Here ya go:

ntbackup backup systemstate  /F "x:\pathname\ntbackup.systemstate.bkf"

Keep the /F, change the pathname to wherever you want the output to go. 
(Remember it's a big file - assume at least 700M.)

Works nicely to save it as a .bat file, invoke it through the TSM PRESCHEDULE 
option.
I've had to use it before as a permanent solution for cranky Windows boxes.

W

-----Original Message-----
From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf Of 
Timothy Hughes
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 11:45 AM
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] VSS error

  Thanks Wanda,

I have never done a ntbackup (I know it's probably simple but I have
never done that). I will have to research to see how to perform that.

best regards!



On 9/16/2010 10:31 AM, Prather, Wanda wrote:
> Often ntbackup will run even when TSM can't get VSS to run.
>
> Use ntbackup on that node to create a flat file version of the system state 
> backup.
> That flat file will get backed up to TSM.
> Then you have a complete backup, until you can get the VSS errors cleaned up.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf 
> Of Timothy Hughes
> Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 8:12 AM
> To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
> Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] VSS error
>
>    Hi Rajesh,
>
> Thanks., Only problem is the node that  the backup is failing on is a
> important production one and we want to get good complete backups as
> soon as possible. There are nodes that are failing that we could try it
> on first but in the meantime the important production system backups
> will fail.
>
> Though I understand what your saying and that's a good procedure to
> follow. I wish these hotfixes were mandatory or there was some way
> Tivoli could incorporate the VSS hot fixes into a  6.x.x.x client
> install to clear the VSS issues up once and for all.
>
> Best Regards
> Tim
>
>
>
>
> On 9/15/2010 9:16 PM, Lakshminarayanan, Rajesh wrote:
>> HI Timothy,
>>
>>       Do apply the hot fixes in test/development system before applying it
>> in production system.  VSS hot fixes update some of the com components
>> in your windows environment which might affect your application.
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Rajesh Lakshminarayanan
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf 
>> Of
>> Timothy Hughes
>> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 11:09 PM
>> To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ADSM-L] VSS error
>>
>>
>>     Thanks Rick,
>>
>> I will inform the Windows Admin to Install that Hotfix rollup
>>
>> Best
>> Regards
>>
>> On 9/15/2010 10:30 AM, Rick Adamson wrote:
>>> I would start by applying the MS VSS hotfix rollup, many issues
>> resolved
>>> with VSS in this package. Due to similar issues we experienced it is
>> now
>>> part of our Win2k3 baseline.
>>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940349
>>>
>>> Also, it's worth mentioning that events in the windows event log may
>> be
>>> more helpful in determining the exact problem.
>>>
>>> ~Rick Adamson
>>> Jacksonville, Fl.
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] On Behalf
>> Of
>>> Timothy Hughes
>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 10:08 AM
>>> To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
>>> Subject: [ADSM-L] VSS error
>>>
>>>
>>>      Hello All,
>>>
>>> A windows 2003 Tivoli backup client  using   5.5.2.0 is failing with
>> the
>>> following
>>>
>>> question>>    If we use the  SNAPSHOTPROVIDERFS VSS  option in the
>>> dsm.opt  would that be a option the solve this
>>>
>>> or do we need to install a 2003 patch?
>>>
>>> Also, someone said that the latest Windows Tivoli backup client
>> 6.2.1.1
>>> eliminates VSS issues has anyone found that to be true?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 09/14/2010 02:40:53 ANS1512E Scheduled event 'MIDNIGHT' failed.
>> Return
>>> code = 12.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:14 ANS1959W Removing previous incomplete group
>> '\System
>>> State\0\SystemState' Id:0-450200835
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:18 VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus:
>>> VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus failed with
>>> hr=VSS_E_WRITERERROR_RETRYABLE
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:18 ANS5268W The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services
>>> writer 'System Writer' current state (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_BACKUP)
>>> is not valid for the current operation.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:19 ANS5261W An attempt to create a snapshot has
>> failed.
>>> Another attempt will be made to create the snapshot in 30 seconds.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:49 VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus:
>>> VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus failed with
>>> hr=VSS_E_WRITERERROR_RETRYABLE
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:49 ANS5268W The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services
>>> writer 'System Writer' current state (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_BACKUP)
>>> is not valid for the current operation.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:03:49 ANS5261W An attempt to create a snapshot has
>> failed.
>>> Another attempt will be made to create the snapshot in 30 seconds.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:19 VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus:
>>> VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus failed with
>>> hr=VSS_E_WRITERERROR_RETRYABLE
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:19 ANS5268W The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services
>>> writer 'System Writer' current state (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_BACKUP)
>>> is not valid for the current operation.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:19 ANS5261W An attempt to create a snapshot has
>> failed.
>>> Another attempt will be made to create the snapshot in 30 seconds.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus:
>>> VssRequestor::checkWriterStatus failed with
>>> hr=VSS_E_WRITERERROR_RETRYABLE
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS5268W The Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services
>>> writer 'System Writer' current state (VSS_WS_FAILED_AT_PREPARE_BACKUP)
>>> is not valid for the current operation.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS5271E A Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services
>>> writer is in an invalid state before snapshot initialization.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS1327W The snapshot operation for
>>> 'Soldor\SystemState\NULL\System State\SystemState' failed with error
>>> code: 4353.
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS1228E Sending of object
>>> 'Soldor\SystemState\NULL\System State\SystemState' failed
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS5258E An error occurred initializing a VSS
>>> request. For more information, see the TSM client error log.
>>>
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS1375E The snapshot operation failed.
>>>
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS1999E Incremental processing of '\\Soldor\d$'
>>> stopped.
>>>
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS5258E An error occurred initializing a VSS
>>> request. For more information, see the TSM client error log.
>>>
>>> 09/15/2010 02:04:49 ANS1512E Scheduled event 'MIDNIGHT' failed.
>> Return
>>> code = 12.
>>>
>>>
>>> C:\>vssadmin list writers
>>> vssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line
>>> tool
>>> (C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp.
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'System Writer'
>>>        Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {62f5e318-fc0e-4ed3-b295-942dbb5ff8c2}
>>>        State: [7] Failed
>>>        Last error: Retryable error
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'MSDEWriter'
>>>        Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {64dabe0d-1a48-4ef1-aff9-814b83b1a9f2}
>>>        State: [1] Stable
>>>        Last error: No error
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'Registry Writer'
>>>        Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {8210000a-191a-46e3-acb8-09884ce2998b}
>>>        State: [1] Stable
>>>        Last error: No error
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'Event Log Writer'
>>>        Writer Id: {eee8c692-67ed-4250-8d86-390603070d00}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {bccee1c0-6770-4368-b0b6-cef613695fb8}
>>>        State: [1] Stable
>>>        Last error: No error
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer'
>>>        Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {11c7b420-ab2e-4616-ad09-05ab83802edf}
>>>        State: [1] Stable
>>>        Last error: No error
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'WMI Writer'
>>>        Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {f6e85119-7db0-4698-84a3-3b2ff0e122f0}
>>>        State: [7] Failed
>>>        Last error: Retryable error
>>>
>>> Writer name: 'BITS Writer'
>>>        Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0}
>>>        Writer Instance Id: {79d24f8e-095f-4e86-97cd-a264ff7a4988}
>>>        State: [1] Stable
>>>        Last error: No error
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for any response in advance!