Shared Folders appears broken with WSEE and Server 2025
I tried to add a shared folder in the Dashboard. The Add a Folder window hung while enabling shadow copies… (80%). See screen shot. I let it sit there for over 15 minutes and then closed the dashboard. When I re-opened the dashboard, I could do nothing with this shared folder. I tried to stop sharing and got an error “Another task is in progress on the folder or on the hard drive where the folder is located.” I rebooted and the same error persisted (see screen shot).
I then tried to add a new user to the system through the dashboard and it took and got an error setting permissions to the shared folder. The error was “Cannot retrieve or change the user account information. If the problem persists, restart the server and try again.” I did restart the server multiple times to no effect.
Not sure how to fix this problem. Has anyone else see this problem? I have the latest update of WSEE and the latest version (with all updates applied) Windows Server 2025 Standard.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
John Heimann
- John Heimann asked 1 month ago
- last edited 4 weeks ago
- You must log in to post comments.
Hmm… I’m not able to replicate this one over here on my end at the moment, but I have seen reports from other users who are having issues with shared folders while running Essentials under Windows Server 2025. It’s quite possible that there are still issues/bugs in 2025 that are causing this to happen (seeing as 2025 was only just recently released). It may take Microsoft some time to resolve these types of issues (with Windows Updates).
I’ll take a closer look at this one and see if I can reproduce the problem. In the mean time have you tried looking in the server’s “Logs” folder just to see if any of the recently written to log files within that folder give any indication as to what may have happened? You can find the server’s Logs folder in the following location:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Server\Logs
Also, have you tried turning off shadow copies on the drive that you’re attempting to create the shared folder(s) on just to see if that helps any? You should be able to do that via the server Dashboard’s “STORAGE” tab and then going to its “Hard Drives” subtab.
EDIT: Also, do you happen to be using any drive pooling software on your Essentials server? If so, then that may also be what’s causing the issue. I would assume that using Microsoft’s Storage Spaces should be fine, but I cannot say for sure at this point.
- Mike answered 4 weeks ago
- last edited 4 weeks ago
- You must log in to post comments.
Okay, I’ve spent a bit more time exploring this one and I am indeed able to replicate the problem over here now. I don’t recall this being an issue with any of the earlier preview/pre-release builds of Windows Server 2025, but it’s definitely there now. It appears to be an issue with shadow copies, but I cannot say for certain at this point. However, the issue still appears even when shadow copies have been disabled on the drive that’s hosting the shared folders.
I’ll keep looking into this one, but IMHO, this is an issue/bug in Windows Server 2025 itself (and not in WSEE) and so folks are probably better off just sticking to using Windows Server 2022 for now. It appears that Windows Server 2025 needs some more time baking in the oven over on Microsoft’s end (as I’m also seeing issues with the Windows Installer MSI package files getting hung up under 2025 as well). Neither Windows Server 2019 nor Windows Server 2022 seem to be experiencing any of these types of problems.
Sorry that I don’t have a better answer for folks on this one. : -(
- Mike answered 4 weeks ago
- last edited 4 weeks ago
- You must log in to post comments.
Hi, I have Windows Server 2025 with the WSEE role installed as well. This one is installed on a hyper V VM. The shared folders are created/moved to different drives with success. Shadow copies are also created without any errors. Server backups are executed as planned as well. If I install Windows Server 2025 as standalone on a PC with the WSEE role installed, I run into the issues as described above (creating share hangs at the shadow copy creation) and backups don’t start.
Every now and than shadow copies do work but then the server backup fails or the other way around. Doesnt seem to be consistent.
Agree with Mike there still are some issues in Server 2025. It is time consuming to try to install server 2025 and find out it does not completely run as expected. Whenever I install Server 2022 it is always all good so I gave up for now on Windows Server 2025 as a host for now.
- TheDoc answered 4 weeks ago
- Appreciate your feedback. Yes, Windows Server 2025 sure does seem to be a bit of a mess at the moment. It worked a whole lot better back when it was in “preview” form. Hopefully Microsoft gets this kind of stuff fixed real soon with the release of a Windows Update (or two). I’m not exactly sure if I should just block the WSEE Installer from working on 2025, until this kind of stuff gets resolved, or if I should just let it go as it is. Stinks for folks to spend their time setting up 2025 only to find out that Essentials doesn’t work very well due to bugs in the underlying OS. Hmm…
- You must log in to post comments.
Microsofts Jan 25 update has same issues so advise to stick to 2022
- TheDoc answered 4 weeks ago
- Interesting… I just installed the latest Jan 2025 Windows Updates here on two of our in house Windows Server 2025 test servers and I am now able to add server folders without any issues (i.e. it no longer hangs at 80% when enabling shadow copies). Thus, it appears that the latest Windows Updates have corrected the issue for us anyway.
- You must log in to post comments.
Ok thanks Mike, I will try once more but have no spare computers at the moment so installing as host is time consuming and if an error shows up have to start over again.
- TheDoc answered 4 weeks ago
- I completely understand. You might want to hold off just to see if others report back on this issue as well (just to be sure). I’ll keep looking at it too. Right now I’m checking to see if the Windows Installer issue/bug has been fixed as well.
- You must log in to post comments.
No luck here, still getting the same hang at 80% “Enabling Shadow Copies” when creating a server folder or when moving an existing folder. i.e., C:\ServerFolders\Company. Fresh Server 2025 install with all updates. No other software installed. New install of server 2025 on Jan 11 and new install on Jan 16. The folders are created on the new drive but show on dashboard as not completed. Same results with Shadow Copies enable or disabled on the respective drives. Also having difficulty connecting client computers. Even with all the tweaks advised in the blog. Maybe 2025 isn’t quite ready for prime time. Thanks.
- Edward answered 3 weeks ago
- Appreciate your feedback on this one. Definitely interesting seeing as after installing the latest Jan 2025 cumulative update (i.e. OS Build 26100.2894) I’m able to add/move server folders just fine now. I also just set up a brand new/clean 2025 server, updated it to build 2894, installed WSEE, and it’s working just fine for me as well (although the issue with the Windows Installer MSI packages stalling out/hanging up still persists unfortunately). Client computer connections are working just fine for me as well (as are client backups, restores, etc.). Thus, I’m not exactly sure what could be going on there (as a side note, I’m only using a single hard disk in all of my tests with no drive pooling). I do agree that 2025 isn’t quite ready for prime time yet. Personally, I’d stick with using 2022 and give Microsoft some more time to straighten things out in 2025.
- You must log in to post comments.
Same here, though I’m also on Windows 2025 VM on top of Proxmox.
I remember this error didn’t happen few months ago during testing. I did a reinstall few days ago when I upgraded my proxmox hardware and this happened.
I’m on build 26100.2894 datacenter evaluation
- philliphs answered 3 weeks ago
- last edited 3 weeks ago
- Appreciate the feedback. I’m not exactly sure why this is happening, but it’s clear that Microsoft made some change to 2025 somewhere along the line that caused it because, like you, I never experienced it in the older releases. About all we can do is sit tight and wait for Microsoft to release newer Windows Updates that hopefully fix the problem. It is indeed odd that the problem went away for me once I updated to build 2894, whereas others are still experiencing it while on that build.
- I may have found what’s wrong with it 1. Reinstalled yesterday in VM on top of Proxmox. 2. Installed WSEE before all windows update (my ISO image was downloaded last year November. My previous installation on mid January 2025 was after all windows update is completed) 3. Tried to move few folders to another drive. Folder moved successfully with error “search is disabled at moved directory”. 4. Updated all windows server 2025 available updates. 5. Tried to move some other folders with error stuck on 70% enabling shadow copies again. 6. Restarted the windows. 7. Tried to open Windows Essential dashboard and error turned up that add-in was causing Dashboard error before, says Azure Backup Addin was the culprit. 8. Disabled it and dashboard opened and I was able to move folder again without any errors. Could be the addin, could be others that I did. but could someone confirm whether disabling the azure backup addin solve the problem?
- You must log in to post comments.
Though shadow copies are working for me now, with 2025 updated to latest, SERVER backup is set up but not starting automatically. On setting up the backup options in Server Essentials Dashboard I was also not asked to keep or remove existing backups on the backup drive though they were there.
Seeing @philliphs is also talking about backup, though azure backup. Mine is server local backup.
Is there someone that can try/report if this local server backup issue is on my side only? Are the two problems related?
Local started backups are working, only the scheduled ones don’t.
I’m on build 26100.2894 standard
- TheDoc answered 2 weeks ago
- last edited 2 weeks ago
- You must log in to post comments.
@philliphs, how do I disable the Azure Backup Addin on Windows Server 2025?
Kindly let me know.
Thx!
- John Heimann answered 2 weeks ago
- last edited 2 weeks ago
- You must log in to post comments.
Interesting… It does sound like Azure Backup may be the source of the issue then. Personally, I don’t use any of the Microsoft online services (including any of the Azure services) seeing as Microsoft no longer wants to support them in Essentials. You’re probably better off just sticking with the on-premises features in Essentials now IMHO.
As for disabling the Azure Backup add-in… You can do that by opening up the server Dashboard, clicking on the “Settings” link (in the top right-hand corner of the main Dashboard window), clicking on the “Safe Mode” tab in the Settings dialog box that appears, right-clicking on the “Azure Backup” add-in, choosing “Disable” from the context menu that appears, and then click on OK/Apply and restart the server Dashboard.
Alternatively, from the server Desktop, click on: Start -> Windows Server Essentials -> Windows Server Essentials Dashboard (Safe Mode)
- Mike answered 2 weeks ago
- last edited 2 weeks ago
- You must log in to post comments.
Disabling the Azure Backup Addin did not fix this issue for me. Even after a reboot and recheck to make sure it was still disabled (and it was) I could not create a new shared folder. Still stuck at 80% enabling shadow copies.
- John Heimann answered 2 weeks ago
- last edited 2 weeks ago
- Thanks for letting everyone know.
- You must log in to post comments.
