Backup fails at about 60%, Error 0x8078012D

Frozenthunder · 04 May 2011

So after I gave up with Synctoy I tried to use the so awesome best backup methode which is built in, and who would have guessed that, it doesn't work correctly. I'm trying to make a backup including system image (I choosed the userfolder and Programdata folder as normal backups) and I just got some error that it can't be completed due to some I/O error, code 0x8078012D. I have done some googling and found out that this problem already exists since 2 years and it keeps existing. Seriously, is there even any solution for this or is it impossible to fix this? Does the backup function with system image even work for anyone at all? Or is it just some commercial stuff to make windows look better? Why does microsoft throw out such stuff which doesn't even work after 2 years? What's so hard about copying some files to external hdd? All I want is to backup my hdd and to do some fast backups like with Synctoy, which only copy new/changed files so that I don't have to waste my HDD lifetime by copying each week over 300 GB onto it. What can I do to make built in backup function work? And if there really is no way to make it work, what other programs could I use? I already know good methods such as copying the complete partition with Gparted for Knoppix or Acronis Disc Director Suite boot CD but then I still got the problem (aw I accidently wrote program here, see, programs=problems

) that it takes ages because I must always re copy the whole partition. Any suggestions?

I do not use some 3rd party AV or Firewall, I use built in Firewall + Firewall control and Microsoft security Essentials, also I didn't do anything on my PC, just checked how far the backup was already completed and also didn't run any programs which would cause much CPU usage or mess my computer up.

My external HDD is brand new and I can easily copy 1TB of data onto it without geting any error (SMART would have noticed broken sectors anyway), and my internal HDD is also fine. (no bad sectors)

All those services like shadowcopy are running, too.

mjf · 04 May 2011

It looks like the volume shadow copy service is ok ? (it should have startup type - manual).

Can you make a system image on its own (left button option -create a system image)?

If not and you have a 100MB system reserved partition check what the free space is. You can see it by using "Disk Management". It needs to have 50MB or more free.

Frozenthunder · 04 May 2011

Shadowcopy service is set to automatic, but I think it's running all the time since I also use system restore and such and all files I delete I can undelete. So I wonder why it would not run. Where is difference between automatic and manual? I will do now chkdsk /R before I go to school on my source hdd, maybe it finds some error, I just tried the backup again with turning off MSE and all unnecessary programs but I still get the error when the backup file has around 193GB (my hdd contains 311GB)

Frozenthunder · 05 May 2011

mjf said:

If not and you have a 100MB system reserved partition check what the free space is. You can see it by using "Disk Management". It needs to have 50MB or more free.

I'm not sure what you mean with this. Here is a Screenshot of disk management:

http://image-upload.de/image/pfx3qv/559c257e85.jpg

I got 3 partitions, 1 is the system partition and the other one is the recovery partition on which the system in it's usual state is (with all the stuff from dell and such). And some 39MB partition, I think on those are the Dell test tools which you can boot directly.
Do you mean the free space of my system partition? I got over 100GB free space.

chkdsk didn't find any errors on my source HDD, also there are no reallocated sectors or such (I checked the SMART abilities with HDTune).

I'm trying now to at least do a backup of my ProgramData and Users folder, hopefully at least this works. What can cause an I/O device error anyway?

I did backup now my user and Programmdata folders without errors (were 193GB of data). Any suggestions what I could do to prevent from an error when I try doing a hdd image again?

mjf · 05 May 2011

You have a typical Dell setup. No 100MB system reserved partition. This is a separate partition that contains some critical boot files. Dell include this function in the Recovery partition which you can see is system, active on your computer.
So basically, the 100 MB partition problem is NOT your problem.

The simplest solution is to use another imaging software package. Macrium Reflect has a free version and very highly regarded by members of this forum. I use it as well as the Windows imaging. You don't need both. I suggest you try it.
Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

Frozenthunder · 05 May 2011

it says that it's creating the image while you can run windows, I have used programs which boot from CD before (don't work with my Dell). If the normal image function won't work, then are you sure that this works? it says that it also uses the shadow copy service, maybe that's what causes the problem? Because you said you use the windows backup software and the macrium reflect and first works fine for you. Can I also boot this software directly from CD to make an image? i guess this would work best

Frozenthunder · 06 May 2011

Bump

I think I know now what causes the problem. I messed around with Macrium reflect and when I tried to backup my backuppartition it gave me E/A Error, in windowslogs it says that the driver says that there was an controller error on \Device\Ide\IdePort0. So I think maybe this partition IS the problem? However, it's important that this partition gets backed up too.

mjf · 06 May 2011

Frozenthunder said:

Bump

I think I know now what causes the problem. I messed around with Macrium reflect and when I tried to backup my backuppartition it gave me E/A Error, in windowslogs it says that the driver says that there was an controller error on \Device\Ide\IdePort0. So I think maybe this partition IS the problem? However, it's important that this partition gets backed up too.

I don't understand what you are saying.

Frozenthunder · 06 May 2011

mjf said:

Frozenthunder said:

Bump

I think I know now what causes the problem. I messed around with Macrium reflect and when I tried to backup my backuppartition it gave me E/A Error, in windowslogs it says that the driver says that there was an controller error on \Device\Ide\IdePort0. So I think maybe this partition IS the problem? However, it's important that this partition gets backed up too.

I don't understand what you are saying.

Detailed explenation:

I started Macrium reflect and saw my 3 partitions there, the ones which you can also see on the screenshot I posted here. I choosed the backup one, it's a partition which contains the system in it's usual state. My PC came with a recovery disc, when I insert it and boot from it and run the program which is on there then it copies all the files back from the backup partition to my main partition. When I just delete this partition I risk that my system won't work anymore (people deleted it because they didn't need it and then their notebook didn't boot anymore. Sounds a bit confusing I know, because the OS which you run isn't on this partition, just a backup of it from it's usual state). That's why I need a backup of it too, because just geting the OS partition back on a new hdd in case of HDD failure may cause that the notebook doesn't boot anymore. So I tried to back that Systemrecovery partition up and Macrium reflect froze, then my PC froze, then it said I/O device error and in the windows logs it said something like (I translate from german to english): the driver noticed a controller error on \Device\Ide\IdePort0. Understand now? It just seems that the program or the vss service can't get access to this partition for whatever reason.
And thanks that you are trying to help me. If I can't get access to the partition then the last thing which would help would be some bootable imaging software, would be nice if it allows compression and had something like intelligent sector copy (so that the image doesn't need much space).

Edit: I think my HDD is just broken. I'm having other issues too and I asked people about this which have the same notebook and same HDD like me but they don't have them. I will get new HDD from Dell soon and I hope that the problem is gone then.