This System Image error message is terribly confusing

Because of the length of the error message and the specific number given, the error message is commonly referred to as “There is not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy of the storage location (0x80780119).” 

As you can see, the full error message is very confusing and more often than not, the shortened version is interpreted as meaning that there is not enough free space on the destination drive. However, in actuality it indicates a problem with the source drive. After investigating the problem in detail, I have discovered that there are two common causes for the problem – one cause in Windows 7 and a different cause in Windows 8. I have also discovered that there are two separate solutions that will ultimately allow you to successfully create a system image.

In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I will walk you through the steps I used to decipher the problem. Then, I’ll examine each of these solutions and show you how to implement them.

Credit: Images by Greg Shultz for TechRepublic

After arranging the column headers, check the Capacity and Free Space columns see if they adhere to the rules

Breaking down the error message

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Let’s begin with the details revealed in the error messagernitself. Let me start off by saying that this is a horribly written errorrnmessage that is terribly confusing.

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The first sentence is the one that is the most misleading:

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There is not enoughrnspace to create the volume shadow copy on the storage location.

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As you can imagine, this being the first sentence leadsrnpeople off to thinking that the cause of the problem is that there is notrnenough free space on the destination drive. However, if you read into the nextrntwo sentences and ignore the typos, you will see that there is a hint at thernreal problem

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Make sure that, forrnall volumes to be backup up, the minimum required disk space for shadow copyrncreation is available. This applies to both the back up storage destination andrnvolumes included in the back up.

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Looking at these sentences, we can see that the error can berncaused by not having enough free space on either the source or the destination.rnAnd, we can begin to see that the error message is referring to not havingrnenough free space for the volume shadowrncopy rather that the total amount space required for the full system image.

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The next three sentences spell out exactly how much freernspace is required for the volume shadowrncopy:

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Minimum requirement:

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• For volumes less than 500rn megabytes, the minimum is 50 megabytes of free space.

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• For volumes more than 500rn megabytes, the minimum is 320 megabytes of free space.

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Recommended:

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• At least 1 gigabyte ofrn free disk space on each volume if volume size is more than 1 gigabyte.

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At this point we begin to decipher the real problem. First,rnjust about everyone who encounters this problem has tried creating the SystemrnImage on both DVDs and a large external hard disk with plenty of room to holdrnthe system image as well as the volume shadow copy, so we can eliminate therndestination drive as the cause of the problem. That leaves the source drive asrnthe location of the problem causing the error message. However, before we digrndeeper into the source drive, we need to take a closer look at the entity whichrnwe need there to enough free space – the volume shadow copy.

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The Volume Shadow Copy

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As we discovered, the error message is referring to notrnhaving enough free space for the volume shadow copy rather that the totalrnamount space required for the full system image. So, what is the volume shadowrncopy?

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In a nutshell, the Volume Shadow Copy feature runs inrnWindows as a Service and is designed to make snapshot-like backup copies of therndata on a volume. This snapshot technology is built into tools like SystemrnImage to allow it to create backups of data without it having to be concernedrnwith changes being made to the data while it is in the process of backing uprnthat data. So, when you launch System Image, it immediately takes a snapshot ofrnall the data in a volume as it exists at that particular point in time. It thenrnsaves this snapshot as a file on the volume. If there is more than one volumernon the hard disk, which is typically the case, System Image takes and saves arnsnapshot of each volume. Once all the snapshots are taken, the System Imagerntool goes to work copying all these snapshots to the destination and assemblingrnthem into a comprehensive image of the hard disk.

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The volumes on the source drive

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We’ve eliminated the destination as the cause of the problemrnand have shifted our focus to the source drive. With that in mind, let’s take arncloser look at the source.

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As you know, the image created by Windows’ System Image toolrnencompasses the entire hard disk and the hard disk can be divided up intornmultiple partitions, which are also called volumes. A hard disk in the Windowsrnenvironment will have at least two and maybe more partitions or volumes. Ofrncourse, there will be the main volume representing the C drive. There may alsornbe a volume labeled System Reserved, which doesn’t have a drive letter. ThernSystem Reserved volume is created during Setup and is designed to hold thernoperating system’s Boot Manager and the Boot Configuration Database. It is alsorndesigned to be used by the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature should you decidernto implement it. In Windows 7, the System Reserved volume will be 100MB and inrnWindows 8, the System Reserved volume will be 350MB

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Now, if you purchased a computer with an OEM version ofrnWindows preinstalled, there may be other volumes on your hard disk. Forrnexample, there might be volumes labeled Recovery Partition, OEM Partition, orrnEFI System Partition. Depending on the OEM, these additional volumes could bernany size in either MBs or GBs. In most cases, none of these additional volumesrnis assigned a drive letter. However, if you launch Windows’ Disk Managementrntool, you can take a look at all of the volumes that exist on your hard disk. Torndo so in either Windows 7 or Windows 8, press [Windows] + R to access the Runrndialog box. Then type diskmgmt.msc in the Open text box and click OK.

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Looking for the problem

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At this point, we now have enough information to go lookingrnfor the source of the problem. Using the details provided in the last threernsentences of the error message and the Disk Management tool, we can take arncloser look at each volume on the source drive and identify which one is therncause of the problem.

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You’ll want to arrange the column headers in the top panelrnof Disk Management so that you can clearly read all the information, as shownrnin Figure B. Once you do, check thernCapacity and Free Space columns of each volume on Disk 0 and see if they adherernto the specifications or rules laid out in the last three sentences of thernerror message in order to be able to accommodate the Volume Shadow Copyrnsnapshot file. For your convenience, I’ve summarized the rules in Table A below.

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Table A

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The minimum and recommended space rules from the errorrnmessage.

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If you identify a volume on your hard disk that violatesrnthese rules, then you have discovered the source of the error message. How you gornabout solving the problem will depend on how the offending volume is configuredrnand how it will allow you to work with it. Let’s take a look.

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You can use Disk Management to assign a drive letter to the System Reserved volume

The Change Journal problem

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In Windows 7, the most common cause of the problem will bernthe System Reserved volume, which has expanded in size due to an anomaly in thernChangernJournal system. As you may know, in order to keep track of changes tornfiles, the NTFS file system maintains a database called the Change Journal. Basically,rnwhen any change is made to a file or directory, the Change Journal is updatedrnwith a new record that contains the name of the file or directory that wasrnchanged along with a brief description of the change along. Then, an Update SequencernNumber (USN) is assigned to the record.

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Unfortunately, it turns out that a malfunction of some sortrnoccurs in certain file or disk operations that can inadvertently cause Change Journalrnentries to be created on the System Reserved volume. Whatever the situation,rnthe buildup of entries on this volume uses up the space that the System Imagerncreation process needs to use to store the Volume Shadow Copy files.

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To fix this problem in Windows 7 requires three operations:rnFirst, you use Disk Management to assign a drive letter to the System Reservedrnvolume. Second, you use the FSUTIL command line tool to delete the ChangernJournal entries from the System Reserved volume. Third, you use Disk Managementrnto remove the drive letter from the System Reserved volume.

rnrnYou need to assign a drivernletter to the System Reserved volume in order to be able to access it with thernFSUTIL command line tool. To do so in Disk Management, right click on thernSystem Reserved partition and select the Change Drive Letter and Paths command,rnas shown in Figure C.

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Credit: Images by Greg Shultz for TechRepublic

Use a drive letter that is uncommon so that it will stand out

Inrna moment, you’ll see the associated dialog box and will click the Add button.rnWhen you see the Add Drive Letter or Path dialog box, shown in Figure D, use the drop down menu tornpick a drive letter at the far end of the alphabet, something uncommon thatrnwill stand out, such as Q.

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Credit: Images by Greg Shultz for TechRepublic

Use the FSUTIL command to delete the unnecessary Change Journal entries

At this point, launch an AdministratorrnCommand Prompt. When the Administrator Command Prompt windows appears, typernthe following command, as shown in FigurernE.

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fsutil usnrndeletejournal /N /D Q:

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Remove the drive letter from the System Reserved partition

Use the FSUTIL command to delete the unnecessary ChangernJournal entries.

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Now, return to Disk Management, right click on the SystemrnReserved partition and select the Change Drive Letter and Paths command. Whenrnyou see the dialog box, click Remove and respond to the prompts, as shown in Figure F. Then, restart your system.

rnrnAfter you restart yourrnsystem, you will be able to run System Image tool without encountering thernerror.

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Choose the Shrink Volume command

Reducing the size of a Recovery partition

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In Windows 8, the most common cause will be an OEM Recoveryrnpartition. Some OEMs are creating Recovery partitions on the hard disk that arern500MB or larger and these partitions don’t have enough required free space (320MB)rnto accommodate the volume shadow copy files. Apparently, these OEMs aren’trnfamiliar with the rules and the amount of free space required running thernSystem Image tool in Windows 8.

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For example, let’s assume that we have a Recovery partitionrnthat is 500MB in size and that it contains 340MB of recovery data. That leavesrn160MB of free space, which is obviously less than the 320MB required to adherernto the rules specified in System Image’s error message. However, 160MB leavesrnsome room to work with. If you reduce the size of the Recovery partition tornjust under 500MB, then System Image will only need 50MB of free space for the volumernshadow copy file. Fortunately, Disk Management allows you to resize volumesrnwith its Shrink Volume command.

rnrnTo do so in DiskrnManagement, right click on the Recovery partition and select the Shrink Volumerncommand, as shown in Figure G.

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Enter a number that takes the size of the partition just below the 500 MB threshold

Whenrnyou see the Shrink dialog box, type a number in the available text box thatrntakes the Total size after shrink number just under 500MB. As you can see in Figure H, by typing a 5 in the text boxrnI took the size of the recovery partition down to 495MB. To continue, click thernShrink button.

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Once the partition is below 500MB, the will be ample room for the 50MB volume shadow copy file

When the Shrink operation is complete, you can see that therncapacity of the partition is 495MB and the free space is at 155MB, as shown in Figure I. Now there is plenty of roomrnfor the 50MB volume shadow copy file.

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After you restart your system, you will be able to runrnSystem Image tool without encountering the error.

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What’s your take?

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Have you encountered the “There is not enough diskrnspace to create the volume shadow copy of the storage location (0x80780119)”rnerror message when attempting to run the system Image tool? Did one of thesernsolutions allow you to successfully run the System Image tool on your Windows 7rnor Windows 8 system? As always, if you have comments or information to sharernabout this topic, please take a moment to drop by the Discussion area and letrnus hear from you.

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Also read:

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• 10rn tips for coping with blue screen errors

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• Yourn don’t really need a Start Menu in Windows 8

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• Quickrn Tip: Invoke god mode to take control of settings in Windows 8

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Credit: Images by Greg Shultz for TechRepublic