ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers\Layers\...

On 4 of my computers ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers\Layers\ is empty. On one of them it contains ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers\Layers\cfa8c587-b7c1-4fea-a4e6-7e9d4527b70d\Files\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Files\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ ... . A Macrium Reflect Files&Folders chokes trying to back this up with "The file cannot be accessed by the system" (reading from a VSS copy, not the actual files). For a while File Explorer would hang trying to read the files (but now it seems OK).

I haven't found clear information on the web but it sounds like the Layers directory should be empty except during some kind of software installation process. I'm not (purposefully) in the middle of any software installation. This problem started when I upgraded from 23H2 to 24H2 6 days ago ... but I upgraded all 4 computers and only one has the problem. I've rebooted at least once but that fixed nothing.

Is there some straightforward way to fix this?

Have you done anything with Docker or K8s on the one computer? This directory is exclusively used for container tech

I've never knowingly done anything with Docker or K8 but I did briefly try something that required Linux Subsystem. Too long ago for me to remember the details, but I suppose it may have done something with Docker.

I've now done a clean reinstall of Windows which got rid of the containers. I'm now going through the painful job of reinstalling and recustomizing about 50 3rd-party programs. (I think anybody recommending clean installs as a trivial task don't really use their computers for much.)

After you get everything the way you want, you should make an Image file of your computer using the Free Hasleo Backup Suite.
Here is the tutorial

You can restore your computer in minutes not hours or days