How to Fix Fix Windows Backup Error 0x80042302 (VSS Writer Failed) on Windows
Windows Backup or System Restore failing with error 0x80042302? A Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) writer failed. Fix this backup error on Windows 10 and 11.
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •Windows Backup fails with error 0x80042302
- •System Restore fails with "Volume Shadow Copy" error
- •System Image Backup returns 0x80042302
- •Third-party backup software also fails with VSS errors
- •Event Viewer shows VSS writer timeout or failure
Common Causes
- ⚠Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) not running
- ⚠VSS writers in a failed state
- ⚠Insufficient disk space for shadow copies
- ⚠Third-party antivirus or backup software conflicting with VSS
- ⚠Corrupted VSS metadata or COM+ registration
Solutions
Solution 1: Restart VSS Service
- 1Win+R → services.msc
- 2Find "Volume Shadow Copy" → right-click → Restart
- 3Also restart "Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider"
- 4Set both to Startup type: "Manual" (default)
- 5Retry the backup operation
Solution 2: Check VSS Writers
- 1CMD as Administrator:
- 2vssadmin list writers
- 3Look for any writers with "State: Failed" or "Last error: Non-retryable"
- 4To reset failed writers: restart the associated service
- 5Common: "System Writer" → restart "Cryptographic Services"
- 6Common: "WMI Writer" → restart "Windows Management Instrumentation"
- 7After fixing: run vssadmin list writers again to verify all are stable
Solution 3: Reset VSS Components
- 1If VSS is completely broken:
- 2CMD as Administrator:
- 3net stop vss
- 4net stop swprv
- 5regsvr32 /s ole32.dll
- 6regsvr32 /s oleaut32.dll
- 7regsvr32 /s vss_ps.dll
- 8vssvc /register
- 9net start vss && net start swprv
- 10Retry backup
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