Create a Backup of the System State Using a Command Line
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
You can use the Wbadmin start systemstatebackup command to create a backup of the system state for a computer. A backup of the system state can only be saved to a locally attached disk (either internal or external). It cannot be saved to a DVD or to a remote shared folder. In addition, only the system state and system applications can be recovered from this backup—volumes and files cannot be recovered from this backup.
To create a system state backup by using a command line
To open a command prompt with elevated privileges, click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
At the prompt, type: wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backupTarget:<VolumeName> [-quiet]
For example, to create a system state backup and save it to volume F, type: wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backupTarget:F:
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
-backupTarget:<VolumeName> |
Specifies the storage location for this backup. VolumeName requires the format <driveletter>:. |
[-quiet] |
Runs the command with no prompts to the user. |
To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type: Wbadmin start systemstatebackup /?
Additional considerations
To create a system state backup using Wbadmin, you must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
System state backup is only available for the command line and is not available in the Windows Server Backup snap-in user interface. In addition, you cannot configure a scheduled backup to create system state backups. However, you can script the Wbadmin start systemstatebackup command to run backups on a schedule.
Additional references
Wbadmin command (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93131)