disk drive in your system.
  3. There was too much disk activity when the backup started and the windows snapshot provider could not reliably determine a cutoff point for snapshot creation.

  You may not have an NTFS formatted drive (partition) on your system if you upgraded to Windows XP from Windows 95/98/Me and chose not to convert from FAT32. To determine whether or not you have an NTFS formatted drive (partition) on your system, do the following:

  1. Open My Computer from the Start menu.
  2. Right click on each drive (e.g. C: ) and choose Properties.
  3. To the right of file system you will see either FAT32 or NTFS.

  One NTFS partition is required in order to use open file backup. This is a requirement built in to Windows and not our backup software. If you do not have an NTFS partition you can add one by doing one of the following:

  • Adding a new hard disk to your system and formatting it with NTFS
  • Converting your FAT32 file system to NTFS (click here for more information)
  • Using a tool to resize the partitions on your hard disk, making room for a new partition with at least 100MB of space for every partition you have on your system including the new partition (e.g. if you have 4 partitions on your system, you will need to add a new partition with at least 500MB of free space). Note that we cannot provide technical support for this process (contact the technical support department of the tool that you choose)

  If you choose not to create an NTFS partition using one of the above methods you will need to close other applications before the backup begins to ensure that all files will be backed up.

  If you do have at least one NTFS drive (partition) with plenty of free space please follow the steps below for additional help.

  Diagnostics

  More information is written to the Windows Application event log. This can be viewed with the Windows Event Viewer application.

  Follow these steps to gather more information:

  1. Start the Windows Event Viewer (in Administrative Tools; or do: Start. Run. eventvwr. OK)
  2. Click the Application log
  3. Look for VSS or VOLSNAP error entries.
  4. For each entry, double click to view details, copy the information to the clipboard (using the copy button), and paste it into an email to technical support.