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Are you trying to backup your computer using DriveImage XML and getting an error about the VSS service?

I created this video for my friend who had the Sony Vaio laptop die on his Florida vacation because he is getting a very common error when he starts running DriveImage XML

What is vssvc.exe anyway?

vssvc.exe is the Volume Shadow Copy service. You often find it lurking in your computer management area if you’re running Windows XP, Windows Vista or a 2003 or later server edition. It’s found in the default system directory (what is that? %windir% I think) so the path looks like this: C:WINDOWSSystem32vssvc.exe

This service allows backup applications to make copies of files that are in use because Windows will hand off…yes, a copy of the file. Before this service, it was a real drag to backup remote computers running Outlook, for example because no one would ever close down their email client at night.