This information was extracted from the Microsoft Windows Backup documentation

You can perform backup operations at the command prompt or from a batch file using the ntbackup command followed by various parameters. Square brackets [] indicate optional parameters.

Syntax:

ntbackup backup [systemstate] "bks file name" /J "job name" [/P "pool name"] [/G "guid name"] [/T "tape name"] [/N "media name"] [/F "file name"] [/D "set description"] [/A] [/V:yes|no] [/R:yes|no] [/L:f|s|n] [/M backup type] [/RS:yes|no] [/HC:on|off] [/UM] [/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.

.bks file name

Specifies the name of the backup selection file (.bks file) to be used for this backup operation. 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 "job name"

Specifies the job name to be used in the log file. The job name usually describes the files and folders you are backing up in the current backup job, as well as the date and time you backed up the files.

/P "pool name"

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 parameter, you must not use the following switches: /A /G /F /T.

/G "guid name"

Overwrites or appends to this tape. Do not use this switch in conjunction with /P.

/T "tape name"

Overwrites or appends to this tape. Do not use this switch in conjunction with /P.

/N "media name"

Specifies the new tape name. You must not use /A with this switch.

/F "file name"

Logical disk path and file name. You must not use the following switches with this switch: /P /G /T.

/D "set description"

Specifies a label for each backup set.

/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 backup type

Specifies the backup type. It must be one of the following: normal, copy, differential, incremental, or daily.

/RS:yes|no

Backs up the Removable Storage database.

/HC:on|off

Uses hardware compression, if available, on the tape drive.

/UM

Finds the first available media, formats it, and uses it for the current backup operation. You must use the /P switch to designate a device-type media pool when you use the /UM switch so that Backup searches for the appropriate type of media (for example, 4mm DDS). When you use the /UM switch, Backup will search the following media pools for available media: Free pool, Import pool, Unrecognized pool, and Backup pool. When available media is found, the search will stop and the media will be formatted and used without prompting you for input. This command is not applicable to tape loaders and should be used only if you have a stand-alone tape device.

/SNAP:on|off

Specifies whether or not the backup is a volume shadow copy.

Notes

• You cannot restore files from the command line by using the ntbackup command.
• The following switches will default to what you have already set by using the graphical user interface (GUI) version of Backup, unless they are changed by a command-line switch: /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. But if /HC:off is specified on the command line, it will override the Options dialog box setting and compression will not be 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 will ensure that all Removable Storage and Remote Storage data can be restored.

Related Topics

Command line examples

The following examples show how to use the ntbackup command to back up files and folders from the command prompt or by using a batch file.

Example 1:

This example will perform a normal backup named "My Job 1" of the remote share \\iggy-multi\c$. It will pull a tape from the Backup media pool, and name the tape "Command Line Backup 1." The description of the backup job will be "Command Line Functionality." When the backup job is complete, the backup will be verified, access will not be restricted to the owner/administrator, the logging level will be set to summary only, Remote Storage data will not be backed up, and hardware compression will be enabled.

Example 2:

This example will perform a copy backup named "My Job 2" of the local drive D:\. The backed up files and folders will be appended to the tape named "Command Line Backup 1." All other options will default to those specified in the Backup program.

Example 3:

This example will perform a backup using the backup type that is specified in the Backup program. It will use the backup selection file named Commandline.bks, located in the directory C:\Program Files\Windows NT\ntbackup\data\ to choose which files to backup. The backup job will be named "My Job 3" and it will overwrite the tape named "Command Line Backup 1" with the new name "Command Line Backup 2."

Example 4:

The previous examples show how to perform a backup to a file from the command prompt. 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).