# Volume shadow copy problem



## suryansha (Nov 13, 2008)

Hi I have started volume shadow copy service on my machine but shadow copies tab dont appears on any of the drives properties. And the previous versions tab also dont appear on the shared drives

Kindly tell me the steps if I am missing something
Waitng for a reply

Regards

suryansha


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

Verify that you have properly configured your Volume shadow copies, check this first, and this one and last one here.


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## suryansha (Nov 13, 2008)

I have done that but the problem is that shadow copies tab dont appear on drive properties and previous versions tab is also not available


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## TheOutcaste (Mar 19, 2009)

Are you running Vista or Win 7 Professional or better? Or Server 2008?

The Previous Versions feature is not included in Starter, Home Basic, or Home Premium. Neither is it in XP or Win2k3


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## suryansha (Nov 13, 2008)

no I am running Windows XP and Windows server 2003


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## TheOutcaste (Mar 19, 2009)

Well that explains why you don't see those tabs, they don't exist in either of those versions of Windows.


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## suryansha (Nov 13, 2008)

well what I have studied is that windows xp sp2 and windows server 2003 enterprise edition do support vss so why previous versions tab and shadow copies tab is not present?


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## TheOutcaste (Mar 19, 2009)

Looks like I spoke too soon, Server 2003 does support Shadow Copies and Previous Versions. My apologies for the mis-information.

XP does not have the Shadow Copies feature, but you can install a client onto the XP systems to access shadow copies that are stored on the Win2K3 server. This only works for Previous Versions on the Server, not for anything on the local disk. The VSS service is only used locally for ntbackup and 3rd party tools to be able to access files that are in use.

The Shadow Copies tab should appear on the Disk Properties page on Server 2003 as long as the disk is formatted NTFS. It will not appear in XP.

So on Server 2003, you do not see the Shadow Copies tab on the Disk Properties page? What does the File System line show for this drive?

Or, right click *My Computer*, click *Manage*.
Right click *Shared Folders*, point to *All Tasks*, then click *Configure Shadow Copies...*
Or is that also missing?


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## suryansha (Nov 13, 2008)

first of all thank you outcaste for replying to my problem
now what I see is that I dont see any shadow copies tab on window server 2003 but the drive is formatted with NTFS.
Also "Configure shadow copies" is missing from shared folders ou in manage

waiting for your reply
regards
suryansha


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## TheOutcaste (Mar 19, 2009)

I haven't found anyway to remove the Shadow Copies tab. Even with the VSS Service disabled, the tab should still be there. I can't find a GPO that will remove it, though that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. On a fresh install of Win2k3 Enterprise, even with no roles installed the Shadow Copies tab should be present, as should the Configure Shadow Copies option in Computer Management.

Are the other 6 tabs all present on the drive properties sheet?

Some things to try
Try re-registering the VSS Components.
Go to the Resolution section in this KB article and follow the steps listed:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940032
Also do this command:
*regsvr32 /I shell.dll*

Open a new Command Prompt and type these two commands:
*vssadmin list writers
systeminfo|findstr /I /c:"OS "*
Copy the results and paste in your next reply.
To copy from the Command Prompt
Right click the title bar
Point to *Edit*
Click *Select All*. This highlights everything
Press *Enter*. This copies to the clipboard.
Click in the reply window, press *CTRL+V*

You might want to run SFC to check for corrupted system files.
Click *Start | Run* (or press *WinKey+R*)
type *SFC /SCANNOW*
You'll need the Server 2003 CD

On the XP system, have you mapped the shared folder on the server to a drive letter and are right clicking that mapped drive, or are you right clicking on the shared folder as shown in Windows Explorer under the Server (\\ServerName)?
What about if you right click on a _file_ in the shared folder, does the Previous Versions tab appear then?


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## joeny0706 (Feb 3, 2010)

I just wanted to let you know. That I have win 2003 and win XP. When I am at the server and a desktop I do see the shadow copies on the server but only for the local disk when at the my computer page. On the server I only see the previous versions for the folders within the local drive when I am looking at the from a share "meaning when I have maped a network drive from within the local drive". So if I am looking at the folders from my computer then directly within the local drive I do not see the previous versions. But if I am the still on the server and still at the my computer and looking at the folders from a share I do see the previous versions on the folders within the drive on the properties when I right click the folder. It is very confusing.

When I am on the win XP machine I do see the previous versions for the folders


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