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File Server backup completes with “Successful with errors”
File Server backup completes with “Successful with errors”
Updated over 6 months ago

Problem description

File Server Backup Completes "Successful with Errors" Due to "pagefile.sys" on Multiple Drives or Nearly Full Drive.

Cause

The cause of backups completing with "Successful with Errors" is often related to the "pagefile.sys" system file. This file is used by Windows for virtual memory management. When it is present on multiple drives or on a drive that is almost full, it can lead to errors during the backup process.

Traceback

  1. Follow the instructions provided in the link below to obtain job logs.
    How to collect the detailed job logs

  2. Extract the logs and go to Phoenix<YYYYMMDD>_<timestamp>.log file to see the below traceback in the logs.

    File = C:\pagefile.sys, Error = The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
        File = E:\pagefile.sys, Error = The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process

Resolution

To resolve the issue of backups completing with errors due to "pagefile.sys," follow these steps:

  1. Exclude "pagefile.sys" in Content Rule: In your backup configuration, create a content rule to exclude the "pagefile.sys" file from being backed up. This will prevent the backup software from attempting to back up this system file.

  2. Check for Multiple Instances of "pagefile.sys":Verify whether there are multiple instances of "pagefile.sys" on different drives. Ideally, there should be only one instance of "pagefile.sys" on the system drive (usually C:). If you find multiple copies on different drives, consider removing the extra copies.

  3. Check Drive Space: Ensure that the drive containing the "pagefile.sys" file has sufficient free space. If the drive is nearly full, this can lead to errors during the backup process. Free up space on the drive by deleting unnecessary files or relocating data to another drive.

  4. Adjust Virtual Memory Settings:

    • Go to the server's Control Panel.

    • Click on "System and Security."

    • Click on "System."

    • In the left sidebar, click on "Advanced system settings."

    • Under the "Advanced" tab, click on the "Settings" button within the "Performance" section.

    • In the "Performance Options" window, go to the "Advanced" tab.

    • Click on the "Change" button within the "Virtual Memory" section.

    • Ensure that the option for "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives" is selected.

    • Click "OK" to apply the changes.

  5. Reboot the Server: After adjusting the virtual memory settings, reboot the server to ensure the changes take effect.

  6. Re-run the Backup: After completing the above steps, re-run the backup process. With the "pagefile.sys" excluded from the backup and the virtual memory settings adjusted, the backup should complete successfully without errors.

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