Recover Volumes
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2
You can use the Recovery Wizard in Windows Server Backup to restore a volume. When you restore a full volume, all contents of the volume are restored—you cannot selectively restore individual files or folders by using this option. If you want to recover just certain files or folders and not a full volume, see Recover Files and Folders.
Before you begin, you should:
Make sure the external disk or shared folder that is hosting the backup is online and available to the server. Or, if you are using a backup on DVDs or removable media, make sure that the DVD drive or device is attached to your local server and online, and that all DVDs that contain the backup are labeled and available. For instructions for creating a backup for volume recovery, see Configuring Automatic Backups and Performing a Manual Backup.
Determine which volumes that you want to recover.
Note
You can also use the Wbadmin start recovery command to perform this task. For examples and syntax for this command, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143758.
To recover volumes using the Windows Server Backup user interface
From the Start menu, click Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Server Backup.
In the Actions pane of the snap-in default page, under Windows Server Backup, click Recover. This opens the Recovery Wizard.
On the Getting Started page, do one of the following and then click Next:
Click This server.
Click Another server. On the Specify Location Type page, do one of the following and then click Next:
Click Local drives. On the Select Backup Location page, select the volume or drive that contains the backup from the drop-down list. On Select Server, select the server whose data you want to recover.
Click Remote shared folder. On the Specify Remote Folder page, type the path to the folder that contains the backup. In the folder, the backup should be stored at \\<RemoteSharedFolder>\WindowsImageBackup\<ComputerName>\<YourBackup>.
On the Select Backup Date page, select the date from the calendar and the time from the drop-down list of backup you want to restore from.
On the Select Recovery Type page, click Volumes, and then click Next.
On the Select Volumes page, select the check boxes associated with the volumes in the Source Volume column that you want to recover. Then, from the associated drop-down list in the Destination Volume column, select the location that you want to recover the volume to. Click Next.
Important
You will receive a message that any data on the destination volume will be lost when you perform the recovery. Make sure that the destination volume is empty or does not contain information that you will need later.
On the Confirmation page, review the details, and then click Recover to restore the specified volumes.
On the Recovery Progress page, you can view the status of the recovery operation and whether or not it was successfully completed.
Additional considerations
To recover volumes from a backup using Windows Server Backup, you must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.
If you are using BitLocker Drive Encryption to protect your server and you need to perform a recovery, make sure to reapply BitLocker Drive Encryption to your server. This will not happen automatically—it must be enabled explicitly. For instructions, see the Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption Step-by-Step Guide (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=143722).
You can also perform this task remotely for another server using the Connect To Another Computer option in the Windows Server Backup Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. Make sure that you are a member of the Administrators or Backup Operators group on the remote server. If you are a Backup Operator, ensure that the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) security settings on the remote computer are set to allow Backup Operators to connect to it.
You can only use this feature if the local and remote servers are running the same version of Windows—either both running Windows Server 2008 or both running Windows Server 2008 R2. In addition, you cannot use this feature to manage a computer running any version of Windows client operating system.