Hi, I'm trying to make a complete backup of my C: drive on another internal HDD (E:). I've tried several time and each time the backup process fails with the same error: The parameter is incorrect (0x80070057). I've checked the article on the storage team blog but it does not address this issue (same error code is mentioned but not for complete PC backup). I'm running 32 bits Vista SP2. Both drives are 500 GB NTFS. I formated drive E: before backup but didn't help. I checked C: and E: with chkdsk /R and did not find any errors. I also tried the "backup files" instead of "backup computer" and it worked fine. Complete backup however, seems to fail every time at the same location (the VHD file after failure is always a 105GB file). Somebody on another thread suggested to run system file checker (sfc /scannow) but it didn't solve the problem. I tried to create a log according to instructions in another tread but something is wrong as no log file is created: I created this key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ASR\LogFileSetting with two values, LogPathName (set to D:\asr.log) and EnableLogging (set to 1). I didn't find anything useful in the event logs or anywhere else to diagnose the problem. I'm running out of ideas. How can I find and fix the problem? Thanks a lot, AlefSin

Hi AlefSin, There are two possibilities. Either your backup disk has a sector size greater than 512 bytes and does not have emulation for 512 byte size I/O. Hence backup may be failing. To check whether your disk allows 512 byte I/O, try quick formatting a volume (some small test volume). Right click and chose Format. There you will find choice for "Allocation unit size". Pick 512. See if formatting is successful. Second possibility is that, the last sector of your C: may be corrupt. Chkdsk does not detect this. Try to extend or shrink the volume by 10 MB, and retry the backup. Thanks Abhinav

Hi Abhinav, I tried your second suggestion (shrinking the C: volume by 10 MB) and it worked! Thankd a lot, Alef Sin

Hi Abhinav,Would you be so kind as to explain in more detail how one extends or shrinks the volume ofC:. I am having the same problem that Alef has. I tried your first suggestion and this did not fix (0x80070057). I am running Windows 7 now but was having the same issue with Vista.Thanks,R.Spitz

Hi R.Spitz, You can extend or shrink a volume using Microsoft's disk management console. From a command prompt type diskmgmt.msc and press ENTER to launch it. Once it opens, you can right click any volume and chose to extend or shrink the volume. Thanks Abhinav

Hello Abhinav,your SHRINK solution works for me too, when the CHKDSK doesn't !!!The vista "Complete pc backup" was hanging (parameter is incorrect 0x80070057) at the end of the first volume S: before starting the backup of the volume C: of my hard disk:DISKPART> list volume Volume ### Ltr Label Fs Type Size Status Info ---------- --- ----------- ----- ---------- ------- --------- -------- Volume 0 D DVD-ROM 0 B No Media Volume 1 S RECOVERY NTFS Partition 5639 MB Healthy System Volume 2 C MY HDD NTFS Partition 69 GB Healthy Boot Volume 3 E HP Pocket M NTFS Partition 233 GB HealthyI've only selected to shrink the faulty volume by 1MB and now the complete pc backup works fine.Thanks Abhinav.

Worked for me too. Thanks.

Ciao, ho guardato l'articolo e non mi sembra che sia lo stesso problema, comunque ho formattato il disco esterno cambiando le dimensioni dell'unit di allocazione ma non cambia nulla. Ho chiamato HP che mi ha detto che assolutamente non sono certificati i dischi esterni USB per il backup di Windows Server sui server HP. Quindi per loro non c' soluzione al problema. Peccato perch sui vecchi server con Windows Server 2008R2 funzionava benissimo. Saluti e grazie Sergio