I found a reference to this message in the Yamaha M manual. It shouldn't be applicable to loading a backup file into the ESP.

As a test, I performed a Save backup operation on the default state of the ESP and then tried a Load operation to restore the backup file just created. It too failed with the "Sample is protected" error.

I've already performed the three "Rs"; restart, reboot, reinstall with no success. 

Posted by: Stu

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I've already performed the three "Rs"; restart, reboot, reinstall with no success. 

Presently rebuilding Windows 11 on the laptop and will be reinstalling everything.... News at 11.

Wonder what this backup does on the M hardware itself.  I wouldn't try it if you depend on this particular backup.  I'd go to a store with Montage M and load the file and see what happens.   I'd expect it to work but you never know.

The backup came from my M7. I loaded it successfully in the first instance of ESP. 

The second instance won't accept either that backup or one made from it's own default state.

Reinstalled Windows 11, Cubase 13 and ESP 2.0.

Same result. Will not load any user or system backups, either generated from the ESP itself or from my M7.

Guess I'll have to engage Yamaha support.

Ok, I've solved the problem but I don't know how it occurred. All of the ESP user data is stored in one directory, apart from the system files. I copied that directory from my working instance to the failing one and then I could see all my custom performances and live set entries. Also now I can successfully restore my original M7 backup file to the ESP.

Clearly there was some type of file/directory permission issue in the Windows ESP file structure but how remains unknown.

Could it be a "User" vs "Factory" write protect mechanism... perhaps to prevent any pirating/copying of Yamaha Samples? Or maybe, to prevent Yamaha Samples Database from being "contaminated" with User/Third Party Samples?

It's a pure guess.