Windows 7: Command line image backup

I have looked for but cannot find a command line that I can put in a bat file and use the Windows 7 scheduler to accomplish image backups on a schedule.

Do you mean, to use Windows Backup? or another program.

Here is some info on Task Sched command line

On that page you will find the following.....



You know, I hadn't tested what I posted,, just assumed it would work.
And yes, it does infact work, as well as what SIW2 posted below.

Here is the info on SCHTASKS

SCHTASKS /Create /SC DAILY /TN <TaskName> /RL HIGHEST /ST <StartTime> /TR <Wbadmin Command>

e.g.

SCHTASKS /Create /SC DAILY /TN MyDailyBackup /RL HIGHEST /ST 09:00 /TR "WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:J: -include:D: -quiet >> C:\mydailybackupLog.txt"


Or weekly:

SCHTASKS /Create /SC WEEKLY /D <Day Of Week> /TN <TaskName> /RL HIGHEST /ST <StartTime> /TR <Wbadmin Command>

Tepid,
I would use the Windows 7 Image backup.
I wish to create a batch file. This is the info I need.
I will use then use the Windows 7 Task Scheduler to run the batch file at the appropriate time.

Thanks to SIW2 for your input. Not ready to take on the SCHTASKS thing yet. A simple batch file is what I am familiar with.

Hello Blockie,

Just in case you didn't know, when you create a backup, you can set to run the backup and/or system image (step 9 in tutorial below) to run on schedule of your choice automatically. Plus, you can make changes to this schedule whenever you like.

Backup User and System Files

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Shawn,
It looks like Windows 7 has everything.However, I do not wish to backup the libraries, Just an image. I would like to make as many images as my 300GB disk will hold, deleting the oldest when necessary. I can use the disk management tools to make an image a VHD and attach it. That way I can always explore it and copy and paste if necessary. Better than library BU's in my estimator.

Why don't you make your life easy and use free Macrium for imaging. No hoops to jump like with the Windows 7 facility. Very easy to setup and schedule. See my video tutorial with a link to a short written introduction. I have done many restores with it and it works flawlessly.

Here is how I image my systems - but you need not go to such an extreme:

I make a daily image of my system and data partitions at boot-up. I have set Macrium to do that automatically. It takes only 9 minutes from my SSD to the internal HDD. Every Sunday, I copy the Sunday image to an on-line external disk into a "weekly folder". Every first of the month I also copy the last image to an external disk "monthly folder" that usually stays off-line. That way I have a whole history all the way back to the initial installation.

Blockie,

You can use the "Wbadmin" command to backup Windows 7 from the command line. This the command reference page from MS.

Wbadmin

But just google for "Windows 7 wbadmin" and there are pages and pages of results.

If I understand all the help provided the BADMIN command only does backups of variouis folders or files. What I am asking is for a command line IMAGE, I say again, IMAGE backup. A simple batch file will do and then I will use the scheduler to execute it. I do not want to do a simple backup of various files and folders.

Not sure where you got that idea, Blockie.

It makes an image when i run it, eg

"WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:J: -include:D: -quiet >> C:\mydailybackupLog.txt"

makes an image of D volume and stores it on J.

if you want to include more volumes, separate them with colons, like this:

WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:J: -include:C:D:E: -quiet

This bit >> C:\mydailybackupLog.txt is optional , to output a log to a textfile.

I agree with whs - 3rd party apps. are easier to use and more flexible, even the free versions.