W8.1 Will Not Create System Image Files

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Have any of you encountered the system error (0x80780119) where Win 8.1 will not create a System Image Backup? The error message is long but the critical part says “…not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy on the storage location.” The error is apparently due to changes in the partitions on the system drive done by the update process (it has nothing to do with the disk capacity of the backup’s target).

I support some PC’s that were updated (using Microsoft store method) from W8 to W8.1 a couple of weeks ago. The updates worked flawlessly and the systems seem to perform as expected. However, when we tried to create a post-update System Image (using W8.1’s own tools) we get the error.

The System Image process worked on all the computers prior to the update and we made W8 images immediately prior to updating the OS. Because it relies on the built-in imaging process we cannot create images of the W8.1 systems on our Win Server Essentials 2012 backup system either. Some Internet searching shows this problem to be widespread with many (most or all?) who have updated to W8.1 through the MS Store no longer able to create system images. A number of the Internet threads I read on this topic suggested that the partition changes are also messing with some 3rd party system image software.

I cannot find a reliable solution to this problem and can find nothing that indicates that Microsoft is working on a fix. We are very uncomfortable not being able continue to make create regular system images (these PC’s change regularly as we install and test new software).

Any suggestions on how to fix this glitch so that we can again make regular, reliable System Images of these W8.1 machines? I hate to have to rollback to W8 but that may be the only prudent solution until MS fixes this problem.

Thanks,

Bill

PS: W8 system images are apparently incompatible with W8.1 images – on one of the PC’s I tried using the built-in W8.1 image restore capability and it would not process the image because “it was created in a different” OS. If you don’t have a working Repair disk from you prior (W8) OS version you may not be able to recover from a W8.1 upgrade even if you diligently created W8 system images.

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Have any of you encountered the system error (0x80780119) where Win 8.1 will not create a System Image Backup? The error message is long but the critical part says “…not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy on the storage location.” The error is apparently due to changes in the partitions on the system drive done by the update process (it has nothing to do with the disk capacity of the backup’s target).

I support some PC’s that were updated (using Microsoft store method) from W8 to W8.1 a couple of weeks ago. The updates worked flawlessly and the systems seem to perform as expected. However, when we tried to create a post-update System Image (using W8.1’s own tools) we get the error.

The System Image process worked on all the computers prior to the update and we made W8 images immediately prior to updating the OS. Because it relies on the built-in imaging process we cannot create images of the W8.1 systems on our Win Server Essentials 2012 backup system either. Some Internet searching shows this problem to be widespread with many (most or all?) who have updated to W8.1 through the MS Store no longer able to create system images. A number of the Internet threads I read on this topic suggested that the partition changes are also messing with some 3rd party system image software.

I cannot find a reliable solution to this problem and can find nothing that indicates that Microsoft is working on a fix. We are very uncomfortable not being able continue to make create regular system images (these PC’s change regularly as we install and test new software).

Any suggestions on how to fix this glitch so that we can again make regular, reliable System Images of these W8.1 machines? I hate to have to rollback to W8 but that may be the only prudent solution until MS fixes this problem.

Thanks,

Bill

PS: W8 system images are apparently incompatible with W8.1 images – on one of the PC’s I tried using the built-in W8.1 image restore capability and it would not process the image because “it was created in a different” OS. If you don’t have a working Repair disk from you prior (W8) OS version you may not be able to recover from a W8.1 upgrade even if you diligently created W8 system images.

Hi,

Welcome to the Lounge.

Backups done with 8.1 use a new .vhdx format, while 8.0 used .vhd, so they are incompatible, indeed.

I fear I cannot help with the imaging error, hopefully Microsoft will address it. Meanwhile, maybe you can use one of the free, reliable imaging options, such as Macrium Reflect Free or EaseUs Todo Backup Free. May Lounge members use both with success – Macrium is the one most commented about in recent threads and seems to work without issues with Windows 8.1.

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This thread will help fix the issue:

http://www.eightforums.com/performance-maintenance/33900-latest-win-8-1-iso-breaks-system-image-functionality.html

I have not actually done this fix because I found “Macrium Reflect Free”, which is an excellent disk imaging program. It looks like the Microsoft imaging solution is a sickly orphan and will not be around for long.

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

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Any of the 3rd party Imaging apps, both paid and free, should be able to handle this chore quite easily. I tried the built in app quite some time ago and just found it too confining, especially when the 3rd party apps work quite well and are much more full featured. However, even with Macrium Reflect, to get all the available features, you have to go for the Pro version. Now perhaps you do not need all the features, but many have gone to the paid version after using the free version for a while. Same with the Acronis free trial. After trying it, users are buying it.

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See Fix the 0x80780119 error when creating a System Image in Windows 7 and 8[/url]. What is said about Windows 8 applies to 8.1 also.

Joe

--Joe

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Everyone, working in the IT field, should by now have their own favorite Backup software, that will work the same on any OS, even Linux.
I have mine, (see my sig line) Medico has his, and if I took a poll, I imagine that every PC Tech has their own. (or by now, they should have!)

Once you have the program on a Bootable CD or Flash Drive, you will never again have to worry about backing up an OS drive, even in the event that the OS is hosed and cannot boot the PC, you can still back it up, to save the data.

Doing any kind of a backup from within Windows is fraught with problems. like…what do you do, when the OS drive goes up in a big ball of fire and smoke.??? Don’t laugh! It happens! Oh brother….Testify!

To be 100% safe, your backup and Restore software must be on some media that can boot your PC, even with a brand new HD in it.
Then too, your Backup Image File must not be on the main HD, (the one that just died).

I keep a 1TB drive in my Desktop system, just for backups of my main HD. I also have my Backup/Restore software (Ghost 11.5) on CD’s and Flash drives (multiple copies, for safety sake)
Just for fun, I even put Ghost 11.5 on a bootable SD Memory Card.

Happy Holidays and Happy Backups!
The Doctor

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Hi, guys and thanks for all the suggestions. I’m recovering from too much turkey – hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

I understand the strong feelings about using a backup system other than what is baked into any OS. We ran a very large system re-configuration operation (100’s of PC’s & servers per day) for many years using a Ghost based server. The use of such a system both made our work process much faster and smoother and also saved our bacon many times when client machines showed up full of malware. Since I retired I’ve used various systems but settled on Windows Home Server (V1) as the ideal tool for backup purposes for my home environment. However, WHS (any variety) no longer properly services the system backup needs of Win8.x based UEFI clients. Thus the need to update the backup system. After a lot of researching I settled on Win Server 2012 Essentials as a pretty good prospect to replace WHS for the next few years. I recently purchased a Gen8 HP Microserver and started setting the system up only to discover this System Image Backup issue.

It turns out that WSE must use the same general system backup methodology (& engine?) as the basic Win7/8 image backup system. I got the dreaded 0x80780119 error when my test client (a PC recently updated to Win8.1 using the MS Store) errored out and refused to run the WSE2012 backup routine.

So, my dilemma is not directly related to the System Image Problem on a Win8.1 client but is more broadly related to the apparent fact that an update from Win8 to Win8.1 “breaks” the ability of WSE2012 to backup a client, thereby making the use of WSE2012 largely null.

I’ll try to drill down deeper into some of the resources you pointed out to see if there is a solution that allows us to “repair” the partitions on an updated Win8.1 client so that WSE2012 starts working again. Any further suggestions will be welcomed.

Bill

PS: ruirib – both Win8 and Win8.1 use the “.vhdx” file extension so I think the Win8.1 image restore system is looking deeper into an image backup when it decides not to restore from one made in Win8.

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Here’s a PS to my message above. In looking at many of the proposed solutions to the 0x80780119 error issue, the writers discuss how there is “not enough free space” in the recovery partition of the client PC. Some then propose solutions that require repartitioning of the system drive on the client, in my experience an always iffy proposition.

I’ve checked several of our updated Win8.1 PC’s and all of them show 100% of the Recovery Partition disk space as “free” (using Disk Management). So, I’m not sure the recommended solutions are really getting to the root cause of the problem. Any thoughts?

Bill

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Yes, Bill, you are right on the .vhdx extension. It’s 7 that uses .vhd. Sorry about that. I had in mind some advice gave elsewhere and mixed 7 and 8.0’s formats.

I think the links posted by Joe and MikeyTG1024 will help fix the imaging issue.

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Here are a couple of possible solutions to this problem:

The article at the link below is a very detailed step-by-step description of how to modify a clean install of Win 8.1 so that the system drive partitions are correctly sized to allow System Image Backup and Win Server backup to work correctly. NOTE however that this is a clean, bare-metal install of Win 8.1 and that you will have to reinstall all your software and settings.

http://the-blue-orb.blogspot.com/2013/10/you-cannot-backup-or-restore-windows-81.html

Or,

For those of you who are experienced and who would rather try to “fix” your updated Win8.1 so that you do not have to reinstall all your software and redo all the settings you have modified in Win 8.1 below is a link to a hacker’s step-by-step process to modify/move the partitions on your system drive so that your win 8.1 will correctly perform Windows System Imaging, etc.

Click the link and go to the Most Helpful Reply by jobongo on Oct. 20, 2013 (part way down the first page of the thread): http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-system/cant-backup-81-using-system-image-backup-error/90e39029-ff0d-4318-8701-5f7078198cd0?page=1&tm=1385967303699

Good luck,
Bill

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FWIW, I ran into the image problem and the error saying that there was not enough free space, when there was close to a TB of free space. I use Acronis, but I have always wanted at least two independent forms of imaging. Even if the probability of Acronis failing is low, I believe that problems sometimes appear that mess up recovery plans. So far, my Win8.1 will not make an image. Of the alternatives suggested in this thread, I think that installing Macrium may be the best option. I have used it successfully in the past.

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FWIW, I ran into the image problem and the error saying that there was not enough free space, when there was close to a TB of free space. I use Acronis, but I have always wanted at least two independent forms of imaging. Even if the probability of Acronis failing is low, I believe that problems sometimes appear that mess up recovery plans. So far, my Win8.1 will not make an image. Of the alternatives suggested in this thread, I think that installing Macrium may be the best option. I have used it successfully in the past.

If you test the recovery process and keep multiple images, verified after each image creation, I don’t think you will have problems. I do keep images in different disks, though and have several images I can resort to, going back in time.

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