3 Ways to Fix VSS Insufficient Storage on Windows 10/11

Volume Shadow Copy Insufficient Storage

Volume Shadow Copy is an inbuilt technology in Microsoft Windows that allows you to make backups or snapshots of computer volumes or files. At times, you might fail to create a backup due to VSS insufficient storage with the following prompts:

Detailed error: ERROR – A Volume Shadow Copy Service operation error has occurred: Insufficient storage available to create either the shadow copy storage file or other shadow copy data. VSS_E_INSUFFICIENT_STORAGE

The responsible factors include:

• The defined maximum size of the VSS is smaller than the needed size to finish the backup or snapshot.
• The storage of related partitions including System Reserved Partition is insufficient.
• Allocate a drive letter to MSR or OEM partitions.

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Do you receive Volume Shadow Copy error 0x8004231f when trying to create the VSS snapshots? If yes, this guide might help you out!

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How to Fix VSS Insufficient Storage on Windows 10/11?

Fix 1: Delete Old Shadow Copies

When there is no sufficient storage on the related partition, you can delete old shadow copies to spare more space. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1. Type cmd in the search bar to locate Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 2. In the command window, type vssadmin list shadowstorage and hit Enter to show the shadow storage space.

Step 2. Run vssadmin delete shadows /for=c: /all to delete all shadow copies on a specific volume.

Run vssadmin delete shadows /shadow=[Shadow ID] to delete a specific shadow copy from any volume.

Or, run vssadmin delete shadows /for=c: /oldest to delete the oldest shadow copy from a specific volume.

Step 3. After the process is done, quit Command Prompt to see if VSS insufficient storage still exists.

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Fix 2: Allocate More Storage

If the disk space of related partition is sufficient, but the defined maximum size of the volume size of VSS is limited, you can utilize some command lines to allocate more storage. To do so:

Step 1. Run Command Prompt with administrative rights.

Step 2. Type vssadmin list shadowstorage and hit Enter to list your shadow storage space.

Step 3. In the command window, type the following command to increase the storage space to 20 GB and hit Enter. Remember to replace 20GB with the amount of storage you want to allocate.

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=20GB

Fix 3: Remove the Drive Letter from MSR or OEM Partition

Another solution to fix insufficient disk space is to remove the drive letter from the partition if the OEM or MSR partition has a drive letter.

Step 1. Right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management from the quick menu.

Step 2. Right-click on the specific partition and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.

Step 3. Click on Remove, confirm this action and wait for the process to complete.

Suggestion: Back up Anything important with MiniTool ShadowMaker

In addition to Windows inbuilt backup utility, it is wise of you to resort to PC backup software like MiniTool ShadowMaker. This freeware is designed to back up various items including files, folders, systems, partitions, and disks. With just a few clicks, you can back up or restore your data. Now, let’s see how to create a backup with this tool:

Step 1. Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker to enter its main interface.

Step 2. In the Backup page, you can choose the backup source and destination.

Step 3. After that, click on Back Up Now to start the process at once. To configure more backup settings such as backup schedules or backup schemes, click on Options in the lower right.

Final Words

If there is not enough space to create a VSS snapshot or backup, the 3 solutions mentioned below might help you to increase the storage. Meanwhile, we also recommended a free backup tool called MiniTool ShadowMaker for you. It is super easy to follow even for those who don’t excel in computers. Give it a try if you are interested in it.