How to Backup Windows Server 2016 Step by Step?

Backup Windows Server 2016 Step by Step

Before we start, you need to plan where and how the backup should perform for e.g: where to store the backup files, where to backup whether one drive or whole system and should the backup be scheduled or perform once now.

#1 Install Windows Server Backup Feature

1. At the first step, what we need to do is install the Windows Server Backup feature in order to backup the server. Open Server Manager, click on Manage and select Add roles and features, skip the welcome page by hitting Next then hit Next>Next>Next until the Features page appears. On the Select Features page, scroll down and choose Windows Server Backup feature then hit Next button. The Windows Server Backup is not a role, it is a feature, so don’t get confused.

Select feature

2. No reboot is needed for this feature installation, hit the Install button, it takes a while, be patient!

Install feature

#2 Create a Backup Plan/Backup system

1. Once the Windows Server Backup feature installation finished, you’re ready to create a backup plan means you can backup now, before doing that put a glance down on backup plans and decide which one to do.

Backup Plans

•  Full Server (All volumes): If you choose the option, you backup all files and it is the best option.

•  Critical Volume: choose this option to backup some critical files and folders.

•  System State: Choose this option to backup files that are needed for system state recovery.

•  Individual Volumes: You can backup one volume by choosing this option.

•  Folders and files: You can backup single folders and files choosing this option.

2. Now that you’ve selected a backup plan you’re prompted to do a backup, to do that;
open Server Manager and click on Tools then click on the Windows Server Backup option from drop-down list to open backup server.

Windows Server Backup

3. When the Windows Server Backup opened, on the Action side bar three option are available, Backup schedule, backup once and recover and schedule backup: it creates a time-based backup upon the schedule means the server automatically takes backup in the specified time and the Backup once option is for one-time backup so, select Backup once option because here we’ll backup once to show you on.

Backup once

4. On the Backup options page, two options are available, choose the Different options. This option is used when you haven’t created schedule yet. then, hit Next.

Different options

5. As mentioned before, the Full server backup does a full server backup, by choosing this, you backup everything on the server. If you don’t like to do that, a Custom option is available to let you specify some of the folders, files, etc to backup.

Full server backup

6. Specify the Destination drive you want to save backup files, so, I select the Local drives in order to select the hard drive I want in the next step.

Destination type

7. Here try to save the files to a separate hard drive, you can’t save backup files in C:\ drive, there for save it in another place. If you choose a local drive, certainly backup server give you warning that the drive is in the backup list. I don’t pay attention to because I have created a separate drive for the backup files, you do so.

Backup Destination

9. Finally, we are done, begin the backup process by clicking on Backup button and take a rest. Certainly, it takes a while but it depends on your files, folders…

Take Backup

Conclusion

So, we did windows server backup successfully and you learned how to backup windows server fully. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to use the backup files means to restore them, We are here to show you. I show how to use them in next articles. For any question about taking a backup, feel free and leave a comment.