HI Michael,

This is a Windows issue (Windows registry or some VSS catalog not cleaned up 
after installing/de-installing some package containing the file).

Networker provides a patched binary which skips those files. 

I got rid of this same problem on two different clients by simply creating the 
missing  (dummy) file. 

jee


On Wednesday 08 December 2010 14:53:25 Michael Leone wrote:
> NW 7.5.2, on Win2003 SP2. Clients are Win2008 R2, NW 7.5.2.
>
> I'm seeing some errors when backing up my Win2008 R2 clients. The funny
> thing is, I see the exact same error about the exact same file, on all the
> clients ...
>
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Get file attributes
> returned error 3 for VSS file
> \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy24\windows\system32\cba\pds.e
>xe * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Error saving file path
> C:\windows\system32\cba\pds.exe that is associated with Shadow Copy path
> \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy24\windows\system32\cba\pds.e
>xe. The system cannot find the path specified.
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - ERROR: Failed to save
> FileGroup files, writer = System Writer
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Error saving writer
> System Writer
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - ERROR: Aborting backup
> of saveset VSS SYSTEM FILESET: because of the error with writer System
> Writer.
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ System Writer - Error saving
> * dctrads001:VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ /
>
> I've read where this type of error is caused by not having a drive letter
> assigned to the MS reserved partition. Unfortunately none of my servers
> seem to have this special partition. I do *not* see any such partition in
> Disk Management. There is only the 1 partition on the disk. The server was
> created using the HP Smart Start tool. I see the same thing (lack of
> reserved partition) even on my Win2008 R2 VMs, which are also exhibiting
> this error. There is no reserved partition for me to assign a drive letter
> on any of my Win2008 R2 clients.
>
> Any other areas to investigate? I only see this particular error (about
> pds.exe) from my Win2008 R2 clients. I do have the KB940349 VSS Rollup
> Hotfix applied on the server ...

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and 
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to 
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this 
list. You can access the archives at 
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER