BSOD volsnap.sys error and steadily decreasing memory

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  1. Posts : 21
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
       #1

    BSOD volsnap.sys error and steadily decreasing memory


    Hi,

    Anyways, a few days ago I experienced a blue screen (the reason I'm only posting now is because I originally posted at Tom's Hardware--because I didn't know about these forums--and received no answers). It indicated that the problem was Error 25--volsnap.sys--the text of the error in Event Viewer is as follows:
    The shadow copies of volume C: were deleted because the shadow copy storage could not grow in time. Consider reducing the IO load on the system or choose a shadow copy storage volume that is not being shadow copied.

    My computer is a Lenovo X1 Carbon running Windows 7 Home Premium.

    I actually experienced this about a month ago and relocated the backup to an external drive--assuming this is what shadow copies are. Apparently that isn't the case.

    Anyways, since undergoing this blue screen, I've run the following checks/scans on all volumes:
    -chkdsk (both /f and /r)
    -fsutil dirty query
    -hard drive scan through wmic (and the built in Lenovo function for checking hard drive health, as well as other components)
    -avast! antivirus
    -Malwarebytes

    All of these have come up clean.

    I also tried to run vssadmin shadow storage to check that status out and possibly relocate the diff area--however even when I tried to run the function as an administrator it was blocked by group policy and I have no idea how to change that or if it would even help. Anyways, that's what the Microsoft service thing told me to do when I checked the Event Log Online Help link in Event Viewer. Obviously that didn't come to anything.

    For context: the last few days my c: drive has steadily been losing storage space--suddenly jumping down to about 3 GB of space and then getting lower and lower. I ran disk cleanup and went via WinDirStat to locate and remove redundant files. This got me back up to 15 GB at the highest and it continued to trickle down. I didn't notice this last time the volsnap.sys blue screen happened, but I also hadn't checked. This time the Lenovo Solution Center warned me that my storage space was getting really low. I hadn't downloaded any programs or anything in a really long time and backup was going to an external drive.
    After I turned the computer on after the blue screen (note that currently everything is functioning perfectly, just like it always has--there's no slowness or anything) I noticed that my available space on the c: drive had jumped up to 46 GB or so. I mean, this makes sense I guess because all the shadow storage copies were deleted--which probably means that it was shadow storage that was taking up so much space. That also means that it filled up just in the last month since the last time this happened--after which I evidently misunderstood and therefore failed to fix the problem. Oops.
    In addition--both times this has happened Windows has attempted and failed to install updates the morning preceding the crash.
    Another weird coincidence is that both times this occurred while I was simultaneously writing an email (via gmail) and running a MozyHome backup.
    (Note--since this occurred a few days ago, the memory has steadily been going down. Currently it is only at 36 GB)

    I don't know how much of this information is useful, but I've tried to include absolutely everything I can think of.
    Would relocating the Diff Area for Volume Shadow Service be a good solution? If so, how do I actually access this function given that group policy (I'm also not totally sure what this is or means) won't let me do it even as an administrator?
    Is there any other solution I'm overlooking?

    I'm just really afraid of this happening again while I'm working on something important and losing important data. I'm a grad student and constantly working on papers and lesson plans and proposals, etc. so having a functioning computer is absolutely critical. I save frequently, but sometimes you're just caught off-guard.

    Thank you so much anyone reading this for bearing with me for so long. I'm really just trying to be thorough.
    Any help is extremely appreciated.
    Again--thank you so much!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,781
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Hello and welcome to Sevenforums!

    Do you need Shadow copying?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 21
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi!

    Thank you so much for replying.

    To the best of my knowledge, the computer is making shadow copies (at least I assume that's what is making the memory on my c drive continue to decrease), but honestly I don't know how to tell. My hunch (with the enormous caveat that the very little I know about computers stems from googling and previous troubleshooting for other issues) is that it's something with the way the shadow copies are being made or where they're being located to. I have no idea how to find or move them. The error message also mentioned I/O load and I have no idea how to do anything with that.

    But I welcome any tips, shadow copy wise!
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,781
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #4

    Shadow copying is basiclly a thing that backups your computer every week if im correct. If you don't need that then i can say how you can disable it and stop the BSODs to occur.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 21
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Ok. Quick question though--is it different than a normal backup? I'm inclined to think it is, just because I run my backups to an external drive, so that couldn't possibly account for the memory decrease. I just want to check though before I do anything.

    Thanks!
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 2,781
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #6

    If you backup your files into a external drive then you can disable shadow copying and get rid of the BSODs.


    1. Click on Start, type services and press enter.
    2. Locate the service "Volume Shadow Copy" and right click and click "Stop".
    3. Close Services windows.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 21
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I'll give that a shot and report back on how that goes in terms of decreasing memory.
    Thanks!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 21
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Actually--weird thing. I just checked and the service was already stopped. I don't know what that means exactly, especially in terms of this issue and the error 25 report.
    I checked event viewer and what's coming up recently is:
    event ID 11, with the following text: The driver detected a controller error on \Device\Harddisk1\DR11

    I keep trying to open the Event Viewer Online Help link but it won't open--I tell it to send information, but it just doesn't. That's never happened before. I tried another event and that wouldn't come up either.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 21
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Actually--update: the event viewer online help was only slow. In any case, it didn't bring up anything for event 11.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 2,781
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #10

    A driver? Run Driver Verifier for 24 hours. Driver Verifier - Enable and Disable
      My Computer


 
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