Resolving System Writer errors on Windows Server 2003

Occasionally backups fail for Windows 2003 servers, with a system writer error.

For example:

1 retry attempted
Registry Writer - ERROR: Failed to save FileGroup files, writer = Registry Writer
Registry Writer - Error saving writer Registry Writer
Registry Writer - ERROR: Aborting backup of saveset VSS SYSTEM BOOT: because of the error with writer Registry Writer.
Registry Writer - Error saving
7162:save: save of VSS SYSTEM BOOT:\ to schlumpf.churchill.org failed
ERROR :  Failed with error(s)
 
1 retry attempted
No full backups of this save set were found in the media database; performing a full backup
System Writer - ERROR: Failed to save FileGroup files, writer = System Writer
System Writer - Error saving writer System Writer
System Writer - ERROR: Aborting backup of saveset VSS SYSTEM FILESET: because of the error with writer System Writer.
System Writer - Error saving
7162:save: save of VSS SYSTEM FILESET:\ to schlumpf.churchill.org failed
ERROR :  Failed with error(s)

To resolve the above, simply modify the client instance to switch VSS off

1. Open NetWorker Administrator and connect to your NetWorker Server
2. Edit the client resource that you do not want to use VSS backups for
3. Click the Miscellaneous tab under the client resource and type the following into the "save operation" attribute: VSS:*=off