Unable to Complete Backup - Error 0x80070002

When attempting to backup a system image and/or selected libraries or files on an OEM installation of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, I am receiving an error message. The initial pop-up states:

The Last Backup Did Not Complete Successfully

When I click on the pop-up to check the backup and select ‘More Details,’ I see the following message.

The System cannot find the file specified
Error Code: 0x80070002

No additional information is provided. (And no clue is provided regarding what “file” is not found.)

While I am attempting to backup to an external hard drive connected via eSATA, this error also occurs when I attempt a backup to either an external USB drive or a DVD.

I have attempted to run various backup scenarios wherein [a] Windows selects what to backup, [b] I choose a system image only, [c] I choose libraries only, or [d] I choose a very small data directory in a directory outside of the libraries. The error is always the same. When the system image is included, the backup does run for a time before the error message occurs – and a significant amount of data is written to the drive. When I run a file-only backup, the error is almost instantaneous.

So far, in attempting to resolve the problem I have taken the following steps (although not necessarily in this order):

1. Confirmed the registry profiles image paths are accordance with the information found at: The Storage Team at Microsoft - File Cabinet Blog : Common causes and solutions to Backup, System Restore, and Complete PC Backup problems - updated!. Everything was correct, no problems found.
2. Ran the system file checker (sfc /scannow) with no errors reported.
3. Scanned all hard drives (chkdsk x: /r)
4. Confirmed that VSS and Windows Backup Services are running via services.msc
5. Although I didn’t think it applied, I tested the Hotfix suggested at: You encounter problems when you move data over USB from a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2-based computer that has an NVIDIA USB EHCI chipset and at least 4GB of RAM. No success.
6. Reviewed the information at
   Error code 0x80070002 when you back up files in Windows 7 however the scenarios did not apply and therefore the solutions were not available to me.
7. Checked the error logs at C:\Windows\Logs\WindowsBackup, but the error log is empty .
8. Ran a Clean Boot via msconfig.exe
9. Attempted to run Backup in Safe Mode, but of course Backup & Restore cannot be run in safe mode, even if I try to start the services manually (Error 1084).
10. Reset Backup Files Configuration, using instructions at: Backup User and System Files - Reset to Default Configuration

I am extraordinarily frustrated. This is a new computer, and an almost new installation of Windows. I have obviously missed something, but don’t know what it is. I am desperate for a solution.

Any help is appreciated.

TSeeker

Do you have Carbonite installed?

spoons27 - No, I do not have Carbonite installed.

Lil' Domii - No. The steps that Robinson Zhang suggests are a repost of the information from the link in my Step #1. It was one of the first things I checked.

I haven't figured it out yet, but your help is appreciated!

TSeeker

Could you list your installed software?

Spoons27 request for information on my installed software raises a point I failed to mention in my original post -- that I was able to use Windows Backup and Restore as recently as two weeks ago, and that the error only cropped up last week. That raises that inevitable question, what changed? What did I install, uninstall or modify that made things quit working? Wow, I've thought about that long and hard, and frankly don't have a clue. Something else that I didn't mention was that I tried a System Restore, but since didn't have one that predated my last successful backup, it wasn't helpful.

And yes, third-party backup software such as Acronis, Paragon, Macrium, etc. definitely provide an inherently more practical and flexible solution to backup than Windows 7 Backup and Restore. However, I've been burned once before by a third-party backup that failed to restore, so the idea of running run more than one backup solution has some appeal to me. That ... and it just bothers me that something that was working is now broken. Stuff like that just needles me.

FYI, I've gone through the list of installed software, and confirmed that the "Installed on Dates" all precede the last successful Windows Backup. Still, I'll pull together the list if you think it will help ....

Having searched long and hard for a solution to the problem described in the original post – unfortunately, without success – and having scoured my list of installed programs for potential culprits, I finally took the drastic step this past weekend of rebuilding my setup from the ground up – first restoring the factory image, and then reinstalling all of my programs, settings and data.

After restoring the factory image, I confirmed that Windows Backup and Restore was working without the error previously described. Then, using both System Restore and a third-party backup solution, I tested Windows Backup & Restore at numerous "checkpoints" throughout the reinstallation process to confirm that it continued to work. I now have everything back as it was, and the problem has not resurfaced.

So, for now at least, the problem is solved. About all I’ve learned at this point is that the problem was not hardware related. Nor does it appear to be a consequence of any program I installed. So whether files were actually missing or there were registry errors other than those commonly associated with this error, I don’t know. From this point forward, I’ll be maintaining a regular rotation of backups, so that if the problem recurs I can recover and maybe isolate the cause to a particular program, set of actions, or whatever. If I do, I’ll post my solution here.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help.