The message reads as if the system is incapable to get access of all the volumes which it needs for a full system backup.

Although Windows 2012 is not explicitely mentioned, I think this article could be helpful:

   support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2457458/windows-backup-fails-when-you-back-up-data-from-the-root-folder-of-a-m

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2457458/windows-backup-fails-when-you-back-up-data-from-the-root-folder-of-a-m

Hey bingo,

Unfortunately, there is no hotfix available for 2012.  I'm assuming they incorporated this fix into 2012 as the hotfix was published in 2011.

Thanks anyway

Joel

Hey R.Friberg,

I think I'm heading in the right direction thanks to your help.. but I'm not exactly sure where to go from here.  The path that is missing is a directory on a remote server.  I'm not sure why the system writer would think it is local to the machine I'm trying to back up.  Have you seen anything like this before?

I attempted to add an exception to the system writer by modifying the registry to skip this path as described here BMR + Critical Volumes + Workaround, but that didn't work.

Thanks

Joel

+ Component "System Writer:\Win32 Services Files"

   - Name: Win32 Services Files

   - Logical path:

   - Full path: \Win32 Services Files

   - Caption: Win32 Services Files

   - Type: VSS_CT_FILEGROUP [2]

   - Is selectable: TRUE

   - Is top level: TRUE

   - Notify on backup complete: FALSE

   - Paths affected by this component:

    - \\fileserver\ras30

    - c:\program files (x86)\bit9\parity agent

    - c:\program files (x86)\common files\microsoft shared\phone tools\corecon\11.0\bin

    - c:\program files\emc networker\nsr\bin

    - c:\windows\carbonblack

    - c:\windows\syswow64

   - Volumes affected by this component:

                               - \\?\Volume{aefd7eeb-1ca5-11e6-80b4-806e6f6e6963}\

    - \\FILESERVER\RAS30\ [Does not exist]

   - Component Dependencies:

Hi Joel,

Now that you know the path, you can most probably find out which service it is that is using the remote file share. If memory serves me right you can run msinfo32.exe and go to services and you should see the path that each service is pointing to. Otherwise you can use the registry to find out which service is using the path.

I usually just force the application owner of such a service to do a reinstall of their application and require them to have it installed locally on the server and not a network share.

Regards

Rickard

Awesome, awesome Rickard, thanks for your help!

Joel