VSS error ID 12344 0x00000000c000014d

Question

I have problems with my Cloud-Backup (error on Registry Writer).

I made a test with Diskshadow.

DISKSHADOW> set context persistent

DISKSHADOW> set verbose on

DISKSHADOW> begin backup

DISKSHADOW> add volume C: alias VolumeC

DISKSHADOW> writer verify {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}

DISKSHADOW> create

ERROR: Selected writer "Registry Writer" is in a failed state

 - Status: 9 (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_FREEZE)

 - Writer failure code: 0x苰頴ƃ (VSS_E_WRITERERROR_NONRETRYABLE)

 - Writer ID: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}

 - Instance ID: {9760d7c5-5679-4152-90a6-7072d8671818}

The last operation failed.

    - Returned HRESULT: 80042301

    - Error text: VSS_E_BAD_STATE

Logs:

TimeCreated : 05/05/2026 12:29:12

ProviderName : VSS

Id : 12344

LevelDisplayName : Error

Message : Volume Shadow Copy Error: An error 0x00000000c000014d was encountered while Registry Writer was

               preparing the registry for a shadow copy.  Check the Application and System event logs for any

               related errors.

               Operation:

                  OnFreeze event

                  Freeze Event

               Context:

                  Execution Context: Registry Writer

                  Execution Context: Writer

                  Writer Class Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}

                  Writer Name: Registry Writer

                  Writer Instance ID: {9760d7c5-5679-4152-90a6-7072d8671818}

TimeCreated : 05/05/2026 12:29:12

ProviderName : VSS

Id : 8229

LevelDisplayName : Warning

Message : A VSS writer has rejected an event with error 0x800423f4, The writer experienced a non-transient

               error.  If the backup process is retried,

               the error is likely to reoccur.

               . Changes that the writer made to the writer components while handling the event will not be

               available to the requester. Check the event log for related events from the application hosting the

               VSS writer.

               Operation:

                  Freeze Event

               Context:

                  Execution Context: Writer

                  Writer Class Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}

                  Writer Name: Registry Writer

                  Writer Instance ID: {9760d7c5-5679-4152-90a6-7072d8671818}

                  Command Line: C:\Windows\system32\vssvc.exe

                  Process ID: 9760

Answer 1

Hello Dmitry,

Thank you for posting question on Microsoft Windows Forum!

Based on the issue description as well as the provided error code 0xc000014d translating to STATUS_REGISTRY_QUOTA_LIMIT which might indicate that the Windows Registry has hit its maximum size limit or is failing to flush a transaction to disk during the VSS "Freeze" phase. This might be the reason why the Registry Writer is failing specifically with VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_FREEZE.

The suggestion is to run vssadmin list writers when the machine is idle and again right after a failure to confirm whether only Registry Writer is affected or to confirm Registry Writer state.

Another suggestion is to check for disk space and shadow storage. As VSS requires a "workspace" to store the snapshot metadata. If your system drive (C:) or the System Reserved partition is nearly full, the Registry Writer will fail during the "Freeze" event. You can check C: Drive to ensure that you have at least 10–15% free space. Also checking shadow storage by opening an elevated Command Prompt and run this command vssadmin list shadowstorage .If the "Maximum Storage" is too small or set to a fixed limit that is almost reached, try to increase it.

Since your Diskshadow test showed the writer in a FAILED_AT_FREEZE state, it might probably stay that way until the service is recycled. You can consider to restart the these services in this order COM+ System Application, Distributed Transaction Coordinator, Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) and Cryptographic Services.

Another point worth mentioning here is that since the Registry Writer is a core system component, corruption in the VSS binaries or the registry structure itself can cause this. Run these commands in an elevated prompt repair system files dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and sfc /scannow

You can consult the following useful articles for further reference regarding your concerns.

• https://learn.microsoft.com/id-id/troubleshoot/windows-hardware/drivers/making-vss-shadow-copy-fails-error
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/volume-shadow-copy-service
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/backup-and-storage/no-vss-writers-listed-run-vssadmin-list

Hope the above information is helpful! If it is. Free feel to hit "Accepted" for benefitting others in community having the same issue too.

Answer 2

The Registry Writer is failing during the VSS Freeze phase with a non‑retryable error (VSS_E_WRITERERROR_NONRETRYABLE, 0x800423f4) and event 12344 shows error 0xC000014D while preparing the registry for a shadow copy. This indicates a severe writer failure; simply retrying the backup will not resolve it.

From the documented VSS behavior:

• VSS_E_WRITERERROR_NONRETRYABLE or VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_FREEZE indicates a writer error so severe that backing up that writer’s data with VSS should not be retried without addressing the underlying cause.
• In such cases, it may be acceptable for a backup application to continue without that writer if the backup scope does not require its data. For example, if the intent is to back up a different application and the veto comes from the Registry Writer, the requester can choose to ignore that writer and proceed, depending on backup requirements.

Actionable guidance based on the available information:

1. Treat the Registry Writer error as non‑recoverable for this backup attempt. Do not rely on automatic retries; they will likely fail again.
2. Check the Application and System event logs around the same time for additional errors from components interacting with the registry (for example, transactional registry operations or other services that might be involved during Freeze/Thaw). These related events are what VSS expects administrators to use to identify the root cause.
3. If the backup product allows it and registry consistency is not required for the scenario, configure the backup to proceed without the Registry Writer (ignore that writer’s veto) and limit the backup to the volumes/applications that do not depend on it.
4. If registry consistency is required, the only supported path is to resolve the underlying registry or system issue indicated by the related Application/System log entries before attempting VSS backups again.

There is no registry tweak or simple VSS setting in the provided material that can clear a VSS_E_WRITERERROR_NONRETRYABLE for the Registry Writer; resolution depends on fixing the underlying registry or system condition that causes the writer to fail at Freeze.

---

References:

• Writer Errors and Vetoes
• VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_FREEZE error when you try to make a VSS shadow copy
• Backup task fails with a time-out error in Windows