How to Fix Volume Shadow Copy Error 0x80042316 on Windows 10/11?

VSS Error 0x80042316

When attempting to back up and restore your system or files, some error codes like 0x80042316 might appear with the following error message:  

Failed to create a shadow copy of volume:

Error 0x80042316: Another shadow copy creation is already in progress. Wait a few moments and try again.

According to the message, the Volume Shadow Copy failure occurs because there is another instance of VSS already running. Take it easy, this error is pretty easy to handle with the solutions below:

How to Fix Volume Shadow Copy Error 0x80042316 on Windows 10/11?

Suggestion: Create a Backup Task with MiniTool ShadowMaker

Speaking of backup, a PC backup software MiniTool ShadowMaker is the choice of most Windows users. It is designed to back up and restore files, folders, disks, systems, and partitions with easy steps. What’s more, if you feel like cloning HDD to SSD for better system performance, MiniTool ShadowMaker can also satisfy your needs.  

Now, let me show you how to create a backup with this tool:

Step 1. Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker for free and go to the Backup page.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2. In this page, you can select the backup source in SOURCE and the storage path for the backup in DESTINATION. Here, it is recommended to select an external hard drive or a USB flash drive as a destination path.

Step 3. Click on Back Up Now to start the process immediately.

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Fix 1: Restart Volume Shadow Copy Service

If the Volume Shadow Copy service is not running properly, you are also likely to get errors like 0x80042316. In this case, restarting this service might help. To do so:

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.

Step 2. Type services.msc and hit Enter to open Services.

Step 3. Scroll down to find Volume Shadow Copy from the list and right-click on it to choose Restart.

Fix 2: Re-register the Related DLL Files

Re-registering the associated DLL files might also do the trick. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Type cmd in the search bar to locate Command Prompt and right-click on it to select Run as administrator.

Step 2. In the command window, type the following commands one by one and don’t forget to hit Enter after each command.

net stop vss

net stop swprv

cd /d %windir%\system32

regsvr32 /s ole32.dll

regsvr32 /s oleaut32.dll

regsvr32 /s vss_ps.dll

vssvc /register

regsvr32 /s /i swprv.dll

regsvr32 /s /i eventcls.dll

regsvr32 /s es.dll

regsvr32 /s stdprov.dll

regsvr32 /s vssui.dll

regsvr32 /s msxml.dll

regsvr32 /s msxml3.dll

regsvr32 /s msxml4.dll

net start vss

net start swprv

Fix 3: Disable Other Backup Programs

If you have installed more than one backup program on your computer, you cannot run them at the same time to create a backup. When making a backup, make sure to run only one program and disable other backup programs. After that, run the backup job again to see if VSS error 0x80042316 is gone.

Also, if you are only running one backup program, it is necessary to avoid running two backup tasks simultaneously.

Final Words

Now, you are probably free from Volume Shadow Copy error 0x80042316. If you have similar VSS errors, the solutions above are also applicable. Hope you can make a backup or restoration without errors!