0x8078012D – Fix for Windows 7, 8

Get the fix to “0x8078012D” error for Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 operating systems.

About the “0x8078012D” error

The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.

Description and Symptoms

The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.

Symptom 1: 0x8078012D error screen

This error is mostly related to the Windows Backup utility and it usually appears after a Windows 7 or Windows 8 upgrade from a lower version.

The most common cause for 0x8078012D is a conflict with the security software on your computer. Other causes that can trigger this error can be any of the following:

• The Windows Backup services are disabled
• External drive hardware problem (if the backup is realized on an external drive)
• Recent configuration changes
• Bad sectors on your hard drive
• A third party software intervened during a backup process
• A corrupt older backup
• Corrupted user profile

Causes of this Error

This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:

Cause 1: System files are corrupt

The most common cause of this error is a system file corruption. That may happen because of virus attacks or disk read/write errors.

Cause 1: Windows backup services are not enabled

Another possible cause for this error is a Windows Backup Service that is disabled.

Fixing “0x8078012D” in Windows 8

Fix #1: Enable Windows Backup Services

Check if the backup services specific to Windows are enabled by accessing the Services Window.

To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the Charm Bar by pressing the key and C (or swipe from the right of the screen)
2. Click Settings
3. Choose Control Panel
4. Click Administrative Tools
5. Click Services
6. Search for Volume Shadow Copy and right-click on it
7. Choose Properties
8. Change Startup Type to Manual
9. Click OK
10. Search for Windows Backup service
11. Follow the same steps as with Volume Shadow Copy

Fix #2: Delete Previous Backup

The 0x8078012D error can be caused by a corrupt backup that Windows Backup is trying to overwrite.

You can fix this by:

1. Deleting a previous backup
2. Creating a new backup

Fix #3: Scan for Infected Files

If the error is caused by certain infected files, you can run Microsoft Safety Scanner:

1. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
2. Click Download Now
3. Follow the installation instructions to install Safety Scanner
4. Launch Microsoft Safety Scanner
5. Click Scan Type
6. Click Full Scan
7. Click Next
8. If any malware is detected, the infected files will be deleted

If you can’t boot into Windows to run this software, you can also use Easy Recovery Essentials built-in antivirus scanner.

The Professional Edition of Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows features a powerful antivirus and rootkit scanner that can normally resolve this and similar errors caused by viruses, rootkits, trojans, or spyware. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.

1. Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed. For the purposes of this guide, you will need to obtain the Professional Edition of EasyRE.
2. Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick/drive.
3. Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
4. Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Virus Scanner” option and click Continue.
   

   Choose “Virus Scanner” in Easy Recovery Essentials

5. After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Scan button to begin.
   

   Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.

6. EasyRE will begin scanning the drive for viruses, rootkits, trojans, spyware, and other unwanted malware on your machine. No intervention is required, and EasyRE will repair viruses as it finds them, reporting its progress as it goes along:
   

   Easy Recovery Essentials searches for viruses and cleans infections on the selected Windows installation.

7. Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.

You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here.

Fix #4: Run sfc

The sfc utility can also check the integrity of the hard disk files and report any issues with your files:

1. Open the Charm Bar
2. Type cmd in the Search box
3. Right-click on Command Prompt
4. Select Run as Administrator
5. Type:

   sfc /scannow

6. Hit Enter

Fixing “0x8078012D” in Windows 7

Fix #1: Enable Windows Backup Services

These steps to fix the 0x8078012D on Windows 7 systems are similar to those of Windows 8 explained above.

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click System and Security
4. Click Administrative Tools
5. Select Services
6. Search for Volume Shadow Copy
7. Right-click on Volume Shadow Copy
8. Click Properties
9. Change Startup Type to Manual
10. Click OK
11. Search for Windows Backup service
12. Right-click on Windows Backup service
13. Click Properties
14. Change Startup Type to Manual
15. Click OK

Fix #2: Check User Profile

If you’re unable to save a newly created backup – even after deleting the previous backup – try to create a new account and perform the Backup process again:

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click User Accounts and Family Safety
4. Click User Accounts
5. Click Manage Another Account
6. Click Create a New Account to create a new account
7. Restart your computer

After this new account is created, you need to log off from the current account and log in with the new created account. Run Windows Backup again and see if the 0x8078012D error persists.

Fix #3: Run chkdsk

Using the chkdsk utility (available from Command Prompt), you can check if any bad sectors exists on your hard drive.

To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
2. Type cmd at the search box
3. Open Command Prompt
4. Type:

   chkdsk /f C:

5. If you want to change the drive, replace the C: with your drive’s letter.
6. After the chkdsk process is complete, restart your Windows 7 and perform the backup again

Fix #4: Clean Boot

If the 0x8078012D error isn’t caused by a corrupt backup file of Windows Backup, a specific sofware application may trigger this error.

To debug this, boot your computer in a clean boot and then determine if a specific application is causing this error to appear:

1. Boot your computer and log on as Administrator
2. Click Start
3. Search for:

msconfig.exe

1. At the System Configuration utilit, select the General tab
2. Check the Selective Startup option
3. Uncheck the Load startup items check box
4. Go to the Services tab
5. Check the Hide all Microsoft services checkbox from the bottom left corner of the window
6. Click Disable all button
7. Click OK
8. Restart your system

More Information

Linked Entries

• sfc

Support Links

• Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
  
  It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.

  Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.

• The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
• Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows 7, Windows 8.

Applicable Systems

This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:

• Windows 7 (all editions)
• Windows 8 (all editions)
• Windows 8.1 (all editions)

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