keeps crashing / freezing

Yes, of course I checked if VSS was running in component services and it was. The problem still remains.

Any other ideas?

Have you tried checking the disk for errors?

Yes, I've performed a CHKDSK /f in addition to a complete DEFRAG. Unfortunately, that's not it.

Have a look at this link and search for the error 0x80070002. Don't know if this will help but it might be worth a shot:

The Storage Team at Microsoft - File Cabinet Blog : Common causes and solutions to Backup, System Restore, and Complete PC Backup problems - updated!

Night said:

Express Writer error: failed while adding express writers from directory System.

Operation:
Initializing Writer
Gathering Writer Data
Executing Asynchronous Operation

Context:
File Path: C:\Windows\Vss\Writers\System\
Execution Context: Requestor
Current State: GatherWriterMetadata

Error-specific details:
Error: CreateFile("75DFB225-E2E4-4d39-9AC9-FFAFF65DDF06.xml"), 0x80070002, The system cannot find the file specified.

BryanMi said:

Express Writer error: failed while adding express writers from directory System.

Operation:
Initializing Writer
Gathering Writer Data
Executing Asynchronous Operation

Context:
File Path: C:\Windows\Vss\Writers\System\
Execution Context: Requestor
Current State: GatherWriterMetadata

Error-specific details:
Error: CreateFile("75DFB225-E2E4-4d39-9AC9-FFAFF65DDF06.xml"), 0x80070002, The system cannot find the file specified.

The file referenced above does exist, so I don't know why it says it can't create the file.

Its interesting how its trying to create the same file on both your systems yet having the same problem, I would call this another confirmed bug in the RC release...

CreateFile: (CreateFile Function (Windows))

Its the return value from the CreateFile API being logged/reported (Its good I looked up that page, some retard noob changed the syntax I posted for vb and C# syntax in the community section )

The problem you guys are experiencing is that one of the files VSS is trying to backup either doesn't exist in the source directory, has security permissions preventing a successful backup or has illegal characters in its filename...

I couldn't tell you the exact cause without trying to reproduce and isolate the exact problem but they are the usual causes of failure's to call CreateFile.

Steven

<LI class="g w0">"Error Code: 0x80070002" error message cites license-checking ...

Describes an issue with Dell computers that receive an "Error code: 0x80070002" error message when Windows XP starts. Provides a workaround.

Code:

support.microsoft.com/kb/310794

- Similar pages -


<LI style="MARGIN-LEFT: 3em" class="g w0">You receive a "0x80070002" or "0x80070003" error code after you ...

Describes how to resolve a problem where a red X appears adjacent to an update after you try to download it from the Windows Update or Microsoft Update Web ...

Code:

support.microsoft.com/kb/910336

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OK, the link HammerHead786 provides was useful. It seems this error is tue to a problem with the ProfileImage Path.
----------------
This problem is due to one or more profiles under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList with missing ProfileImagePathThis problem is due to one or more profiles under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList with missing ProfileImagePath
------------------
I have deleted the items from the ProfileList above, but here is my question:

When I upgraded to Windows 7, I deleted some old user accounts on my machine. I then deleted the C:\users\XXX directories that went with those old user accounts.

Apparently, VSS is having a problem because somewhere it still things those directories exist and they don't (somewhere beyond the ProfileImage reg keys above).

Does anyone know if you delete a user account, where VSS might keep or reference a list that it uses to try and back up those user accounts that no longer exist?

A very good Reg cleaner.

Glad I could be of help. How did you delete the user profiles i.e. did you just go into C:\users and delete the relevant user or did you just delete the account via control panel - users?

*** The correct way to delete old profiles is: ***

Right click Computer
Select Properties
Select Advanced System Settings
Under User Profiles Select Settings


If you do it this way it deletes all registry entries related to that user account.

Note to self: read posts properly before asking questions.

OK, well if anyone is listening from Microsoft, this is definitely a Windows 7 bug and not due to the user account deletion. Here's why:

1. I started with a spare, formatted hard drive and installed Windows 7
2. I installed all the drivers for my Thinkpad
3. I ran Backup, it worked fine
4. I then copied over files from \My Documents on my old hard drive to the new hard drive using a simple Windows copy
5. I installed Office 2007, Office 2007 SP2, Visio 2007 and Project 2007 as well as FrontPage 2003, Microsoft Digital Image Suite 2006, PhotoDraw V2 and Live Photo Gallery and Messenger.
6. I ran Backup, same error as originally found.

So, we can rule out the user accounts and some sort of corruption in the registry and narrow it down to something either in the installation of a Microsoft product that it chokes on, or a file in \My Documents that it chokes on, but the only thing in \My Docs are docs, a .PST, PPT's, some music files and some videos.

I live in Redmond, so if any Microsoftie in the Windows group wants the hard drive to repro, let me know.