Share via

Configure Automatic Backups with Task Scheduler

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

If you want to create a schedule to run backups at different times on different days, you can use Task Scheduler to create a series of tasks to run the Wbadmin start backup command on the desired schedule or to launch a batch file. (These tasks will not appear in the Windows Server Backup Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in.) However, if you do this, you should make sure that backups that are run as part of the custom schedule do not overlap with backups that are run as part of the regular backup schedule. If there are conflicts, one of the backup operations will fail. The following task uses the command syntax for Windows Server 2008 R2.

To use Task Scheduler and the Wbadmin command to create a backup schedule

  1. Click Start , click Administrative Tools , and then click Task Scheduler .

  2. In the Actions pane, click Create Task .

  3. On the General tab, select the Run with highest privileges check box.

  4. On the Actions tab, click New , and then do the following:

    1. In the Actions drop-down list, click Start a program .

    2. In Program/script , type:

      %windir%\System32\wbadmin.exe

    3. In Add arguments , type:

      start backup [-backupTarget:{<TargetVolume> | <TargetNetworkShare>}] [-include:<ItemsToInclude>] [-nonRecurseInclude:<ItemsToInclude>] [-exclude:<ItemsToExclude>] [-nonRecurseExclude:<ItemsToExclude>] [-allCritical] [-systemState] [-noVerify] [-user:<UserName>] [-password:<Password>] [-noInheritAcl] [-vssFull | -vssCopy] [-quiet]

    To view help for this command, at a command line, type:

    wbadmin start backup /?

  5. Repeat step 4 for each backup that you want to add.

  6. For the rest of the fields, follow the general instructions in the Task Scheduler help for scheduling a task.

Additional considerations

  • To configure a scheduled backup, you must be a member of the Administrators group or Backup Operators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

  • You can also perform this task directly using the Schtasks command. For examples, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143764. For syntax for Schtasks , see the Command Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=143763).

  • You can also perform this task remotely for another server using the Connect To Another Computer option in the Windows Server Backup 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.

Additional references