Cannot create a system restore point (0x80070005 Access Denied) Windows 7 x64 SP1

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When creating a System Restore point manually, I get a nondescript error message:

The restore point could not be created for the following reason:

Access is denied. (0x80070005)

I've been troubleshooting for hours. I have...

  • Uninstalled my virus scanner (Microsoft Security Essentials)
  • Disabled System Restore and rebooted (to clear out all restore point files)
  • Rebooted in safe modes
  • Tried to find which file/folder might have access denied (no clues)
    • Searched Event Logs
    • Run SysInternals ProcMon
  • Attempted to give "Full Control" security permissions recursively to "C:\System Volume Information" for SYSTEM, LOCAL_SERVICE, SERVICE, plus my user account.

No luck at all.

I eventually discovered Windows is able to create Restore Points automatically:

  • Since I no longer had any restore points (due to troubleshooting) I decided to run Windows Backup(**)... Low and behold, a system restore point got created!

So it seems I have a workaround. Still, it would be great to get to the bottom of this.

These are the only system changes I can think of over the last few months. They seem like long-shots, but could they be relevant?

  • From Microsoft Update, I installed and ran a "Disk Cleanup" plugin that clears out old Service Pack update stuff
  • I'd previously granted "Full Control" security permissions recursively to "C:\System Volume Information" for my user account, to snoop around. Could I have overwritten some important permission?

(**) When I then asked Windows Backup to delete my backup, it said "Access is denied. (0x80070005)" Arrrgh! :-) Fortunately I can do this myself. But could this be another clue?

UPDATE: I also cannot revert to a restore point: same error given.

Workaround: restore after booting in Safe Mode (NB: cannot be undone)

Luke Usherwood

Posted 2013-11-13T14:12:49.440

Reputation: 207

1The sheer fact you are adjusting permissions is a sign your Windows installation is corrupt. Have you tried restoring the original permissions to the folder you changed? – Ramhound – 2013-11-13T14:17:53.187

How exactly did you grant yourself those permissions? What are the permissions currently on the System Volume Info partition? – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2013-11-13T14:29:27.560

Not sure what the original permissions were now. :-) I'm hoping/expecting that setting (SYSTEM, LOCAL_SERVICE, SERVICE, luke) recursively would be a superset of the defaults & what the system requires. – Luke Usherwood – 2013-11-13T14:48:15.397

@LukeUsherwood - I would load up one of Microsoft's free virtual machines and check what the permissions should be. Even if you restore the original permissions there is no guarantee your previous changes don't do something else. – Ramhound – 2013-11-13T14:49:57.530

Answers

3

I've just fixed this issue on a Windows 7 laptop. Make sure SYSTEM and Administrators group has read and write access to C:\system volume information and sub folders! especially SPP. Any assistance on checking or making this change, let me know.

user283868

Posted 2013-11-13T14:12:49.440

Reputation: 116

Yes! Reapplying rights for SYSTEM to the SPP folder recursively fixed the issue. Many thanks! (I don't know how I managed to break that. Maybe it lost some inherited permission??) – Luke Usherwood – 2014-11-10T00:20:31.987

This doesn't work on Windows 8. – desbest – 2015-05-17T05:55:21.520

1

My same problem fixed! Windows BackUp has influence on this error! An expired/wrong user account password in Windows BackUp -configured to backup on network, gave this error. Updating the backup password/path (awkward) solved the problem!

Steen BN CPH-DK

Posted 2013-11-13T14:12:49.440

Reputation: 11

Asked: 2013-11-13T14:12:49.440

Viewed: 9 415 times

Active: 2016-10-16T04:54:51.377