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Vista Backup fails: "File backup failed. The error is: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002)."

Problem

You are trying to use Vista's own Backup & Restore Center tool to backup files on your system.  After a few minutes of "preparing", the backup fails with the following error:

"File backup failed. The error is: The system cannot find the file specified. (0x80070002)."

Solution

There is a bug in the backup tool where it is trying to backup the files for a profile that is no longer (or never was actually) present on your machine.  To remove this "ghost profile", follow these steps:
  1. Run "regedit.exe" from the Start Menu.
  2. Browse to the following registry key:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software//Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProfileList
  3. Look at each of the subkeys in this "ProfileList" key & find the one that has no "ImagePath" property.
  4. When you find the profile with no ImagePath, simply right-click on it & delete it.
  5. Close Registry Editor.
You may need to reboot for the changes to take effect, but usually, you can now attempt another backup.  It should now succeed.



Article Details

Last Updated
14th of October, 2008

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Visitor Comments

  1. Comment #1 (Posted by Anonymous)
    fix works for cd/rw backups , but not for system restore
  2. Comment #2 (Posted by Anonymous)
    i deleted all the registery keys with no imagepath entry. works great for a backup to cd, but system restore is still broken:(
  3. Comment #3 (Posted by Russ Lynch )
    system restore affects no files , but goes to completion with an 'unexpected error' -- disable restore restart enable restore restart set a restore point restart perform a system restore .. this worked for me. system restore performed the restore without a warning message. (compliments of the HP class)

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