NetWorker: Windows File System Backup is Missing Files

Summary: Windows file system on Azure skips files although there is no NetWorker directive to do so.

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Symptoms

Windows file system on Azure skips files although there is no NetWorker directive to do so.

Debug save output shows 
87713:save: Found prototype specification for '\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1288\': skip : hiberfil.sys
87713:save: Found prototype specification for '\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1288\Areas Compartidas\':+ skip : *.*

Cause

The backup file system is on Azure storage volume. The system uses VSS Writer "Sync Share Service Writer." It skips files by design. 

To verify that this is the cause,

  1. Open a command prompt as Administrator and run: 
C:\>  DISKSHADOW /l writers.txt
DISKSHADOW>   LIST WRITERS DETAILED
DISKSHADOW> exit
  1. Look at the output file for writers.txt. If you see the below message, then that confirms the issue.
* WRITER "Sync Share Service Writer"
.////
and that writer contains Components with affected drive 
            - Components:
            - File List: Path = J:\DataFiles, Filespec = *.*
            - Paths affected by this component:
                - J:\DataFiles
            - Volumes affected by this component:
                               - \\?\Volume{c34a534a-63a2-4aee-b47a-e2092dc7a901}\ [J:\]

Resolution

Workaround:
Turn off VSS for backing up Azure storage volumes with the command: 
VSS:*off
Article Properties
Article Number: 000210906
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 25 Apr 2023
Version:  2
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