Forum Discussion

Eliaspefo's avatar
Eliaspefo
Iron Contributor
Jul 08, 2026

The Volume Shadow Copy Service Fails, Preventing System Restore

I'm running Windows 10 and the Volume Shadow Copy service keeps failing whenever I try to create a system restore point or run a backup, throwing error codes like 0x80042306 and preventing any restore operation from completing successfully. I've already checked that the service is set to automatic and manually restarted it, but the failures persist, and I'm looking for a reliable fix that doesn't involve reinstalling Windows or losing my existing restore points.

2 Replies

  • Lumcan's avatar
    Lumcan
    Tin Contributor
    Jul 09, 2026

    If a system file is corrupted or a disk has errors, VSS can fail . Run these two built-in tools from an administrative Command Prompt (search for "cmd", right-click, and select "Run as administrator").

  • Jamony's avatar
    Jamony
    MCT
    Jul 08, 2026

    Hi, VSS errors can come from the VSS writers, old shadow copies, disk issues, or a third-party backup tool holding things open.

     

    I would try:

     

    1. Run `vssadmin list writers` and check for failed writers.

    2. Check Event Viewer under Application and System around the failure time.

    3. Make sure the System Reserved/Recovery partitions are not full.

    4. Temporarily disable third-party backup or antivirus tools and test again.

    5. Run `sfc /scannow` and `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`.

     

    If the writers show errors, restart the related service or reboot and test again. If the same writer fails repeatedly, that is the part to focus on rather than reinstalling Windows right away.