Volume Shadow Copy Service: A feature in recent versions of Microsoft Windows that allows taking manual or automatic backup copies or snapshots of a file or folder on a specific volume at a specific point in time.

In Windows Vista Enterprise, you use the Distributed File System (DFS) together with the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). However, VSS does not show whether the DFS path is the same as the physical path. For example, assume that the DFS path is as follows:

\\myfiles\storage\[alias [file:///\\myfiles\storage\%3calias]]

Assume that the physical path is as follows:

\\severname\FSXX\[alias [file:///\\severname\FSXX\%3calias]]

In this example, VSS does not show whether the alias directory of the DFS path is the same as the alias directory of the physical path.

If you install Microsoft Visual SourceSafe (VSS) 2005 on a computer that is running Windows Vista, you cannot host a VSS Web service.

When you use the Windows Vista Back Up Files wizard, recorded TV program files (.dvr-ms) are not backed up. This issue also occurs when you use any other backup solution that relies on the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) in Windows Vista.