[Detailed Steps] Windows Server Backup: Install, Backup and Restore

What Is Windows Server Backup

Windows Server Backup is a built-in feature in Microsoft Windows Server operating systems that provides a reliable and efficient solution for backing up and restoring data on Windows servers.

• Feature of Windows Server Backup
• Limitation of Windows Server Backup
• Install Windows Server Backup
• Configure Backup and Recovery Using Windows Server Backup

Feature of Windows Server Backup

Windows Server Backup offers a range of backup options to protect important files, folders, applications, system settings, and even entire disks.

• Scheduled Backups: You can schedule regular backups to occur automatically at specific intervals.
• Flexible Backup Storage Options: You can store backups on local drives, external hard drives, network shares, or dedicated backup devices.
• Block-Level Backup: Windows Server Backup uses block-level backup technology, which means that only the modified or new data blocks are backed up during subsequent backups.
• Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Integration: VSS coordinates with applications and the operating system to create a snapshot of the data at a specific point in time, ensuring that backups are reliable and consistent.
• Bare Metal Recovery: In the event of a complete system failure, Windows Server Backup supports bare metal recovery. You can restore the entire server, including the operating system, system settings, applications, and data, to new or existing hardware.
• Command-Line Interface: Windows Server Backup provides a command-line interface (WBADMIN) that allows advanced users to perform backup and recovery operations using scripts or automated tasks.
• Integration with Windows Server Essentials: If you are using Windows Server Essentials edition, Windows Server Backup integrates seamlessly with the server dashboard, providing a unified interface for managing backups, storage, and recovery.

Limitation of Windows Server Backup

After knowing the features of Windows Server Backup, you should also know its limitations to avoid issues while using it.

▷ Limited Scalability: Windows Server Backup is designed for smaller-scale server environments and may not scale well for large or complex infrastructures. It lacks of advanced features and only has a limited storage capacity of 2T.
▶ No Cross-Platform Support: Windows Server Backup is specific to Windows Server operating systems and does not provide native support for backing up or restoring data on non-Windows platforms.
▷ Limited Cross-Version Compatibility: While Windows Server Backup generally supports backup and recovery between similar editions of Windows Server, there may be limitations or compatibility issues when restoring backups to a different server version or edition.
▶ Limited Granularity: Windows Server Backup does not offer granular backup and recovery options for individual files or folders within a backup. It primarily focuses on creating backups of entire volumes or disks. As a result, restoring individual files or folders from a backup requires restoring the entire volume or disk and manually extracting the desired data.
▷ Lack of Native Tape Drive Support: Starting from Windows Server 2012, Microsoft removed native support for tape drives in Windows Server Backup.

How to Set Up Windows Server Backup Step-by-step

Before you start setting up Windows Server Backup, you should check if your server edition includes the Windows Server Backup feature (e.g., Windows Server 2012 and later editions).

Install Windows Server Backup

1. Access to Server Manager on your Windows Server, and open the Add Roles and Features wizard, then click Next.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions, click Next to Features wizard. Then select Windows Server Backup, and click Next.

3. In Confirm wizard, click Install, and wait until the feature is installed.

4. Once done, click Close.

Configure Backup and Recovery Using Windows Server Backup

• Backup a Windows Server with Windows Server Backup
• Restore data via Windows Server Backup

✍ Steps to back up a Windows Server with Windows Server Backup:

1. In the Server Manager, click Tools in the right-hand pane and select Windows Server Backup in Windows Server 2019.

2. Click Local Backup. In the Action section, click Backup Once.

3. In Backup Option window, select Different options.

4. In Select Backup Configuration window, select Custom.

5. In Select Items for Backup window, click Add Items to pick the volume(s) to be backed up, and then click Next.

6. In Specify Destination Type window, choose the backup destination where your backups will be stored. You can select a local drive or a network share. Click Next.

7. In Confirmation window, click Backup. Once this has completed, click Close to exit the Backup Once Wizard.

Once the setup is complete, Windows Server Backup will start creating backups.

✍ Steps to restore data via Windows Server Backup:

After you have successfully created a backup, you could try to restore a backup in case of any disaster.

1. In Windows Server Backup and right-click Local Backup.

2. In the Action section, select Recover to launch the Wizard.

3. In Getting Started, select the location where to restore the data from and click Next. Either from the local server or another location.

4. In Specify Location Type window, choose Local drives or Remote shared folder, then click Next.

5. In Specify Remote Folder window, type the UNC path containing the backup files and click on Next.

6. In Select Backup Date window, select the date that the backup was created on to restore the backup, and click Next.

7. In Select Recovery Type window, choose files and folders, volumes, applications, and system states, and click Next.

8. In Select Items to Recover window, select the files and folders you want to recover.

9. In Specify Recovery Option window, select the recovery destination where you want to restore the data, and click Next.

10. In the Confirmation window, check the settings, and click on Recover. Once the recovery has been completed, click on Close.

Protect Your Data with Windows Server Backup Software

What happens when your Windows Server faces a crisis? It could be a hardware problem, a cyberattack, or even a simple mistake. Without proper backup, you're at risk of losing critical information. That's where AOMEI Cyber Backup comes in, providing a reliable solution to keep your business data safe.

---

🚩 What AOMEI Cyber Backup Offers:

Automatic Backup: Our software backs up your data regularly without you needing to do anything.

Quick Recovery: If you ever lose data or your system fails, our software helps you recover fast, reducing downtime.

Flexibility: Whether you're a small business or a big enterprise, our software can grow with you.

Cost-Effective: Investing in our software is a smart move compared to the potential costs of data loss and downtime.

---

Don't wait until disaster strikes. Secure your Windows Server with AOMEI Cyber Backup today. Please follow the step-by-step guide below to learn how to back up Windows Server 2016/2019/2022/11,10,8,7.

✍ Steps to backup Windows Server Data with AOMEI Cyber Backup:

1. First, you need to install the AOMEI Cyber Backup Agent on your target device before creating a Windows server backup.

2. Navigate to Source Device to add Windows Device, then fill in the correct IP address and user information.

3. Go to Backup Task > Create New Task > Disk Backup.

4. Choose your Windows Server hard disk to backup.

5. Choose a destination to save the backup.

6. Schedule backup method as full / incremental / differential backup and run the backup tasks at daily / weekly / monthly.

7. Click Start Backup to protect your Windows Server data.

✐(Optional) Upgrade to enjoy more features:
1- Backup more Windows Servers
2 - Restore to new location

FAQ About Windows Server Backup

Q: How to use a Windows server backup from the command line?

A: If you are familiar with command line, you can use Wbadmin.exe to back up and restore your OS, volumes, files/folders, and applications.

Start command prompt to enter the commands and press ENTER.

Q: What types of backups does Windows Server Backup support?

A: Windows Server Backup supports full backups, incremental backups, and differential backups. Each backup type has its advantages and considerations, depending on your backup strategy and requirements.

Q: Can I perform a bare metal recovery using Windows Server Backup?

A: Yes, Windows Server Backup supports bare metal recovery, which allows you to restore the entire server, including the operating system, system settings, applications, and data, to new or existing hardware.

Conclusion

Windows Sever Backup & Recovery is very essential for organizations. Windows Server Backup helps you to protect your server's data and restore it when needed. In this article, we describe how to install Windows Server Backup and provide detailed steps to easily backup and restore Windows Server.