Vista Backup Error 0x8007007B

Question

I am getting error 0x8007007B, which said that Windows could not find backup devices on my computer...and so on, when I try to do a CompletePC Backup via Vista's Backup and Restore Center.   I had previously created a CompletePC Backup and Restore image on an external harddrive but I had to format the ext hdd.  I tried to create to new image but kept getting above-mentioned error and cannot proceed.  It seems that Windows cannot find the previous backup that I had made and refuses to create a new 'CompletePC' backup image, which is a bit ironic.   Does anyone know of a solution?  Is there a key in the registry or a file I can delete to prevent Windows from giving me that error so I can create a new CompletePC backup image?

C3PO5 · Answer

Hi When you formatted the drive did you format it to FAT 32 or NTFS ? If you used FAT 32 it will not let you create a backup on a FAT 32 system.

fumanju · Answer

Drive containing Vista is NTFS formatted, I think that's one of the requirement to install it. Also, the backup destination is an empty NTFS formatted external USB harddrive that I've used to backup a CompletePC image before so I know it's not a problem with the harddrive. I had to format it after the last backup which was over a month ago.

Message Edited by fumanju on 05-09-2007 12:37 PM

C3PO5 · Answer

You say you have another USB drive set on your PC remove it and you said you have 2 partitions on the drive you are trying to use now is the partitions big enough to hold the full backup of your c:\ drive. Have you rebooted the PC after the format. What size are the partitions of the drive you are trying to use.   Please use paragraph in response it makes it a lot easer to read on my end

fumanju · Answer

yes, it did changed the drive letter as I also have other NTFS formatted drive connected to the computer via USB port. I used Vista to format my drive, it can be seen in My Computer, I can read and write to it. I don't remember if I had mentioned this, but I am using a Dell Inspiron E1405 notebook. I should have also mentioned that the harddrive is partitioned into 2 partitions (done via Vista Computer/Disk Management). First partition, the one containing Vista, is NTFS formatted, the second is FAT32. Prior to the last backup, the second partition (FAT32) was not formatted and was simply unallocated space, thus it did not have a drive letter. After the last backup, I formatted the second partition to FAT32 and thus assign drive letter D: to it. Prior to the backup, my external was assigned drive letter D:, I don't remember why it wasn't E: as the DVD drive should have been D:. Regardless, second partition is now D:, DVD is now E: and external harddrive, when it's connected is F:. Anyway, right now, every time I run Backup and Restore Center, it shows my drive D: as the location of the LAST backup. I assume that it keeps trying to fine the backup image in D: and gives me an error when it doesn't. What I'd like to do is create a BRAND SPANKING NEW backup image. I haven't been able to do it since Windows is not allowing me to even choose a new location. It is too stubborn to let go of the last backup.

C3PO5 · Answer

Hi

I have other ideas to check when you formatted the drive did it change the

EXT drive letter ?

What software did you use to format the drive ?

Is the drive still seen by Vista when you go to my computer ?

Can you copy any thing to the drive ,

is the drive set to primary in disk manager ?

EDIT

Have you installed any software that may have a backup built in to

it that may have blocked the backup in Vista.?

Message Edited by C3PO5 on 05-09-2007 01:32 PM

fumanju · Answer

With or without the second external USB harddrive, I still cannot backup. The second partition on the notebook harddrive is smaller than the first one. However, I'm not trying to back up to the second partition on the notebook, rather, i'm trying to back up to the external harddrive. The external harddrive is way bigger than the Vista partition that I'm trying to backup. I've been trying to backup for about a month now, I have rebooted many many times.

Vista partition is about 40GB, second partition on notebook harddrive is about 15GB, external harddrive is an empty 200GB NTFS formatted single partition harddrive connected via USB.

The problem also is the fact that I cannot even backup to DVD-R, which is really a kick while you're down. Even if the external harddrive is not suitable for backup, which I don't believe is the case here, it should still let me choose to backup via DVD-R, which was an option prior to the last backup before Backup and Restore Center locked me out of the whole process.

Like I had mentioned before, the error I'm getting is a result of Backup and Restore Center not being able to find the previous backup. But instead of letting me do a brand spanking new backup of the drive to a new location, it simply errors out and die.

Thank you so much for taking your time to help me. Sorry if I seem a bit frustrated.

Message Edited by fumanju on 05-09-2007 04:30 PM

C3PO5 · Answer

Hi

I can understand you being frustrated,

yes i see that the ext drive and the DVD drive are not the problem now.

The only other thing i can think of is Vista has gone bad on you,

and you may have to do a repair install of Vista !

I am not sure how you would go about it on your laptop,

mine is a insprion 1501 i know how to do it on it ,but yours is deferent.

You may try manually copying all of your important files and pictures

and other stuff you think you need to have to the ext drive,

and read the manual that came with your PC on how to restore or recover

from a bad Vista OS.

If someone knows how to do it can jump in and save you from a lot of

reading on this it would be a big HELP.

Vista does look like the problem here .

Sorry i am out of ideas now.

fumanju · Answer

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.

I'll probably format my HDD and repartition everything so I can reinstall Win XP MCE that originally came with the laptop. I didn't think it'd be this much problem. I actually installed Vista RC1 and was using it for a while and had decide to buy Vista Ultimate because RC1 expires in June. Now, I'm gonna have to dual boot Vista and XP because a program that I need to use is not Vista compatible, as well as a webcam that I had bought only a few months ago.

Microsoft really knows how to make people mad. If only they don't have the majority of market shares on computer OS I don't think ppl would buy their stuffs.

On a related note, I just heard that Dell is offering XP on new computers now...kudos for sticking it to Microsoft where it hurts.

Message Edited by fumanju on 05-09-2007 05:38 PM

C3PO5 · Answer

Hi  Are you using RC 1 and had this problem, If so i can see why it did not work .

fumanju · Answer

No, I was using RC1 prior to Vista official release. With RC1, everything had worked fine, I don't remember if Backup and Restore Center was included with RC1.

Right now I am using a retail version of Windows Vista Ultimate. Perhaps I should have waited until RC1 had expired before buying it.

mxytplk · Answer

Try the following, which is intended to clean up prior shadow images on a given drive:

Start > Programs > Accessories > Disk Cleanup > Files from all users on the computer

> Select the drive you want to clean up > [select your external drive letter] > OK

> More Options > System Restore and Shadow Copies

> Are you sure you want to delete all but the most recent restore point > Delete

You may also try doing the same cleanup on your C: drive, as well as for any other partitions you may have.

This may or may not work, inasmuch as you say you reformatted the external hard drive.

However, the basic system mechanisms are somewhat linked, so this may clean out whatever record exists of prior backups and/or restore points.

Note that the "More Options" menu includes the statement:

"In some editions of Windows Vista, the disk might include file shadow copies and older Windows Complete PC Backup images as part of restore points. This information will also be deleted."

Message Edited by mxytplk on 05-09-2007 08:51 PM

Windows General

Vista Backup Error 0x8007007B

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