Issue

System State backup failed with error message: Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine XML document is too long. hr = 0x80070018, The program issued a command but the command length is incorrect.

Symptoms

• In “vssadmin list writers“, System Writer is missing

• Following errors are logged in Application logs for Source: VSS

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine XML document is too long.  hr = 0x80070018, The program issued a command but the command length is incorrect.

Error in Application log:

Log Name:      Application

Source:        VSS

Event ID:      8193

Task Category: None

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Description:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine CreateVssExamineWriterMetadata.  hr = 0x80042302, A Volume Shadow Copy Service component encountered an unexpected error.

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Log Name:      Application

Source:        VSS

Event ID:      8193

Task Category: None

Level:         Error

Keywords:      Classic

User:          N/A

Description:

Volume Shadow Copy Service error: Unexpected error calling routine XML document is too long.  hr = 0x80070018, The program issued a command but the command length is incorrect.

—

Cause

When a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS)-based backup is performed, each of the subscribed VSS writers is queried for a list of components. This issue occurs when that list generates a metadata file that’s larger than the size limitation.

Common causes:

• Too many files in the TemporaryInternetFiles directory, specifically in “C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\ASP Net Temporary Files“. This causes the System Writer to hit the size limit of the VSS metadata file (> 32 MB)

• VSS Writer has added too many components to its metadata file, causing the XML file to grow beyond accepted limit (> 32 MB)

Solution

• Browsed to the Location: “C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319.ASP Net Temporary Files“

• Folder has more than 85,000 file and size of the folder is more than 84 GB

• Copy the files in the “C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319.ASP Net TemporaryFiles” to X:\Temp

• Deleted files and folders from location, “C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319.ASP Net Temporary Files“

• Ran “vssadmin list writer” to verify Writers state. All VSS Writers are stable

• Create a snapshot for C:\ drive, completed successfully

vssadmin create shadow /for=C: 

• Initiate System State Backup from Windows Server Backup or any other Backup application