Windows 7 backup fails to complete

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Hi
Help please.
When I turned on my external hard drive so the Windows backup could run I received the following message,
“The parameter is incorrect (0X80070057).” My ext. hard drive is a Toshiba USB-HDD NTFS 1TB.
In the icon tray it showed that the backup was in progress but it did not complete.
Disk Sentinel shows the hard drive is in perfect condition.
My OS Windows 7 Pro.
Kind regards
Dave31791-Backup

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Have you tried to run it again?

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Hi Rui
Yes have tried a few times, same story.
Thanks
Dave

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Did you reboot in between the attempts, Dave?

I also found this: “This error is caused by a bug in File Backup where if you don’t back up at least one file during the full backup, every backup after that fails. The workaround is to go through the Backup wizard again and choose a new full file backup at the very end”.

Are you able to run the backup wizard again?

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Hi Rui
Yes I did reboot. I am not able to run the backup wizard again.
Thanks
Dave

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There has been many discussions of Win 7 Backup and Restore. A few people have had success with it, but many have not. Have you thought about trying one of the excellent 3rd party Imaging apps?

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Hi Ted,
Have downloaded the free version of Macrium Reflect and wi
try to give it a go. Is it pretty straightforward?
Many thanks
Regards
Dave

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Dave,
Hello… have a read of this Post #17 ..Use a Free 3rd party Imaging software, and forget “Windows” Regards Fred

PS: Macrium Reflect Free Version 5 will do

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Hi Fred,
Many thanks. I have dowloaded Macrium Reflect free version, and will attempt it. Not sure how.
Can all the info from the previous Windows backups be removed somehow?
Regards
Dave

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Hi Fred,
Many thanks. I have dowloaded Macrium Reflect free version, and will attempt it. Not sure how.
Can all the info from the previous Windows backups be removed somehow?

Dave,
Hello….There are a few things about “Imaging” that you should be aware of … no matter which program you choose to use.

1. Imaging is the most important procedure that you can do for your PC and Data. In the event of something going wrong your OS and Data will be preserved, and in most cases in about 10 minutes or so ..Even if it’s your own fault ( been there done that many times)

2. Read the (?) help with Macrium program , check out all the “buttons”

3. “Burn” the Recovery disk ( the best option is the WAIK WinPE ) Windows Automated Installation Kit. It’s a 1.7 GB download , but once done you can delete it if you want …I save mine to a folder for future use ..Follow the Macrium “Create a recovery disk” Not a big deal to do ,

4. Make sure that your BIOS is set to boot from a CD when starting , and test the disk.. This will load the Macrium program in the event your PC won’t boot…It will allow you to select your Images that you have previously made to recover to.

5. The Images should be placed on a 2nd Internal external HD ..just in the event your primary HD gives up.

Post back with questions ..take your time ..many here can help you with questions …As deleting old windows backups …You can, but if there OK you should keep them until you get “on board” with 3rd party Imaging.:cheers: Regards Fred

PS: When you get this Imaging sorted out you can now go back and see what’s up with your PC without worries of “messing something up”

PPS: See this tutorial ..might help Macrium KB’s

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See if the answer here sheds any light:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/the-parameter-is-incorrect-0x80070057-when-i-click/72068fcd-620c-4453-9683-f2d3382bb7c7

Jerry

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I cannot answer your question about Macrium Reflect as I use Acronis TIH.

I always create new Images when something changes, and at least once per month after Patch Tuesday. I just Images both of our PC’s last evening after some changes.

The way I create my Images is to boot to the app Boot Disk, and create them outside of Windows. I know Acronis allows an Image to be created from within Windows, but this is so important that I feel more comfortable creating these Images from outside Windows.

I also include both my OS partitions in each Image (Win 7 and Win 8). In this way I can restore either or both OS although I restore one at a time.

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Hi
Just want to say many thanks to everyone for their input.
Much appreciated.
Kind regards
Dave

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Hi
Just want to say many thanks to everyone for their input.

Dave,
Hello.. Just one other thing .. “Windows Backup” does work … Just not as well ( form or function) as the 3rd party software … You should still investigate the “Why” it’s not working, after you get a few Images “under your belt” and you know how to use them. Most likely a corrupt file … Regards Fred

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Hi Fred
Many thanks, will do.
Regards
Dave

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Hi
Problem solved, Windows backup and restore working again.
In Region and Language, in Format, changed language to English (Great Britain) and that’s it,
When, how and why this was changed I have no idea.
Thanks
Dave

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When I turned on my external hard drive so the Windows backup could run I received the following message,
“The parameter is incorrect (0X80070057).” My ext. hard drive is a Toshiba USB-HDD NTFS 1TB.
In the icon tray it showed that the backup was in progress but it did not complete.

Problem solved, Windows backup and restore working again.
In Region and Language, in Format, changed language to English (Great Britain) and that’s it,

When I read your OP, my first question was whether you first started Windows Backup, then powered up your external HDD (as your post seems to imply). If that’s correct, then it wouldn’t surprise me if the backup file were corrupted, leading to all of the subsequent symptoms.

Your last post threw me for a loop, though, leading to these questions: What language was your system set to, if not English? Was Windows actually displaying all text in that other language?

Even if so, I still can’t imagine any scenario in which any language choice would cause the symptoms you’ve described. This simply doesn’t add up for me. Very odd.

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I cannot give any technical details for this, and I agree it does seem odd. I am no expert so I am learning from this site.
My ext. HDD was already on when the backup started, as I run the backup on a weekly schedule.
One week the backup was fine, the next not? On my task bar it now shows EN English (South Africa).
Many thanks
Regards
Dave

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I cannot give any technical details for this, and I agree it does seem odd. I am no expert so I am learning from this site.
My ext. HDD was already on when the backup started, as I run the backup on a weekly schedule.
One week the backup was fine, the next not?

Another possibility is that your HDD is starting to get some weak sectors (or just started to try to use some that had been weak for some time). A weak sector (as opposed to one that’s entirely gone bad) can give these kinds of inconsistent results.

Try running checkdisk /f on the external HDD, and let us know if that turned up anything.

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Have run the checkdisk on my HDD and found no problems.
The weekly Windows backup ran yesterday with no problems.
Just to point out while I was having the problem, I did try another ext.HDD and received the same error message.
Regards
Dave

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Have run the checkdisk on my HDD and found no problems.
The weekly Windows backup ran yesterday with no problems.
Just to point out while I was having the problem, I did try another ext.HDD and received the same error message.

Yes, that probably rules out a problem with the HDD. Again, since it sounds like a data error, the next thing I’d wonder is if the USB cable you’re using is faulty–perhaps with a tenuous connection that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. If the problem should ever reoccur, switching to a new cable might be worth trying.

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Many thanks for the reply. The cable is something I never thought about. I will certainly bear this in mind for the future.
Presently the backups are working fine, and I am also running Macrium.
Regards
Dave

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