AhsayCBS (DIY)Windows System State Backup error "Enumeration of the files failed"
September 17, 2025
Product Version
AhsayOBM: 7 and above
Operating System
Windows
Symptom
When performing a MS Windows System State backup, the following error message is displayed on the backup client interface, or in the backup log/report:
[System State Backup] "Enumeration of the files failed."
[System State Backup] "The parameter is incorrect."
[System State Backup] "Enumeration of the files failed."
[System State Backup] "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process."
[System State Backup] "Enumeration of the files failed."
[System State Backup] "The file name, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect."
Cause
The error message suggests that Windows fails to write a system state file to the temporary location of the system backup.
Several causes can be attributed to this error, usually these causes have a direct correlation to the ImagePath in the registry for services that are installed:
- An invalid path.
- Invalid characters in the path.
- Syntax formatting of the path.
- A valid path on SAN drives of a Failover Cluster.
This is an issue at the operating system level.
Resolution
To resolve the issue, refer to the steps provided in the following Microsoft KB article:
If the issue persists after performing the steps suggested in the Microsoft KB article, further assistance should be pursued with Microsoft support.