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VSS_E_ASRERROR_DATADISK_RDISK0
VSS_E_ASRERROR_DATADISK_RDISK0 is the failure HRESULT 0x80042406 (signed decimal -2147212282, unsigned decimal 2147755014). Its severity bit is set, the facility field is 4 (FACILITY_ITF), and the facility-specific code is 0x2406.
The firmware-active disk is a data disk. ASR has found that the disk treated as the primary firmware recovery disk is actually a data disk. The official AllStat text recommends selecting another active disk or cleaning the data disk before retrying, but either action is destructive or boot-critical and must be validated first.
AllStat records the official condition as: “A data disk is currently set as active in BIOS. Set some other disk as active or use the DiskPart utility to clean the data disk, and then retry the restore operation.” This wording should be interpreted at the VSS/ASR stage described below, not as a generic disk or COM failure.
Where VSS_E_ASRERROR_DATADISK_RDISK0 appears
The failure appears during system-disk identification in bare-metal recovery, when ASR must decide which target will receive the bootable system layout.
Likely causes
- An MBR partition on a data disk is marked active even though the disk is not intended to host the restored system.
- Firmware disk ordering or virtual-machine attachment order makes an auxiliary disk appear first.
- A reused target retains old boot flags or partition metadata.
- External or removable storage changes the disk enumeration seen by Windows RE.
Evidence to capture before changing storage
- Capture firmware boot mode and boot order before changing any disk.
- Use DiskPart to list disks, partitions and active flags, recording serial numbers and sizes.
- Identify every existing filesystem and confirm which disks contain data that must be preserved.
- Record how ASR selected the recovery disk rather than assuming disk 0 is always the correct system target.
Diagnostic sequence
- Determine whether the machine boots in BIOS/MBR or UEFI/GPT mode; the active flag has different relevance.
- Detach unnecessary external disks temporarily when doing so is operationally safe.
- Compare the intended target identity with firmware and hypervisor ordering.
- Treat
cleanas irreversible; never use it merely to test whether the HRESULT disappears.
Recovery and retry
Correct boot selection or prepare a verified empty target according to the recovery plan. If cleaning is required, first prove that the disk has no data that must survive and that the backup includes everything needed. Then restart ASR so it rediscovers the disk layout.
What this HRESULT does not prove
This code does not mean the data disk is defective or too small. The conflict is its role in boot/recovery selection.
Difference from nearby VSS results
VSS_E_ASRERROR_RDISK0_TOOSMALL accepts the firmware-active disk role but rejects its capacity. Here the role itself is wrong because the selected disk is a data disk.
Practical example
A VM has an old data VHD attached before the new recovery target. The data VHD contains an active MBR partition, so ASR selects it as the primary recovery disk and stops before overwriting it.
Guidance for backup software and telemetry
User interfaces should display disk identity, current content and the exact proposed boot role before offering corrective actions. A one-click cleanup recommendation is unsafe for this HRESULT.
A useful support record includes the operation phase, backup set or restore session identifier, recovery-environment version, firmware mode, exact disk identities, source and target capacities, online/exclusion state, and the first related VSS or storage event. Preserve identifiers needed to distinguish the affected devices while applying the organization’s normal redaction rules to customer-specific labels and paths.
Official Microsoft references
- Microsoft: VSS Automated System Recovery for disaster recovery
- Microsoft: DiskPart active command
- Microsoft: DiskPart inactive command
- Microsoft: DiskPart command interpreter
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