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Server 2019 Datacenter VM with 8 CPU and 16BG RAM
I have backup jobs failing on this server because the vss writers are taking an too long to start. Running the list writers command initially gives me "Waiting for responses. These may be delayed if a shadow copy is being prepared." Eventually the list will complete but after many minutes. I do not have Shadow Copies enabled on any drive on the server.
I have read multiple articles and posts on various sites. Some have suggested re-registering DLLs, restarting services, etc. Nothing has fixed this.
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Hi,
Have you checked the application log in the Event Viewer? Are there any VSS errors logged?
Run the following commands in an elevated cmd window to check for problems.
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow
Hello Ian_Xue!
The only VSS errors I'm seeing in the event viewer are ID 12347. But they are inconsistent. The last was 10/18.
Volume Shadow Copy Service error: An internal inconsistency was detected in trying to contact shadow copy service writers. The Registry Writer failed to respond to a query from VSS. Check to see that the Event Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service are operating properly, and please check the Application event log for any other events.
Operation:
Gathering Writer Data
Executing Asynchronous Operation
Context:
Execution Context: Requestor
Current State: GatherWriterMetadata
DISM came back that source files couldn't be found. I downloaded the install ISO and added the /source switch, same result.
SFC /scannow came back clear.
I've found if I disable the SQL Server VSS Writer, the vssadmin list writers command completes successfully. But my SQL backup job won't complete. If I start the SQL VSS Writers again, the list writers gets hung, but the job still fails.
Since the issue could be more related to the SQL VSS Writer, it is recommended to repost the question in Microsoft Q&A because SQL Server is not currently supported in the Microsoft Support Community.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/
Click the "Ask a Question" button in the upper right corner to post your question and select the related tags.
To troubleshoot slow VSS writer responses in Server 2019, verify shadow copy settings, monitor system resources, restart the VSS service, re-register VSS DLLs, disable unnecessary software, and check disk health. Review the Event Viewer for any error messages and check backup software settings. If you're still unable to resolve the issue, contact Microsoft support.
