Wbadmin from cmd of a recovery disk

whs · Feb 16, 2012

I was playing around with Wbadmin from the cmd of my recovery disc. Whilst it works perfectly from the cmd in the running system, I could not get it to work from the cmd of a recovery or an installation DVD.

I thought that would be neat to image a defunct system so that the guys could save their data from the imaged VHD.

The command I used is:

WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:f: -include:c:

Where 'f' is the disk to where you image.

If you have a boring moment and want to try it on your box, I would be interested if anybody could make it to work. But it must be when booting with the recovery/installation DVD

Brink · Feb 16, 2012

Hello Wolfgang,

I haven't played with this command much, so I'm not sure. Hopefully the links below may be able to help some with this for you.

Wbadmin

Backup and recovery strategies for IT pros

whs · Feb 16, 2012

Thanks Shawn. As I said, there is absolutely no problem if you run it from cmd in a running system. But if I use it from cmd of a recovery/restore disc, it says that 'Start Backup' is an unknown command. On the other hand, you get the details if you run 'Wbadmin start backup /?'.

I suspect that the cmd of a recovey DVD cannot id the path to the volumes. But that is just a suspicion.

Would be neat though if it worked. Would be an easy way to recover user data from defunct systems - much easier than the old live Linux CD (at least for most people).

Brink · Feb 16, 2012

Have you already used the Diskpart and list volume commands in the command prompt at boot to verify that the drive letters are the same at boot as in Windows?

whs · Feb 16, 2012

No, that I did not try. But that is a good idea.

mjf · Feb 16, 2012

Wolfgang this has worked for me in the past I just add -quiet but that shouldn't be an issue.

whs · Feb 16, 2012

Thanks Michael. I wonder what my problem was. I'll try again. Have to burn another installation disc. Did you use the drive letters as they show in e.g. Computer.

mjf · Feb 16, 2012

Yes it works fine in the OS command line as you say. I just include -quiet.
I'll give it a go from the system repair CD.
Now here's the irony I'd use Macrium and Hirens boot CD for this type of thing.

whs · Feb 16, 2012

Michael, The idea was to make this known to the general public as a neat means to rescue their data from a defunct system. And the average Joe does not have all those tools in their arsenal that we use. But with luck, they may at least have an installation or recovery disc from where they can run Command Prompt.

I ran it with the Winows7 installation disc and that did not work on two of my systems. Tomorrow I will download one of those generic rescue discs and see whether that will give me a better result. I am not giving up yet because I do not yet understand why the cmd of a CD works differently than the cmd in the system.

SIW2 · Feb 16, 2012

I have posted before how to restore a windows image from the command line in winre.

It is too complicated for the average user.

That is why MS created the GUI.

You can't create an image from standard winre.

Much better to use Macrium or Paragon.

Sadly, I have stopped using Macrium for the moment.

It doesn't work on my system.

whs · Feb 16, 2012

SIW2 said:
I have posted before how to restore a windows image from the command line in winre.

It is too complicated for the average user.

That is why MS created the GUI.

You can't create an image from standard winre.

Much better to use Macrium or Paragon.

Sadly, I have stopped using Macrium for the moment.

It doesn't work on my system.

I understand all the other options. My idea was to find an option that requires minimal tools and used something (installation or repair disc) that most people would have.

For us these things are easy because we have an arsenal of tools. But what does the non-geek do when the system comes to a screeching halt and they want to rescue their data from C:\.

Linux works, but that is too steep a learning curve for most people. And many times they do not even have access to a second system to burn a Linuc CD.

JimLewandowski · Feb 17, 2012

The restore CD simply doesn't have every command available (e.g. software loaded at boot). I rarely going into Win RE but I believe if you help from the command line, it lists only a dozen or so available commands.

whs · Feb 17, 2012

It does list Wbadmin with /?

JimLewandowski · Feb 17, 2012

whs said:
It does list Wbadmin with /?

Peculiar, isn't it. If it does that, that implies the path to the executable is known. Hence, it's callable somehow....

whs · Feb 17, 2012

The funny thing is that it does not say that 'Wbadmin' is invalid - it says the 'Start Backup' is invalid. Maybe the other parameters work, but I have not tried those.

SIW2 · Feb 17, 2012

Wbadmin is included in winre.

It is only for restoring.

There is no backup command - it does not exist in the client versions of windows winre.

You have to use a 3rd party app. for that.

whs · Feb 17, 2012

SIW2 said:
Wbadmin is included in winre.

It is only for restoring.

There is no backup command - it does not exist in the client versions of windows winre.

You have to use a 3rd party app. for that.

Hmm, I guess that voids my little plan.

mjf · Feb 17, 2012

You can definitely use wbadmin from an OS command prompt to create an image with one line. I've done it. Now from memory I think it creates the same folder structure you find in WindowsImageBackup.

whs · Feb 17, 2012

mjf said:
You can definitely use wbadmin from an OS command prompt to create an image with one line. I've done it. Now from memory I think it creates the same folder structure you find in WindowsImageBackup.

Exactly; I have done that many times - especially for my data partitions where I mount the VHD if I have to look for a folder that I have deleted in the meantime.

But from the recovery/installation DVD it does not seem to be possible - too bad. If I have to help somebody out who just mucked up his system and has his data on C:\ (and no images or restore points), I will use the Macrium PE DVD. But many other people will not have that to rescue their data.

mjf · Feb 17, 2012

Yes wbadmin does not include "start backup" in the recovery environment. It includes recovery options as you would expect.
Edit: If your students are just stuck with the system repair disk and don't like the command prompt, You can go into "Load Drivers" and just use that to copy and paste data. I'm sure you know that.

Wbadmin from cmd of a recovery disk

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