Volsnap Error

[Kick]

Hi,

Just recently the event viewer has regularly been reporting a Volsnap error on a daily basis. I've run sfs /scannow and disc cleanup without any improvement. System resources are not extensive but have not lessened significantly recently. At present the C partition which has a capacity of 63 GB has 20.6 GB of free space. The processor is an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8 GH. The relevant report from My Event Viewer is as follows:
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Record Number : 2269956
Log Type : System
Event Type : Error
Time : 29/12/2016 17:50:00
Source : volsnap
Category : 0
Event ID : 25
User Name :
Computer : Chris-PC
Event Data Length : 40
Record Length : 212
Event Description : 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.
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The problem seems to have started about the time I defragmented my C partition and Data partition using VOPT but that may be just a coincidence.

Any advice would be appreciated. As I do regular image backups using Macrium Reflect, the loss of Restore Points may not be critical but it would be good if there was a resolution.

Thanks.

 

[allheart55 (Cindy E)]

You are better off allowing Windows to defrag your hard drive.
It seems likely that using VOPT caused the issue.
It sounds as if you need more hard drive space for your volume shadow copies.

 

[Kick]

Thanks for your advice Cindy. I have since removed VOPT from my system although I do have a portable version of Piriform Defraggler available. I have previously used third party defragmenters because the Windows option is so slow.

I'm not sure how much more hard drive space I require for the volume shadow copies. I've only a few programs I could do without and uninstall so would not gain much space that way (I use a number of portable programs which I keep on the data partition or usb memory sticks to keep down the pressure on the C partition). It would be possible to take a bit of space from the data partition but that's not that big either. My hard drive is nominally 160 GB but actually has 149.05 GB available in the following partitions:
*: RECOVERY capacity: 11.72 GB, used: 6.00 GB;
*: SYSTEM capacity: 300 MB, used: 40.77 MB;
C: WINDOWS capacity: 63.02 GB, used: 42.35 GB;
P: Personal (data partition) capacity: 74.01 GB, used: 13.13 GB.

I am considering sometime replacing the internal hard drive with a 500 GB or possibly a 1 TB capacity drive so perhaps I can ignore the problem until I have time to sort the replacement. As I said in my first post, I use Macrium Reflect to create image backups of the partitions so can use them in an emergency (perhaps not as convenient as using a restore point but Macrium Reflect works well). It would be useful too if / when I get a replacement drive.

If the information I have provided here means you have additional suggestions, I would be grateful to see them.

Thanks.

 

[Kick]

Hi Cindy,

Here is an update:

Your suggestion that VOPT probably caused the VolSnap problem would seem to have been confirmed by my latest actions. My oldest C: partition image file created by Macrium Reflect was for October 2016 so not very old but from before I installed VOPT. I thought I've nothing to lose but just a few program updates and Windows updates to get afterwards so I recovered the C; drive with the October image file. Macrium Reflect did its job quickly and effectively other than a very minor glitch where it re-lettered my data partition from 'P' to 'F' but that was easily corrected. Program updates afterwards went well too although Windows Update was more of a pain as it took 12 hours searching for available updates (since then I have followed advice given in another thread so hopefully the January Windows updates will run more efficiently).

Anyway, the result is that I no longer get the VolSnap error although I have now taken a bit of partition space from the data partition and added it to the C: partition. There is one other very minor issue which I think is only cosmetic and has probably been on my computer unnoticed for some time: in System > System Protection where System Restore settings are shown and where I looked during the VolSnap problem lists the following System Restore settings:
Windows (C) (System) On
Personal (P) Off (this is my data partition)
Recovery Off (this partition has no letter and is hidden)
Windows (C) (Missing) On (this puzzles me)

Another hidden, unlettered and very small partition labelled 'SYSTEM' is not shown. However in Computer Management > Storage > Disk Management the following is shown:
(no name, no letter) Simple Basic Healthy (Recovery Partition)
Personal (P) Simple Basic ntfs Healthy (Primary Partition)
SYSTEM (no letter) Simple Basic ntfs Healthy (System, Active, Primary Partition)
Windows (C) Simple Basic ntfs Healthy (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition)
It looks as if, somehow, in System > System Protection, Windows has become confused and added the 'System' label on the small unlettered partition 'SYSTEM' to Windows (C), can no longer find the original Windows (C) and has ignored the original unlettered 'SYSTEM' tiny partition.

As I say, this appears only to be cosmetic in terms of how Windows is now running and may not be related to any of the other recent problems - the issue may be very old and left unseen until recently as I have had little cause to visit System > System Protection.

Any comments and advice would be gratefully received.

Thank you and regards, Chris.
(P.S. I have removed colons from after drive letters because they create a smilie with the following closing bracket )