[AccessD] Microsoft Volume Copy Service

Thu May 29 13:56:11 CDT 2025

AFAIK -

I suspect the shadow copy is the OS having been set to take (internally set) copies of the files, or parts of the partitions that were in the base backup set you took, and have since changed ( maybe by different hash value, or maybe by reference to a list of what was in the full backup ( plus any incremental backup sets you have created since.

When you next run a full backup  the shadow copy may (should) be forgotten, wit any space returned to unallocated.
When you run an incremental backup, the incremental set would be of the previously noted changed files (or blocks).
So there may not be much storage space used for those shadow copy sets -
As they would basically be the current contents of the files on, or blocks of the storage.
And when put onto the incremental set - they are the active saved set, and no longer need to be isolated as a "Shadow" set.

However - in some setups the "Shadow set"  could be temporarily maintained until a file that was being updated is closed, and - if set to be verified -  either by the App and/or OS setting, or is on a partition set to be verified.
Note - setting verify means that every write is followed by a read - so doubling the data transfer to the device - see Seagate drive warrantee terms on maximum throughput) 
And the writing App will have to wait foe every write to be read  - not just to the drive cache, but actually written to the ( rotating) surface, and then for that bit of the surface to come round to be read -

As in 7200rpm = 120 rps =  more than 8½ milliseconds wait in every write action 

But - I digress -
 So the Shadow copy - that will no longer need to be identifying the changed parts of the storage when you perform the incremental backup, as there won't be any, but there will still need to be the index of what needs to be in the next incremental set - so basically a space-map type setup for the storage area being backed-up.
 -
And that process probably won't be active if you do not have any backup "jobs" setup that include incremental sets.

Also - for checking and managing storage I use Treesize Free - even lets you see what is actually in the Recycle bin - some of which the OS doesn't let you see or manage
And Resource monitor  
( an option on the task manager performance tab)  
or shortcut to "%windir%\system32\perfmon.exe /res"  
to see what parts of the storage are being accessed, 
and even for SSD's - hammered to death!

Also re the high usage -
Consider that windoze regards the updating of the MFT as a do that later task -
Relying on the filesystem action log 
So doing a bulk change to the MFT entries  
May delay the actual shutdown of the system, including the releasing of locks or "external" storage devices
Note the still active throb from a 5TB external drive for many minutes after explorer indicates the move has been done, if you have deleted loads of files, or "moved" them from 1 folder to another 

So the "service" may be showing as active when it is actually adjusting the "changed" items tables to match what the OS is doing to the MFT entries.

And ... The OneDrive App - when installed on my I7 laptop kept the screen black - as in powered off look for over 30 minutes while it was building the OneDrive folder in my user area -
And then @ over 30% CPU as it "Sync'd" and linked the entries in that folder to the several TB of data on the OneDrive storage I managed for the "family".

Note - when it has finished doing the Linking and Sync- then you can access the option NOT to setup the links -
Those meaning that deleting the new "/user/name/OneDrive folder  deletes all the files from the Onedrive storage, and then Sync's all the PC's  set to Sync to that storage - to match it's empty state !

Regards - from another still trying to become a retire not being called by old - but still hopeful legacy clients.

Usually asking what the "gggggeee U cocked it up text" message
 means they have done wrong and 
please - tell us what's the 10 minute process to get it working again !

Well - I tend to remember what they did last time to get the particular error message that they are telling me about.

As in saved to personal OneDrive - not the designated server folder !  

JimB

-----Original Message-----
From: AccessD <accessd-bounces+jamesbutton=blueyonder.co.uk at databaseadvisors.com> On Behalf Of Rocky Smolin
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2025 5:02 PM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Microsoft Volume Copy Service

Jamess:

Thanks for your reply.

Since I'm retired now (except for the occasional quickie job from a legacy
client), my computing life is very simple. The backup thing I always had
covered, being an indie developer, so redundant backup was always my rule.
Even going so far as to store a copy off site (my home). Everything that's
on my Google Drive I also have on an EHD. So I feel pretty secure with that.

>From what I was able to determine from the web (not much) I don't really
need this shadow backup. First of all I can't see how to set the properties
for the target of the backup, define which files or folders or volumes are
to be backed up, or any other property.  And the shadow copy service is
still taking 35% of the CPU this morning. But what it's doing and where it
is doing that is a mystery. And it is (apparently, not sure) making
incremental backups which I 've always been wary of since a
restore requires a lot of backup files.

If I turn it off I would like to delete all the files it has created, but
I'm at a loss to know where they are and what they're named.

On Thu, May 29, 2025 at 3:58 AM James Button via AccessD <
accessd at databaseadvisors.com> wrote:

> Not used that facility -
> But the earlier "image" facility had the major flaws -
> Starting with the automatic update of the image with modified files
> during your
> working day -
> So any files that had lost needed data, been corrupted, or encrypted would
> replace the "recovery ones".
> Also the file history facility did not create entries of files with
> fullnames of
> over 230 characters  - or, depending on your login id and the system name,
> a lot
> less characters.
>
> There is also the 400 character fullname limit within OneDrive, as well as
> the
> "not doing that file" and "not telling you"
> About files with set character strings in the fullname.
>
> What I found was needed was a volume restore facility to create the needed
> partition sizes on a replacement drive ( storage device) so you could
> recover
> the partition setup in order to recover data  if the partition tables were
> corrupted, and to restore from a backup created by such as Easeus ToDo  -
> 4gb
> parts maybe encrypted as a set, or using a BitLocker type facility  - and
> upload
> them to cloud as a safe store in case of losing all the IT @ home !
>
> And - re Google Drive - nice facility - but what if the account gets lost,
> or
> hacked with a new password set, or you lose comms access !
>
> Also - if storing stuff from the phone onto a cloud store,
> Does access to the phone give access to all on the cloud storage -
> e.g. the phone remembers the access to all your cloud storage .
>
> JimB
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AccessD
> <accessd-bounces+jamesbutton=blueyonder.co.uk at databaseadvisors.com> On
> Behalf Of
> Rocky Smolin
> Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2025 1:08 AM
> To: List <dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>; Off Topic
> <dba-ot at databaseadvisors.com>; Access Developers discussion and problem
> solving
> <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> Subject: [AccessD] Microsoft Volume Copy Service
>
> Dear Lists:
>
> Microsoft Volume Copy Service is running (W11) taking about 35% of CPU
> cycles. Do I need this?
>
> My personal data files (Client stuff, photos, docs, etc) are all backed up
> to my Google drive.
>
> MTIA
>
> r
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