Deployment KB: Avamar: Hyper-V VM Backups fail with VSS Writer error

Summary: This article provides resolution when Hyper-V VM Backups fail with VSS Writer error.

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
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Symptoms

"Log in as" to be set to Local System Account (LocalSystem account in Windows has complete unrestricted access to local resources).
 
Guest VM Backups fail with VSS writer errors.

View messages in the logs from various components below:    
  • Avtar Logs:    
avhypervvss Info <12587>: 'Cluster Shared Volume VSS Writer' reported partial failure, checking individual components for failure
avhypervvss Error <12588>: Writer component '139FAABC-9EC2-4886-B571-9AC6EDA30864<CSV>66841cd4-6ded-4f4b-8f17-fd23f8ddc3de:b20d28ce-768a-4bd4-91fa-ae8554e6639e:<Hostname-guestVM></CSV>' ( <Hostname-guestVM><139FAABC-9EC2-4886-B571-9AC6EDA30864<CSV>66841cd4-6ded-4f4b-8f17-fd23f8ddc3de:b20d28ce-768a-4bd4-91fa-ae8554e6639e:<Hyper-vHostname></CSV>> ) reported an error!
Failure code: 0x800423f4 : The writer experienced a non-transient error.  If the backup process is retried,
the error is likely to reoccur.
Error Description: Unknown 
avhypervvss Warning <41746>: Vss snapshot failed for VM GuestVMHostname<139FAABC-9EC2-4886-B571-9AC6EDA30864>. Skipping from backup target list

======================
  • Hyper-v System Event Log:    
Source - VDS Basic Provider

Event - Unexpected failure. Error code: 48F@01000003
Hyper-v Application Event Log-

Source - VSS
Event - 
A VSS writer has rejected an event with error 0x800423f4, The writer experienced a non-transient error.  If the backup process is retried,
the error is likely to reoccur.
. Changes that the writer made to the writer components while handling the event will not be available to the requester. Check the event log for related events from the application hosting the VSS writer. 
 
Operation:
   PrepareForSnapshot Event

Context:
   Execution Context: Writer
   Writer Class Id: {6XXX1cd4-6ded-4f4b-8f17-fdXXf8XXc3de}
   Writer Name: Microsoft Hyper-V VSS Writer
   Writer Instance ID: {bXXX2dc4-972d-4c8c-9008-95XXXbe724ba}
   Command Line: C:\Windows\system32\vmms.exe
   Process ID: 240
======================
  • Guest VM Application event logs:   
Source - VSS 
Event-  
 Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Error creating the Shadow Copy Provider COM class with CLSID {3XXX620c-e180-44f3-b154-24XXX46e4cb8} [0x80040154, Class not registered]. 
Operation:
   Obtain a callable interface for this provider
   Check If Volume Is Supported by Provider
   Add a Volume to a Shadow Copy Set
Context:
   Provider ID: {7xxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
   Class ID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
   Snapshot Context: 0
   Execution Context: Coordinator
   Provider ID: {7xxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
   Volume Name: \\?\Volume{23663f2d-d539-11e3-8c32-00155df54207}\
   Execution Context: Coordinator
   ------------------------------------
Source - VSS  
   Volume Shadow Copy Service error: A critical component required by the Volume Shadow Copy service is not registered. This might happened if an error occurred during Windows setup or during installation of a Shadow Copy provider. The error returned from CoCreateInstance on class with CLSID {3XXX620c-e180-44f3-b154-24XXX46e4cb8} and Name SW_PROV is [0x80040154], Class not registered
Operation:
   Obtain a callable interface for this provider
   Check If Volume Is Supported by Provider
   Add a Volume to a Shadow Copy Set
Context:
   Provider ID: {7xxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
   Class ID: {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}
   Snapshot Context: 0
   Execution Context: Coordinator
   Provider ID: {7xxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
   Volume Name: \\?\Volume{23663f2d-d539-11e3-8c32-00155df54207}\
   Execution Context: Coordinator
======================

Cause

Previous backup software had service account for volume shadow copy service in the guest VM set to an AD account.

Resolution

Use this procedure:
  1. Open services.msc console in the Guest VM.
  2. Look for "Volume Shadow Copy" service > Properties > Log On  > From "This account"  change to "Local System Account" 

Affected Products

Avamar

Products

Avamar, Avamar Plug-in for Hyper-V VSS
Article Properties
Article Number: 000058312
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 14 Apr 2021
Version:  3
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