How to backup your Windows Server
If you have important data on your Windows server, you may want to utilize the Windows Server Backup feature to protect your data and configurations. In this guide, we’ll show you how you can back up and restore data in Windows Server.
How to enable the Windows Server Backup feature
The Windows Server Backup feature is not enabled by default. To enable it, you will need to turn it on via the Server Manager app. Open up the Windows Start menu, and type in “Server Manager.” Then, launch the Server Manager app.
Once inside of the Server Manager app, find “Manage,” and click on it with the mouse. After selecting “Manage,” select the “Add Roles and Features” option. When you select the “Add Roles and Features” button, you will see “Before You Begin.” Press the “Next” button to move to “Installation Type.”
Inside “Installation Type,” check the box next to “Role-based or feature-based installation.” Then, click on the “Next” button to move to the next page in the installer. On the next, page, select your Windows server from the available server pool. Click “Next” when done.
In the “Add Roles and Features” sidebar, select “Features.” Once you are in “Features,” check the box next to “Windows Server Backup.” To install and enable this feature on your Windows Server system. When the feature is enabled, you can close the Server Manager app, as it is no longer needed.
How to create a one-time Windows Server Backup
Creating a one-time backup in Windows Server Backup is easy. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn how to create a backup.
- Open up the Windows Server Backup tool via the Windows Start menu. Then, find the “Actions” section. Inside of the “Actions” section, click on the “Backup Once” button.
- After selecting the “Backup Once” button, the “Backup Once Wizard” will appear. Check the “Different options” box, and click on the “Next” button.
- To back up your entire server, check the “Full server (recommended)” box. This option will allow you to back up absolutely everything on your server. Alternatively, choose “Custom” if you are an expert.
- You must now specify where the backup type is. To send the backup to a local drive (USB, other attached drive, etc.), click “Local drives.” If you wish to back it up over the network, select “Remote shared folder”.
- After choosing your backup type, you’ll need to select a backup location. If you chose a local disk, select it in the wizard. If you chose networking, enter the networking details.
- When you’ve configured your backup, find the “Backup” button to start the backup process in Backup Once Wizard.” It should take some time to complete.
When the backup process is complete, you will be able to close the Windows Server Backup tool and close it. Repeat this process as many times as needed to create multiple backups of your Windows Server system.
How to create a backup schedule with Windows Server Backup
To create a backup schedule with Windows Server Backup, do the following. First, launch Windows Server Backup. Once it is open on the Windows desktop, click on “Local Backup.”
After selecting “Local Backup,” look to the “Actions” sidebar. Then, select the “Backup Schedule” option to open up backup scheduling in Windows Server Backup. Upon selecting “Backup Schedule,” a “Getting Started” window will appear. Read the brief, and click the “Next” button.
On the next page, you will need to select your backup configuration. Select “Full server (recommended). Otherwise, if you are an expert, choose the ‘Custom” option. Click the “Next” button to continue, when you’ve made your selection.
You’ll now need to choose how often you wish to run backups. By default, backups are scheduled for once a day at 9:00 PM. To change it, select the dropdown menu. Alternatively, use the menu to configure a multi-day backup. Click the “Next” button when done to move to the next page.
After setting the schedule, configure the destination type. Windows Server Backup can back up to a hard disk, a volume, or a shared network folder. For best results, we recommend backing up to a dedicated backup drive.
Once you’ve configured the backup destination, you must confirm that you wish to start the backup process by pressing the “Finish” button. When you select “Finish,” Windows Server Backup will automatically back up according to the schedule.
How to restore a backup in Windows Server Backup
To recover a backup in Windows Server backup, do the following. First, open up the Windows Server Backup tool. Then, find the “Actions” sidebar, and select the “Recover” button.
After selecting the “Recover” button, you will be able to recover your backup from a list of previously created backups. Your backup can be recovered as a volume, as individual folders, applications, etc.
