Windows 7 Access Server 2003 Shadow Copy?
- I have a windows server 2003 domain with a Windows 7 client connected (Windows RC, 7100 build, 32 bit version). I cannot access Server 2003 Shadow Copy from the Windows 7 client. Under the Previous Versions Tab of a given file - located on a network share on the server - I get the following message: "There are no previous versions available". However, I can access a month's worth of previous versions for the same file from any XP client. What gives? I can't figure out why I am not able to access Server 2003 Shadow Copy from Windows 7.
Answers
- Hi,
You can find the resolution to this issue here:
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2009/10/21/windows-7-cannot-access-shadow-copies-in-sbs-2003.aspx
Regards,
Damian- Proposed As Answer byDamianl [MSFT] Wednesday, October 21, 2009 7:13 PM
- Marked As Answer byNicholas LiMSFT, ModeratorThursday, October 22, 2009 1:29 AM
All Replies
- More details:
When previous versions are reporting in Windows 7 all previous versions are reported with the same date. When this is the case, the repeated date and time reported for previous versions of a file is not the same as any dates and times for previous versions reported on the XP client. This is wierd. It looks like Windows 7 is creating previous versions of it's own and that's all I can access; I can't access the Shadow Copy versions on the server from Windows 7. Any ideas? - UPDATE
Windows 7 is not creating previous versions of it's own for files located on the nework share. I thought Windows 7 might be creating an offline local copy of files then creating its own previous version snapshots of the file but that's not the case. Although Windows 7 is listing previous versions of files on the network share (all with the same date and time) none of the items listed is different. It's all the same version of the file, the most current version.
I wanted to replace XP with Windows 7 on the network but not if I can't access previous versions created by volume shadow copy on Server 2003. I need to know if there is a problem with the combination of Windows 7 and Server 2003 with regard to previous versions located on the server or if this is a problem on my end.
This is not an isolated incident. I have found another post on SevenForums with two individuals reporting similar problems with Windows 7 Ultimate RTMx64 but no solutions yet. Here's the url address to that post: http://www.sevenforums.com/network-sharing/21829-previous-versions-network-drives.html
On this forum I found a few posts reporting similar problems with only one solution. That solution was not very helpful since it seems to have resolved itself.
Below is the list of the posts I have found on this forum reporting similar problems.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpronetworking/thread/767105b1-2810-4467-b865-a5dae4999b68
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpronetworking/thread/ace257b4-dd41-4aea-8ea4-4019540fe953
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprogeneral/thread/b094e914-4910-4176-b1f8-2c570e6d56e7
Does anyone have Windows 7 working with Server 2003 volume shadow copy? Can you access previous versions located on Server 2003 from a Windows 7 client?
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Hi,
I also test this on my side and this issue could not be reproduced. It just worked.
To make the issue clear, please capture screenshots on the following for our further research:
1. The Previous Versions Tab on Windows Server 2003
2. The Previous Versions Tab on the Windows XP which works normally.
3. The Previous Versions Tab on Windows 7 which failed.
Capture a screenshot
==============
1) Press the Print Screen key (PrtScn) on your keyboard.
2) Click the "Start" menu, type "mspaint" in the Search Bar and Press Enter.
3) In the Paint program, click the "Edit" menu, click "Paste", click the "File" menu, and click "Save".
4) The "Save As" dialogue box will appear. Type a file name in the "File name:" box, for example: "screenshot".
5) Make sure "JPEG (*.JPG;*.JPEG;*.JPE;*.JFIF)" is selected in the "Save as type" box, click “Desktop” on the left pane and then click "Save".
Please use Windows Live SkyDrive (http://www.skydrive.live.com/) to upload the screenshots and share their URLs with us.
Thanks.
Nicholas Li - MSFTHi, thanks for responding.
Below you'll find the screenshots you requested for a file named Database. Server 2003 are the first 3 url's listed for the screenshots; Server 2003 will not show a Previous Version Tab. I have included 2 screenshots of the Shadow Copies Tab on Server 2003 to show how it's set up. You'll see that shadow copies are located on a different volume than the volume being backed up. The Previous Version Tabs for XP and Windows 7 follow the server group in the list below. On the Windows 7 screenshot you'll see that the dates and times repeated are 9/16/09 10:16 AM, which, as of this writing, is the current version of the file. I really appreciate your help.
http://cid-7bbed689277b3fac.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/W2K3^_FileProperties^_PreviousVersionsTab.jpg
http://cid-7bbed689277b3fac.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/W2K3^_VolumeProperties^_ShadowCopiesTab.jpg
http://cid-7bbed689277b3fac.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/W2K3^_VolumeProperties^_ShadowCopiesSettings.jpg
http://cid-7bbed689277b3fac.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/XP^_FileProperties^_PreviousVersionsTab.jpg
http://cid-7bbed689277b3fac.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/Windows7^_FileProperties^_PreviousVersionsTab.jpg- hello?
- I'm getting this same issue. How do I fix this?
Hi,
Thank you for providing the information.
At this time, please check the following:
1. How you access the Windows 2003 shared files from the Windows 7 computer, via a mapped drive or just use the UNC (\\computername\folder or \\<IP Address>\folder).
2. Please create a new shadowed copy on the Windows 2003 server and check if the new item can be displayed properly in Windows 7.
Thanks.
Nicholas Li - MSFTHi Nicholas, thanks for responding.
It doesn't matter whether I view Previous Versions from a mapped drive or UNC. Both yeild the same results.
I followed your instructions; here’s the steps I took.
1. In Windows 2003 I created a new shared folder and named it PreviousVersionsTestFolder.
2. In Windows 2003 I created a new file, named it PreviousVersionsTestFile, and saved it in the newly created folder.
3. I created a new set of shadow copies on Windows 2003.
4. I modified the newly created file on Windows 2003 and saved the changes.
5. I created another set of shadow copies on Windows 2003.
6. I modified the newly created file a second time on Windows 2003 and saved the changes.
7. I created yet another set of shadow copies on Windows 2003.
8. I modified the newly created file a third time on Windows 2003 and saved the changes.
Here’s the results:
Previous Versions for the new file was as it should be in Windows 2003. For screenshot see the following url.
Previous Versions for the new file in Windows 7 exhibited the same behavior - same date and time for each version, which is the same date and time of the last modification of the file. For screenshot see following url.
I took this a step further. I attempted a restore a previous version of the newly created file as it was reported under properties in Windows 7. This resulted in a pop‑up window with the following message. “The action can’t be completed because the folder or a file in it is open in another program… Close the folder or file and try again.” Yet, the file wasn’t open anywhere and no other program was accessing the folder besides Explorer in Windows 7.
Hope this helps.- We are experiencing the same problem. When viewing the Previous Versions tab there are a correct number of entries (ie: if there are 5 copies of a file stored in the VSS on the server we see 5 entries) but each entry shows the most recent date/time the file was edited. Attempting to open any of these previous versions simply opens the most recent version.
We are running Windows 7 RC 64-bit with Windows SBS 2003 Std on the backend. - We are seeing exactly this on the Windows 7 RC version x64 and the Windows 7 release version 32 bit. Server is SBS2003 Std SP1.
Would appreciate some help with this soon. - hello?
- I've been noticing the same thing as well - we're running Win7 RTM x86 on a SBS2003 network. If I try to access the previous versions of a file or folder stored on the SBS server then I just get a list of folders all of the same date. I've had to go use an older machine if I need to restore a previous version.
What's the deal???? - I am experiencing this issue also.
Server = Server 2003 R2 x64
Client = Windows 7 x64 RTM
- I am also experiencing this exact problem.
Server = SBS 2003 Service Pack 2
Client = Windows 7 x64 RTM
I have multiple Win7 x64 clients and they all exhibit the same problem.
Vista and XP clients are fine. The problem is definitely unique to Win7 - Hi,
You can find the resolution to this issue here:
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2009/10/21/windows-7-cannot-access-shadow-copies-in-sbs-2003.aspx
Regards,
Damian- Proposed As Answer byDamianl [MSFT] Wednesday, October 21, 2009 7:13 PM
- Marked As Answer byNicholas LiMSFT, ModeratorThursday, October 22, 2009 1:29 AM
- Perfect - that fixed it.
Excellent job, thanks for your help! - Thank you Damianl!!!
That did indeed fix the problem. Previous versions work correctly again. Woohoo!!! - I almost gave up on hearing about a solution to this. It worked! Great news. Thank you.
- Thank you ejgjunk for posting the problem initially. You were the catalyst to getting this issue resolved.
- Perfect!
fixed it.
Excellent job, thanks a lot - Hello Damianl, perfect! it solved the problem.
- Great! Thanks! I remember seeing this with 7 beta and could not find a resolution. For more information - what is the difference in 2003 shadown copies and 2008 Previous versions?
