This post on MiniTool Website mainly discusses the cause of error code 0x81000033 when you create a system backup image. What’s more, it offers several nice solutions for you on how to solve this issue.

Backup Error Code 0x81000033

When trying to perform a Windows backup with the inbuilt backup tool, you may receive such a prompt, “The backup failed, error code 0x81000033.” Once receiving this error code, you cannot create a system backup image successfully. After knowing when 0x81000033 appears, this article will continue to introduce the cause of it.

Tip: When you try to create a system image with Backup & Restore in Windows, it may fail with backup error codes 0x81000033 and 0x80780119. The latter one is mainly caused by insufficient disk space. There is another article showing you how to fix error code 0x80780119 – Fix Windows Backup Failed Not Enough Disk Space 0x80780119 Code.

Backup Error Code 0x81000033 may be caused by the conditions listed as follows.

1. Windows 10 image backup not enough space in the System Reserved Partition

2. Installed too many unnecessary language packs on your PC

3. Disabled system protection

4. Device drivers out of date

How to Fix Windows Backup Error Code 0x81000033?

Try the following solutions that might help you a lot after triggering this error code.

Solution 1: Spare Some Disk Space by Using Disk Cleanup

You can first go and check if there is enough free space on the root drive. Once this error code appears, you are supposed to take advantage of Disk Cleanup to release more free space. Then restart your PC, create a system back up again. If the backup error code 0x81000033 still arises, you may try the following solution.

Tip: In addition to this method, you can also free disk space in other ways. There is a relevant article about that – 10 Ways to Free up Disk Space in Windows 10/11.

Solution 2: Increase the Size of System Reserved Partition

Not having enough free space inside the Windows 10 partitions is the prior reason for 0x81000033, so expanding the space of System Reserved Partition is a very useful method when your computer suffers from the heavy pressure of partition space.

To fix backup error code 0x81000033 in this way, you can create a system volume and then appoint it as the new system reserved partition.

Step 1. Type Win + E to choose File Explorer and check all the existed driver letters. Launch the Command Prompt as an administrator. 

Step 2. Copy “bcdboot.exe /s C:\Windows /s G:” in the pop-up window and click Enter. (In this code, “C” is the root drive and “G” represents the newly created system volume.) 

Step 3. Execute the following commands one after another and remember to hit Enter after each command.

DISKPART

DISKPART> select volume G

DISKPART> active

Step 4. Restart your PC.

Solution 3: Delete Unnecessary Language Packs 

Too many language packs not only occupy substantial disk space but also stop the system from generating restore points. As a result, you’d better remove all the unwanted language packs in the Setting of your PC.

Step 1. Click the Start menu to choose Setting.

Step 2. Select Time & Language.

Click Time & Language

Step 3. In the Language window, choose the language pack that you want to remove by left-clicking it and then click Remove.

Remove unnecessary language packs

Solution 4: Turn on the System Protection

By default, this feature remains disabled, so it is normal for you to create any restore image unsuccessfully. This solution is pretty easy if you never turn on the system protection. Just go to Setting of your PC, and click System. In the System>About window, select System protection.

Click system protection

And then choose the system drive followed by Configure in System Properties.

Click configure

In the pop-up window, check Turn on system protection.

Solution 5: Update the Outdated Device Drivers

The outdated device drivers are another important reason for triggering backup error code 0x81000033. You can follow the next steps to update drivers. Take the graphics card driver update as an example.

Step 1. Type Device Manager in the search bar and next choose the most matched one.

Step 2. Click Display adapter in the Device Manager window, right-click your graphics driver and choose Update driver.

Click update driver

Step 3. In the pop-up window, click “Search automatically for drivers”. After that, Windows will look for the latest driver software for your PC on the Internet. If there is a newer one, Windows Device Manager will download and install the newer one for you.

Search automatically for drivers

There is a relevant article showing you 2 ways of updating device drivers – How to Update Device Drivers Windows 10 (2 Ways)

Create a System Image with MiniTool ShadowMaker

If you don’t want to suffer from backup error code 0x81000033 and want a reliable backup tool, you can choose a free backup software, MiniTool ShadowMaker. There is an article showing you 2 ways of backing up – Windows 10 vs Windows 11 Backup & Restore vs MiniTool ShadowMaker.

MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

As mentioned above, in terms of the interest of the long run, MiniTool ShadowMaker is a better option that is worthy to have a try when creating a system image. Here we will offer a detailed guidance on how to do that.

Step 1. Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker in Windows by clicking the left key twice, then click Keep Trail to start a backup.

Step 2. In the main function interface, click Backup.

Backup interface

Step 3. As you can see, the System C and System Reserved Partition in Source are chosen by default so you only need to select a destination path by clicking on Destination to store the system image.

Choose the destination path

Note: In addition to backing up your system to another disk, you can also back up your PC to NAS, the Libraries folders and so on. If you are interested in NAS backup, you can have a try under the guidance of this related article – What Is a NAS Drive and How to Do a NAS Backup on Windows 10?

Step 4. Click Back up Now in the lower right to launch the backup process at once or put it off by clicking Back up Later. (The delayed backup task will remain in the Manage interface if you choose the latter one.)

Choose the time of backup

Bottom Line

Do you have a better understanding of the backup error code 0x81000033 and figure out why Windows 10 backup fails to complete? Sincerely hope that the resolution mentioned in this article will solve your problem.

Of course, you can also leave a comment to our support team at [email protected] if encounter other problems in all aspects of using MiniTool ShadowMaker to create a system image.

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