Windows Server · medium · Storage, SAN & file services

Previous Versions is empty or shadow copies keep disappearing

The shadow copy storage area is too small, so each new snapshot deletes the older ones.

What you see

Users report that Previous Versions shows nothing, or only one very recent copy where there should be weeks of them.

What is actually wrong

The storage association defaults to a small percentage of the volume, and a volume with a lot of daily change fills it in one snapshot.

Codes and articles

Previous Versions emptyvssadmin list shadowsEvent 12289Event 25shadow copy storage0x80042306

The fix

Size the shadow storage for the rate of change

Elevated PowerShell30 minutesmedium riskreversible

Copies are missing or only the newest survives.

See what exists and what the storage allocation is.
PowerShell
```
vssadmin list shadowsvssadmin list shadowstorage
```
The used space against the maximum tells you immediately whether it is being trimmed. A used figure equal to the maximum means older copies are being discarded to make room.
This is the whole fault in one number, and it is why the setting is worth checking before anything else. The snapshots are not failing — they are succeeding and evicting each other.
Put the shadow storage on a different volume from the data where possible, which removes the contention entirely.
PowerShell
```
vssadmin add shadowstorage /for=E: /on=F: /maxsize=200GB
```

Or raise the allocation on the same volume.

PowerShell

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=E: /on=E: /maxsize=20%

Check the schedule is sensible. Two snapshots a day on a file server is typical; more than that consumes storage quickly for little benefit.
PowerShell
```
Get-ScheduledTask | Where-Object TaskName -like '*ShadowCopy*' | Format-Table TaskName,State
```
State plainly to whoever asks: shadow copies are not a backup. They live on the same volume as the data and are lost with it.
This gets treated as a backup remarkably often. A ransomware event or a failed array takes the snapshots with the data, which is exactly when people discover the distinction.

Confirm it workedMultiple shadow copies exist across several days and used space is below the maximum.

PowerShell

vssadmin list shadows | Select-String 'creation time' | Select-Object -First 10vssadmin list shadowstorage

If you need to undo itvssadmin resize shadowstorage with the previous value; existing copies beyond the new limit will be discarded.

Related faults

Where this stops. This write-up was written and checked by hand. It says what each step changes, how to confirm it worked and how to reverse it, and anything destructive is flagged before you reach it. If it does not match what your machine is doing, search the Support Centre for the exact code or message — and when something needs a person, get in touch.