For the last couple of weeks, I have been getting regular errors on a backup to tape job using CA ArcServe 12.5. No changes to the server in question were made as far as I know at the time this issue started (@9/22/09).The ArcServe error shows as follows: AE0436 2009-10-12 22:43:00 Failed to create system state shadow copy.Actions in the ArcServe help file are: Verify the VSS service is started properly Verify there is at least one NTFS volume with at least 300 MB free disk space Use vssadmin command to make sure all system state writers are in a stable state Verify there is no other service/application/tools which are taking shadow copy at the time Check the Event Log for VSS related messages I did not see any service on the server in question (Server 2003 Enterprise x86 with SP2 - DC/DNS/DHCP and SQL Server roles) for VSS, except for SQL Server VSS Writer, which is started.There is more than twice the necessary free space, and there should be no other shadow copies being performed.The only things I came across was one error in event viewer (which I copied, but is no longer listed in E.V.), and the list of writers in command prompt.However, the writers do not constantly show a failed state - on random checks, they will show a stable state at time, and failed at others, with no other changes/activity occuring on the server. The backups will occassionally succeed due to this.Event Type: ErrorEvent Source: VSSEvent Category: NoneEvent ID: 1Date: 9/24/2009Time: 9:31:45 AMUser: N/AComputer: ARSENICDescription:Volume Shadow Copy Service initialization error: the control dispatcher cannot be started [0x80070427]. For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.Data:0000: 2d 20 43 6f 64 65 3a 20 - Code: 0008: 20 43 4f 52 53 56 43 43 CORSVCC0010: 30 30 30 30 30 32 30 38 000002080018: 2d 20 43 61 6c 6c 3a 20 - Call: 0020: 20 43 4f 52 53 56 43 43 CORSVCC0028: 30 30 30 30 30 31 39 35 000001950030: 2d 20 50 49 44 3a 20 20 - PID: 0038: 30 30 30 30 33 36 32 38 000036280040: 2d 20 54 49 44 3a 20 20 - TID: 0048: 30 30 30 30 35 35 31 32 000055120050: 2d 20 43 4d 44 3a 20 20 - CMD: 0058: 22 43 3a 5c 57 49 4e 44 "C:\WIND0060: 4f 57 53 5c 73 79 73 74 OWS\syst0068: 65 6d 33 32 5c 76 73 73 em32\vss0070: 76 63 2e 65 78 65 22 20 vc.exe" 0078: 2d 20 55 73 65 72 3a 20 - User: 0080: 47 4e 4f 53 54 45 43 48 GNOSTECH0088: 5c 41 64 6d 69 6e 69 73 \Adminis0090: 74 72 61 74 6f 72 20 20 trator 0098: 2d 20 53 69 64 3a 20 20 - Sid: 00a0: 53 2d 31 2d 35 2d 32 31 S-1-5-2100a8: 2d 32 32 30 35 32 33 33 -220523300b0: 38 38 2d 31 34 31 37 30 88-1417000b8: 30 31 33 33 33 2d 38 33 01333-8300c0: 39 35 32 32 31 31 35 2d 9522115-00c8: 35 30 30 20 20 20 20 20 500 C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator.GNOSTECH>vssadmin list writersvssadmin 1.1 - Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command-line tool(C) Copyright 2001 Microsoft Corp. Writer name: 'System Writer' Writer Id: {e8132975-6f93-4464-a53e-1050253ae220} Writer Instance Id: {a3cca96b-807f-4cdc-b954-f089af71bca4} State: [7] Failed Last error: No error Writer name: 'SqlServerWriter' Writer Id: {a65faa63-5ea8-4ebc-9dbd-a0c4db26912a} Writer Instance Id: {e606a095-6bea-42e4-9069-fc63598adf47} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'COM+ REGDB Writer' Writer Id: {542da469-d3e1-473c-9f4f-7847f01fc64f} Writer Instance Id: {5cbbdaa0-3f27-453e-9c50-55bf935cb124} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'MSDEWriter' Writer Id: {f8544ac1-0611-4fa5-b04b-f7ee00b03277} Writer Instance Id: {c087d8c0-6abd-4fe7-8f99-6725996b08e3} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'FRS Writer' Writer Id: {d76f5a28-3092-4589-ba48-2958fb88ce29} Writer Instance Id: {ad93b0a4-91f3-4482-8e29-3908520b8e50} State: [7] Failed Last error: No error Writer name: 'Certificate Authority' Writer Id: {6f5b15b5-da24-4d88-b737-63063e3a1f86} Writer Instance Id: {a91616a0-dad7-49c2-9936-3b84d4decf88} State: [7] Failed Last error: No error Writer name: 'Event Log Writer' Writer Id: {eee8c692-67ed-4250-8d86-390603070d00} Writer Instance Id: {161cf688-f0b0-43b8-a770-ec380b797873} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'IIS Metabase Writer' Writer Id: {59b1f0cf-90ef-465f-9609-6ca8b2938366} Writer Instance Id: {8cf94513-0ec4-4510-abdd-233ce61b32d7} State: [7] Failed Last error: No error Writer name: 'Registry Writer' Writer Id: {afbab4a2-367d-4d15-a586-71dbb18f8485} Writer Instance Id: {133dfc73-38be-4f35-93f0-da197e38f551} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'WMI Writer' Writer Id: {a6ad56c2-b509-4e6c-bb19-49d8f43532f0} Writer Instance Id: {e38c8745-361f-492b-81d3-fde818fae2ab} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'BITS Writer' Writer Id: {4969d978-be47-48b0-b100-f328f07ac1e0} Writer Instance Id: {4e6bfdaa-dc4b-407e-9f1f-6950fe3c13a7} State: [1] Stable Last error: No error Writer name: 'NTDS' Writer Id: {b2014c9e-8711-4c5c-a5a9-3cf384484757} Writer Instance Id: {013d7910-231d-49ea-ae85-efa6ea0cae1f} State: [7] Failed Last error: No error

Are you still having this problem?*alex