Perform backup operations at a command prompt or from a batch file using the ntbackup
command followed by various parameters.
Syntax
ntbackup backup [systemstate] "@FileName.bks" /J {"JobName"} [/P {"PoolName"}]
[/G {"GUIDName"}] [/T { "TapeName"}] [/N {"MediaName"}] [/F {"FileName"}]
[/D {"SetDescription"}] [/DS {"ServerName"}] [/IS {"ServerName"}] [/A]
[/V:{yes | no}] [/R:{yes | no}] [/L:{f | s | n}] [/M {BackupType}]
[/RS:{yes | no}] [/HC:{on | off}] [/SNAP:{on | off}]
Parameters
systemstate
Specifies that you want to back up the System State data. When you select this option,
the backup type will be forced to normal or copy.
@FileName.bks
Specifies the name of the backup selection file (.bks file) to be used for this
backup operation. The at (@) character must precede the name of the backup
selection file. A backup selection file contains information on the files and
folders you have selected for backup. You have to create the file using the
graphical user interface (GUI) version of Backup.
/J {"JobName"}
Specifies the job name to be used in the backup report. The job name usually describes
the files and folders you are backing up in the current backup job.
/P {"PoolName"}
Specifies the media pool from which you want to use media. This is usually a subpool
of the Backup media pool, such as 4mm DDS. If you select this you cannot use
the /A, /G, /F, or /T command-line options.
/G {"GUIDName"}
Overwrites or appends to this tape. Do not use this switch in conjunction with /P.
/T {"TapeName"}
Overwrites or appends to this tape. Do not use this switch in conjunction with /P.
/N {"MediaName"}
Specifies the new tape name. You must not use /A with this switch.
/F {"FileName"}
Logical disk path and file name. You must not use the following switches with
this switch: /P /G /T.
/D {"SetDescription"}
Specifies a label for each backup set.
/DS {"ServerName"}
Backs up the directory service file for the specified Microsoft Exchange Server.
/IS {"ServerName"}
Backs up the Information Store file for the specified Microsoft Exchange Server.
/A
Performs an append operation. Either /G or /T must be used in conjunction with
this switch. Do not use this switch in conjunction with /P.
/V:{yes | no}
Verifies the data after the backup is complete.
/R:{yes | no}
Restricts access to this tape to the owner or members of the Administrators group.
/L:{f | s | n}
Specifies the type of log file: f=full, s=summary, n=none (no log file is created).
/M {BackupType}
Specifies the backup type. It must be one of the following: normal, copy,
differential, incremental, or daily.
/RS:{yes | no}
Backs up the migrated data files located in Remote Storage. The /RS command-line option is
not required to back up the local Removable Storage database (that contains the Remote
Storage placeholder files). When you backup the %systemroot% folder, Backup automatically
backs up the Removable Storage database as well.
/HC:{on | off}
Uses hardware compression, if available, on the tape drive.
/SNAP:{on | off}
Specifies whether or not the backup should use a volume shadow copy.
/M {BackupType}
Specifies the backup type. It must be one of the following: normal, copy, differential,
incremental, or daily.
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks
You cannot restore files from the command line using the ntbackup command.
The following command-line options default to what you have already set using the
graphical user interface (GUI) version of Backup unless they are changed by a command-line
option: /V /R /L /M /RS /HC. For example, if hardware compression is turned on in the
Options dialog box in Backup, it will be used if /HC is not specified on the command line.
However, if you specify /HC:off at the command line, it overrides the Option dialog box
setting and compression is not used.
If you have Windows Media Services running on your computer, and you want to back up the
files associated with these services, see "Running Backup with Windows Media Services" in
the Windows Media Services online documentation. You must follow the procedures outlined
in the Windows Media Services online documentation before you can back up or restore files
associated with Windows Media Services.
You can only back up the System State data on a local computer. You cannot back up the
System State data on a remote computer
If you are using Removable Storage to manage media, or you are using the Remote Storage to
store data, then you should regularly back up the files that are in the following folders:
Systemroot\System32\Ntmsdata
Systemroot\System32\Remotestorage
This ensures that all Removable Storage and Remote Storage data can be restored.
Examples
Following are four examples of how you can use the ntbackup command.
To perform a normal backup
--------------------------
The following example performs a normal backup named "My Job 1" of the remote
share \iggy-multi\c$. This example pulls a tape from the Backup media pool, and
name the tape "Command Line Backup 1." The description of the backup job is "Command Line
Functionality." The backup is verified after the backup job is complete, access is not
restricted to the owner/administrator, the logging level is set to summary only, Remote
Storage data is not backed up, and hardware compression is enabled.
ntbackup backup \iggy-multi\c$ /m normal /j "My Job 1" /p "Backup" /n "Command Line
Backup 1" /d "Command Line Functionality" /v:yes /r:no /l:s /rs:no /hc:on
To perform a copy backup
------------------------
The following example performs a copy backup named "My Job 2" of the local drive D:\.
The backed up files and folders are appended to the tape named "Command Line Backup 1."
All other options default to those specified in the Backup program.
ntbackup backup d:\ /j "My Job 2" /a /t "Command Line Backup 1" /m copy
To perform a backup using the backup type specified in Backup
The following example performs a backup using the backup type that is specified in the
Backup program. It uses the backup selection file named Commandline.bks, located in the
C:\Program Files\Windows NT\ntbackup\data\ directory to choose which files to backup. The
backup job is named "My Job 3" and it overwrites the tape named "Command Line Backup 1"
with the new name "Command Line Backup 2."
ntbackup backup "@C:\Program Files\Windows NT\ntbackup\data\commandline.bks" /j "My Job
3" /t "Command Line Backup 1" /n "Command Line Backup 2"
To perform a backup to a file from the command line
The following examples show how to perform a backup to a file from the command line. All
three examples use the Backup program's default values for the backup type, verification
setting, logging level, hardware compression, and any other restrictions. The first
example shows how to backup \iggy-multi\d$ to the file D:\Backup.bkf. The second example
shows how to append the same backup to the same file. The third example shows how to
overwrite the file with the same backup. In all three examples a complete UNC name could
be substituted for the drive letter (that is, instead of d:\backup.bkf, the user could
specify \iggy-multi\d$\backup.bkf as the backup destination).
ntbackup backup \iggy-multi\d$ /j "Command Line Backup 4" /f "D:\backup.bkf"
ntbackup backup \iggy-multi\d$ /j "Command Line Backup 5" /f "D:\backup.bkf" /a
ntbackup backup \iggy-multi\d$ /j "Command Line Backup 6" /f "D:\backup.bkf"