Selected VSS Component does not exist

Error code

Product

Applies to

BA721

BackupAssist

BackupAssist v6 and later

Description

BackupAssist uses the Microsoft VSS writers when performing a backup. This error can occur when one or more of the VSS writers is unable to find all of the required files / components required to perform a consistent backup.

Resolution

There are 2 possible resolutions to this problem

Resolution 1 – Perform a reboot of the system

Rebooting the system resolves this warning as it refreshes all VSS components and allows any issues with the VSS writers to be refreshed which should remove any errors as well.

Resolution 2 – Check the backup selections

This error message can also occur if a component within a VSS application which is being backed up has been moved or deleted. E.g. An SQL database has been moved to another system or a Hyper-V guest has been deleted as it’s no longer required.

If this is the case then you need to refresh the backup selections within your backup job.

  1. Open BackupAssist.
  2. Select Manage Backup Jobs
  3. Select the backup job.
  4. Select Edit from the top menu
  5. Select Files and Applications from the options on the left
  6. Click on Check Selections for BackupAssist to review that all current files and application components selected for backup are available.

Manage : Files and applications

Should any selections show up as not being available, hit the Remove button to remove these from being part of the backup.

For Hyper-V guests

When troubleshooting problems with Hyper-V backups, it is important to first determine which guest/s is causing the error. You can do this by checking the Hyper-V VMSS logs, as shown below. You may also be able to identify the guest from the information in the backup report. If you are not able to identify the guest, try backing up the guests one at a time until the errant guest is found.

The guest causing the error can be confirmed by running the backup again without that guest and checking that the backup runs without errors. You can also try a VSS backup on the guest itself using a trial version of BackupAssist. The success or failure of this backup will help to further narrow down what could be causing the error.

If the problem is with backing up data within a guest, will you need to open the Event Viewer inside that guest and review the VSS log entries. These may identify the exact cause of the VSS error.

  1. Click the Start button.
  2. Click Control Panel.
  3. Click System and Maintenance.
  4. Click Administrative Tools.
  5. Double-click Event Viewer.
  6. In the left hand navigation window, browse to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Hyper-V-VMMS.

Last updated

Created

Further assistance

8th Jan 2018

10th Feb 2009

BackupAssist Support page