Error message when you run the "vssadmin list writers" command on a Windows Server 2003-based computer: "Error: 0x8000FFFF"

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SYMPTOMS

When you run the vssadmin list writers command on a Windows Server 2003-based computer, you may experience any of the following symptoms.

Note The vssadmin list writers command lists the subscribed volume shadow copy writers.

You receive the following error message:
Error: 0x8000FFFF
The following event may be logged in the Application log:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: VSS
Event ID: 12302
Description: Volume Shadow Copy Service error: An internal inconsistency was detected in trying to contact shadow copy service writers. Please check to see that the Event Service and Volume Shadow Copy Service are operating properly.
The list is blank.

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CAUSE

This problem may occur if the following registry key is corrupted: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EventSystem\{26c409cc-ae86-11d1-b616-00805fc79216}\Subscriptions

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EventSystem\{26c409cc-ae86-11d1-b616-00805fc79216}\Subscriptions
On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the subkey.
Exit Registry Editor.
Click Start, click Run, type services.msc, and then click OK.
Right-click the following services one at a time. For each service, click Restart:
- COM+ Event System
- COM+ System Application
- Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider
- Volume Shadow Copy
Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
At the command prompt, type vssadmin list writers, and then press ENTER.
If the VSS writers are now listed, close the Command Prompt window. You do not have to complete the remaining steps.

If the VSS writers are not listed, type the following commands at the command prompt. Press ENTER after each command.
- cd /d %windir%\system32
- net stop vss
- net stop swprv
- regsvr32 ole32.dll
- regsvr32 oleaut32.dll
- regsvr32 /i eventcls.dll
- regsvr32 vss_ps.dll
- vssvc /register
- regsvr32 /i swprv.dll
- regsvr32 es.dll
- regsvr32 stdprov.dll
- regsvr32 vssui.dll
- regsvr32 msxml.dll
- regsvr32 msxml3.dll
- regsvr32 msxml4.dll
Note The last command may not run successfully.
At the command prompt, type vssadmin list writers, and then press ENTER.
Confirm that the VSS writers are now listed.