Under Windows 2012 you are trying VSS backup and you receive an error message “System Image Error: The system writer is not found in the backup”
This issue occurs for lack of appropriate permissions to files in the %windir%winsxsfilemaps or %windir%winsxstempPendingRenames directories.
At the time of writing this blog, this is an unpublished bug for Windows Server 2012.
Cause
Causes for this issue are:
- When Visual Studio 2012 is installed, more than 1,000 subdirectories in the following location: C:WindowsMicrosoft.Net
- Windows Server 2012 limits any directory from containing more than 1,000 subdirectories.
- When the system state writer tries to back up the folder, the issue that is described in “Symptoms” section occurs.
![System Image Error: The system writer is not found in the backup – Windows Server Backup](https://netwoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/T11.png)
Resolution
To resolve this issue, type the following commands from an elevated command prompt:
Takeown /f %windir%winsxstempPendingRenames /a icacls %windir%winsxstempPendingRenames /grant "NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:(RX)" icacls %windir%winsxstempPendingRenames /grant "NT Servicetrustedinstaller:(F)" icacls %windir%winsxstempPendingRenames /grant BUILTINUsers:(RX) Takeown /f %windir%winsxsfilemaps* /a icacls %windir%winsxsfilemaps*.* /grant "NT AUTHORITYSYSTEM:(RX)" icacls %windir%winsxsfilemaps*.* /grant "NT Servicetrustedinstaller:(F)" icacls %windir%winsxsfilemaps*.* /grant BUILTINUsers:(RX) net stop cryptsvc net start cryptsvc
Type the following command to verify that the system writer is now listed:
vssadmin list writers
![System Image Error: The system writer is not found in the backup – Windows Server Backup](https://netwoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/T2.png)
Now try your VSS Backup
![System Image Error: The system writer is not found in the backup – Windows Server Backup](https://netwoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/T3.png)
![System Image Error: The system writer is not found in the backup – Windows Server Backup](https://netwoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/T4.png)
![System Image Error: The system writer is not found in the backup – Windows Server Backup](https://netwoven.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/T5.png)
NOTE: After following the above steps if the issue is still not resolved then please install the server this Hotfix from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2807849/en-us
Awesome article! I noticed the commands don’t have slashes, so I found them from another site. Just posting here to help.
Correct commands with slashes:
Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /a
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant “NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)”
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant “NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)”
icacls %windir%\winsxs\temp\PendingRenames /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)
Takeown /f %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\* /a
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant “NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(RX)”
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant “NT Service\trustedinstaller:(F)”
icacls %windir%\winsxs\filemaps\*.* /grant BUILTIN\Users:(RX)