Challenge
During a backup job Veeam Endpoint Backup returns the following warning:Unable to exclude files from snapshot: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer timed out
The warning occurs in the following scenario: file-level backup is selected as backup mode, then a whole volume is selected, and a number of folders is explicitly excluded from backup.
Cause
The issue is caused by MS Copy Optimization Writer timeout due to a large number of excluded files. In such cases the Application Event Log on the affected workstation may contain entries similar to the one below:Source: VSS
Event ID: 8220
Level: Information
Operation:
OnPostSnapshot event
PostSnapshot Event
Context:
Execution Context: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
Writer Name: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
Event ID: 8220
Level: Information
Operation:
OnPostSnapshot event
PostSnapshot Event
Context:
Execution Context: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
Writer Name: Shadow Copy Optimization Writer
Solution
Two possible approaches are suggested.Either
1. Reduce the number of excluded folders until the warning is no longer displayed.
Or
2. Rather than selecting a whole volume within file-level backup, it is recommended to select only the specific folders, that need to be processed.
More Information
If you have further questions, open a support case as follows:
- Right-click the Veeam Endpoint Backup / Veeam Agent for Windows icon in the system tray and select Control Panel.
- Click the Support link at the top of the window.
- Click Technical Support to submit a support case to the Veeam Support Team directly from the product.