[7 Ways] Not Enough Disk Space to Create the Volume Shadow Copy

Overview of "There is not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy..." error

The Windows inbuilt backup and restore tool called Windows Backup is used to generate a complete system image backup, allowing you to restore Windows to its original state if it encounters corruption. Despite its usefulness, users run into a roadblock with the error message "There is not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy on the storage location." along with error code 0x80780113 when trying to create a backup image using Windows Backup. This barrier prevents the backup image from being successfully created.

Although the error message states that there is no enough space in the system reserved partition, various other factors can also cause this issue to occur. Bad sectors in the drive, accumulation of redundant temporary files, or disk drive failure may trigger this error. In case you encounter this error, there are several ways to fix it, which we outline here for your reference. Let's take a closer look at them!

How to fix "not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy"

Since there are distinct reasons for the "there is not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy 0x80780113" error, refer to the following corresponding methods to fix this issue.

Method 1. Clean up the system disk

Excessive junk files and unnecessary data residing on the drive can cause storage issues, which may lead to encountering error 0x80780113. Consider correcting this problem by cleaning out these unnecessary files using a Windows-native tool called Disk Cleanup. Please follow the steps below to fix the Windows 10 backup failed not enough space:

Step 1. Type disk cleanup in the taskbar search box and select Disk Cleanup from the results.

Step 2. Select System C drive to clean and select OK to confirm.

Step 3. In the Files to deleted section, mark the files you want to delete and click OK to continue.

Method 2. Extend system reserved partition

If the previously suggested method doesn't work, consider extending the system-reserved partition. Not enough space in the system reserved partition is often the root cause of shadow copy creation issues. While Windows Disk Management (DM) may have limitations (usually allowing partition expansion using only adjacent unallocated space), causing the Extend Volume button to be greyed out, an alternative is to use a third-party tool such as AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. The software circumvents limitations and provides a more flexible approach.

Even if you have no unallocated space on the disk, the "Allocate free space" function in PA allows you to directly reallocate free space from another partition to the system reserved partition such as from the D partition to the system partition. This feature doesn't require 2 contiguous partitions, so you can use the free space from any suitable partition.

Use this software to expand your system volume:

Step 1. Install and start AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Right-click on the partition with extra free space and select Allocate Free Space.

Step 2. Specify the size you want to share from the partition to the system-reserved partition. Then click OK.

Step 3. Click Apply to save the changes.

Step 4. Restart the computer and you can find the size of your system reserved partition has been enlarged. This can resolve limitations associated with insufficient space for creating shadow copies.

Method 3. Create a new system volume

Try to create a new system volume and check whether you can create a system backup image. Creating system volumes is only feasible for primary partitions on MBR disks. You can convert GPT disk to MBR if needed.

This method involves command prompt and disk commands:

Step 1. Start with the Windows key and enter CMD.

Step 2. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 3. Once the terminal appears, copy this command and press Enter:

bcdboot.exe /s C:\Windows /s F:

Step 4. Use the DiskPart tool in the terminal, copy this command and press Enter:

diskpart

Step 5. Continue to select F volume and activate it as the primary system reserved partition:

select volume F

active

Step 6. After completing these steps, close the Command Prompt terminal and restart your computer.

Step 7. After reboot, the F: driver will act as the system-reserved partition. Try creating a system image backup now.

Method 4. Run chkdsk command

When you encounter this "there is not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy" error, bad sectors on your hard drive may be the underlying problem. In this case, resolving the problem usually requires executing the chkdsk command to scan for and repair drive errors. Please follow the steps below to resolve this issue:

Step 1. Start Command Prompt as administrator.

Step 2. Enter the command: chkdsk g: /f /r /x. (Replace g with your system drive letter.)

Step 3. Press Enter to start the scanning and repair process for bad sectors and disk errors.

After completing this process, restart your computer. Subsequently, try creating a system image backup, which may resolve issues caused by bad sectors on your hard drive.

Method 5. Clear the current USN Journal

Windows uses the update serial number (USN) to track file changes and maintain specific records within volumes. If this record has reached its limit, it may cause the error you are experiencing. In this case, resolving the problem may require clearing the current USN log. Please follow the steps below to resolve this issue:

Step 1. Press the Windows + X keys and select Disk Management from the menu that appears.

Step 2. In Disk Management, right-click the System Reserved volume and select Change drive letter and path....

Step 3. Click the Change button and select Assign the following drive letter.

Step 4. From the drop-down menu, select a new drive letter (for example F) for the reserved partition. Click OK to confirm and close the Disk Management window.

Step 5. Start Command Prompt with administrative rights.

Step 6. Enter the following command and press Enter:

fsutil usn queryjournal F：

fsutil usn deletejournal /N /D F：

(Replace F with the drive letter you selected in step 4.)

Step 7. After executing these commands, restart the computer to verify that the error has been resolved.

This process is designed to clear the USN log, potentially mitigating errors by managing the logging of file changes within the volume.

Method 6. Enable system protection

Some users have found a potential fix by enabling system protection. Please follow the steps below to activate system protection and see if that resolves the issue:

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box, then enter sysdm.cpl and press Enter. This will open the System Properties window.

Step 2. Navigate to the System Protection tab and select the C drive from the list. Click the Configure button.

Step 3. Enable the Turn on system protection option. You can adjust the Max Usage slider to your liking.

Step 4. Click OK to save changes.

Step 5. Proceed to create a system image backup and check if this resolves the system image not enough space error.

Method 7. Update the driver

To resolve the not enough space error, consider updating them through Device Manager using the following steps:

Step 1. Right-click the Windows icon and select Device Manager.

Step 2. Expand the section labeled Disk drives.

Step 3. Right-click on your hard drive and select Update driver.

Step 4. Select Search automatically for drivers.

This process will update the disk driver and may resolve drive-related issues in your system.

After this update, reboot the system and try to create a new system image backup. Ideally, this should eliminate the occurrence of error code 0x80780113, thus resolving the issue you are experiencing.

Conclusion

This article details strategies for resolving the "There is not enough disk space to create the volume shadow copy..." error and provides 7 step-by-step solutions. A highly recommended method is to use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional Edition to directly expand the system reserved partition.

This versatile tool is not limited to partition expansion but can also be used as a disk cloner, MBR2GPT converter, installed programs mover, and duplicate file finder. Its features include partition splitting, disk speed testing, junk file cleaning, and more.

It is worth noting that in addition to the PC version, this tool also includes dedicated versions such as the Server Edition customized for Windows Server users, and the Advanced version that meets enterprise-level needs.