How to fix issues with VSS and running backups on Server 2022 I'm a Senior tech not having any luck.

Hi Randy , I am sorry for the delayed response and thank you for your patience. 

Before applying any fix, please scope the issue first to confirm whether the VSS failure (Event ID 12289 / 0x80071126) is coming from the Windows OS VSS/storage layer. 

Run the following commands directly on the affected Windows Server, using Command Prompt opened as Administrator. 

vssadmin list writers 
vssadmin list providers 
vssadmin list shadowstorage 
mountvol 
fltmc 

Then test VSS outside of the backup software: 

diskshadow 

Inside DiskShadow: 

list volume  create   

If snapshot creation fails here as well, this confirms the issue is within the Windows VSS / volume or mount‑point layer, not the backup application. At that point, remediation should focus on shadow storage and mount‑point metadata, not service restarts or DLL re‑registration. 

Please share the outputs once available. I’m waiting for your response so we can proceed with the next steps.

T&B
Titus Bui

I also tried both VSS settings inside windows backup to see if it was a third party provider or Microsft.

Hello Randy Klein,

From your description, the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) itself is starting correctly, but any application that attempts to invoke it fails immediately after recent patching. The fact that this is reproducible across two different sites after the same update strongly suggests a regression introduced by the patch rather than a local corruption. Re‑registering the DLLs and restarting the services would normally clear a broken COM registration, but since the service looks healthy and still fails when called, the problem is deeper in the provider or writer stack.

The first thing to check is the VSS event log under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > VSS > Operational. Look for errors such as Event ID 12289 or Event ID 13, which will tell you whether the failure is coming from a provider (for example, the Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider) or from a writer. If you see 0x80042306 or 0x80042318, those codes indicate that the provider is failing to initialize.

Given that you had to modify the registry to bypass CBT issues to get the servers to boot, it is possible that the patch re‑enabled or altered the Changed Block Tracking (CBT) driver or filter, which is interfering with VSS. VSS relies on filter drivers to snapshot volumes, and if CBT is mis‑registered or corrupted, VSS calls will fail even though the service itself appears healthy. Check HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\Providers and confirm that only the expected Microsoft provider is listed. If you see orphaned or third‑party CBT entries, remove them carefully after confirming with the vendor.

If the VSS writers themselves are failing, run vssadmin list writers from an elevated prompt. If all writers show errors or are missing, the patch has broken the COM registration for VSS. In that case, the supported remediation is to apply the latest cumulative update for your Windows Server build, as Microsoft typically issues hotfixes for VSS regressions in subsequent updates. If you are already on the latest patch level, the only reliable workaround is to uninstall the problematic update and roll back to the previous build where VSS was functioning.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

Domic Vo.

To address the issues with Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and running backups on Windows Server 2022, you can follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Check VSS Writers: Run the command vssadmin list writers to check the status of VSS writers. If any writers are in a failed state, you may need to restart the related services or reboot the server.
2. Restart VSS Services: Use the following commands to restart the VSS services:

      net stop vss
      net start vss
      net stop swprv
      net start swprv
   

3. Permissions: Ensure that the VSS System Writer has the necessary permissions. You can check and modify permissions in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS\VssAccessControl. Set the value for NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE to 1.
4. Registry Modifications: If you had to modify the registry to resolve the CBT issue, ensure that those changes did not inadvertently affect VSS. Double-check the settings to ensure they align with VSS requirements.
5. Check for Overlapping Backup Jobs: Ensure that there are no overlapping backup jobs that could be causing timeouts or failures in VSS operations.
6. Review Event Logs: Look for any relevant error messages in the Event Viewer that could provide more insight into the VSS failures.
7. Update or Repair Backup Software: If you are using third-party backup software, ensure it is compatible with the current version of Windows Server and consider reinstalling or updating it.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider consulting Microsoft Support or your backup vendor for further assistance.

References:

• Event ID 513 when running VSS in Windows Server
• Troubleshoot Hyper-V virtual machine backup, checkpoint, and storage failures