Vista PC Backup with wbadmin | Network Backup Guide
Windows Vista System Backup to a Network Location
In comparison to the backup utilities included in earlier Windows releases, Vista’s Backup and Restore Center offers a significantly improved experience – with the exception of a single limitation. It lacks the capability to perform a full system (image) backup directly to a computer on the network. This article details a solution to circumvent this restriction.
Understanding the Backup and Restore Center
The Windows Vista Backup and Restore Center provided users with the functionality to back up their entire computer, encompassing files, installed programs, system settings, and even the registry – everything. Executing the program generated a VHD file, essentially a complete image of the entire C drive.
Should a theft occur or a hard drive fail, the system could be restored to its precise state at the time of the last backup, utilizing the Windows Recovery Environment from the Windows installation DVD. This VHD image file would typically be substantial in size, corresponding to the total data volume on the C drive, necessitating careful consideration when selecting a storage location.
Regrettably, the available options were limited to other hard drives within the system – such as an internal D drive or an external USB drive – or a set of blank DVDs.
The Missing Network Backup Option
A notable oversight was the absence of the ability to back up data across a Local Area Network (LAN) to another computer, like a file server or dedicated backup server. The reasoning behind this omission remains known only to Microsoft. Fortunately, this functionality was incorporated into Windows 7.
If your backup strategy necessitates a network backup for your Windows Vista system, and you prefer to avoid purchasing third-party software like Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image, you can utilize the lesser-known Windows system backup utility called wbadmin. This is a command-line tool, and several methods can be employed to use it:
- Manual Execution: Run the command directly from the command prompt.
- Batch Script: Create a batch file containing the wbadmin command.
- Task Scheduler Automation: Schedule regular, automated backups using the Windows Task Scheduler.
Considering that most users requiring system backups will need to perform them repeatedly, on a regular schedule (daily or weekly), this tutorial will focus on the third option: Automating a regular full system backup using the Windows Task Scheduler.
Scheduling a Backup with Task Scheduler
To schedule a recurring backup, the Windows Task Scheduler must first be opened. This can be easily accessed by clicking the Start button and typing "task".
The Task Scheduler window will then appear. To initiate the scheduling process, click on Create Basic Task...
The Create Basic Task Wizard will launch, prompting you to provide a name for the task. A descriptive name, such as "Weekly Full System Backup," is recommended.
Click the Next button, and you will be asked to specify the frequency of the backup. The optimal choice depends on your requirements, but for this tutorial, we will select Weekly.
Click the Next button again, and you will be prompted to define the scheduling details. We will choose Every Wednesday morning at 4:30am.
Click the Next button, and you will be asked to select the type of task to perform. Choose Start a program.
Click the Next button, and you will be prompted to enter the name of the program to run, along with any command-line arguments (parameters). While you can browse for the program, it’s simpler to directly type its name: wbadmin.
The command-line arguments we will use are:
start backup -backuptarget:\\servername\sharename -include:c:
-user:MYNAME -password:MYPASSWORD -quiet
These options have the following meanings:
- start backup: Initiates the backup process.
- -backuptarget:\\servername\sharename: Specifies the network location for the backup. Replace servername and sharename with the appropriate values.
- -include:c:: Indicates that the C drive should be included in the backup.
- -user:MYNAME: Provides the username for network access.
- -password:MYPASSWORD: Provides the password for network access.
- -quiet: Suppresses on-screen prompts during the backup process.
Numerous other options are available for the wbadmin program, comprehensively documented on Microsoft’s TechNet page (link provided at the end of this article). The Start in box does not require any specific entry.
This completes the information required by the wizard. Click the Next button to view a summary of the task details.
Finally, click the Finish button to return to the list of active tasks.
It may be necessary to double-click the newly created task to adjust certain properties or conditions.
The task will now execute every Wednesday morning. You can also initiate it manually at any time by opening the Windows Task Scheduler, selecting the task from the list, and clicking the Run button in the Actions pane.
Upon completion, navigate to the network computer/folder specified in the task settings to view the results. You will find a folder named WindowsImageBackup, containing a sub-folder with the same name as the computer being backed up. Multiple machine backups will result in a separate sub-folder for each. Within each sub-folder, a Backup subfolder with a date in its name will house the image files, alongside some XML housekeeping files. These backup files are easily identifiable by their large size (several Gigabytes) and the .VHD extension.
Important Considerations
- Security: Ensure the network share has appropriate permissions to allow the user account specified in the wbadmin command to write to it.
- Network Stability: A stable network connection is crucial for successful backups.
- Testing: Regularly test the restoration process to verify the integrity of your backups.