System State Backup Failure – Error [0x8007007b] The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.
Most of the time this issue occures in a Windows 2008 virtual machine.
You receive the following error message when you run a System State backup on a Windows 2008 R2 server that is virtualized using VMWare ESX.
Cause is due to multiple SCSI controller drivers are being loaded at boot time and one or more is not needed. The failing SCSI controller driver is creating an issue for the WBAdmin / VSS backup process.
Solution:
Before proceeding take a snapshot of the VM using the VI Client. You will modify key boot driver settings.
On the Windows 2008 R2 Server do the following.
1. Verify which SCSI Controller driver you are using.
a. Inside the VM, look in device manager.(Click Propertied and choose driver, check in driver files if its scsi)
b. Using the VI Client, look at the SCSI Controller type.
2. On the Windows 2008 VM open Regedit
3. Navigate to each of the following registry keys to verify their Start values are correct.
a. HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\service\LSI_FC
b. HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\service\LSI_SAS
c. HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\service\LSI_SAS2
d. HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\service\LSI_SCSI
e. Check if Image is path is in same format “\SystemRoot\system32\drivers\lsi_sas.sys”
f. The Start value should be 0x3 for each driver that is NOT the SCSI controller driver determined earlier. Change the Start value as needed.
i. Values and meanings for the Start value
ii. 0x0 = Load on boot
iii. 0x1 = System
iv. 0x2 = Auto Load
v. 0x3 = Load on demand
vi. 0x4 = Disabled
4. DO NOT change the value ImagePath, this is an incorrect solution given on many forums.
5. Rerun the WBAdmin command, the backup should work correctly.
6. Reboot the server to verify you did not break anything.
To discover or verify which driver is causing the issue do the following on Windows 2008.
1. Open a Command Prompt
2. Run the following command sequence, to list the VSS writer information to the file out.txt and then open out.txt in Notepad or another text editor.
Diskshadow /L out.txt
DISKSHADOW> List writers detailed
Exit
Notepad out.txt
3. Search in OUT.txt for windows.
Thanks,
-WintelAdmin.
