When trying to start the Removable Storage Service it may hang and stop responding. You may get the following error messages:
- Backup cannot connect to the Removable Storage service. – This service is required for use of tape drives and other backup devices.
- REMOVABLE STORAGE – Server Execution failed.
- The removable storage database failed to load. Check the event log.
To fix this just follow these simple steps.
- Copy all files located in the %SystemRoot%\System32\NtmsData folder to another location (don’t delete them for now just for safety)
- In the Computer Management tool, double-click the Services and Applications branch to expand it, and then click Services.
- Locate the Removable Storage service, try to start the service, or change the startup type from “Disabled” to “Automatic”, and then restart your computer. This should import the database from the export folder, build a new index file, and be consistent from when the last %Systemroot% backup was performed.
- Done
See the Microsoft Knowledge Base:235032 in case you continue to have the same problem.
