Command line image backup

[blockie]

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.

 

[Tepid]

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.....

To copy all files from the Documents folder to the MyDocs folder at midnight, type the following line, and then press ENTER:




at 00:00 cmd /c copy C:\Documents\*.* C:\MyDocs

• To back up the Products server at 11:00 P.M. each weekday, create a batch file that contains the backup commands (for example, Backup.bat), type the following line, and then press ENTER to schedule the backup:

at \\products 23:00 /every:M,T,W,Th,F backup

• To schedule a net share command to run on the Sales server at 6:00 A.M. and to redirect the listing to the Sales.txt file in the shared Reports folder on the Corp server, type the following line, and then press ENTER:

at \\sales 06:00 cmd /c "net share reports=d:\Documents\reports >> \corp\reports\sales.txt"

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

 

[SIW2]

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: -quiet >> C:\mydailybackupLog.txt"


Or weekly:

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

 

[blockie]

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.

 

[Brink]

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.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/615-backup-user-system-files.html

 

[blockie]

Shawn,
It looks like W7 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.

 

[whs]

Why don't you make your life easy and use free Macrium for imaging. No hoops to jump like with the Win7 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.

 

[Bill2]

Blockie,

You can use the "Wbadmin" command to backup win7 from the command line. This the command reference page from MS.

Wbadmin

But just google for "win7 wbadmin" and there are pages and pages of results.

 

[blockie]

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.

 

[SIW2]

Not sure where you got that idea, Blockie.

It makes an image when i run it, eg

"WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:J: -include: -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: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.

 

[Tepid]

But not all 3rd party apps provide a command line, or a decent command line structure.

 

[blockie]

Sorry,
Looking at the examples heretofore provided I got that idea. In a little while I will test this on my system. Thanks.

 

[blockie]

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

The above command line not do anything except open the dos window and display. The only change I made to yours was destination D and to backup C and remove the quotes.

 

[SIW2]

Did you use an admin command prompt? (Rt click cmd.exe and run as admin)

If there isn't enough space on the target , you will get this in the log file C:\mydailybackupLog.txt

wbadmin 1.0 - Backup command-line tool
(C) Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corp.

Retrieving volume information...
This will back up volume Vista x86(C to D:.
There is not enough free space on the backup storage location to back up the data.

 

[Bill2]

You need to run Wbadmin commands in elevated cmd.

Right click on cmd, select "Run as Admin", then type your commands.

 

[SIW2]

I just did a backup and restore - it worked ok , but it's not quick, the image takes a lot of space, and care needs to be taken restoring from the command prompt.

Unless you are using Server 2008 it really is much easier quicker and safer to use a free 3rd party app.

 

[blockie]

Still didn't work even with elevated command prompt. I think I will look into a third party program.

 

[derekimo]

Still didn't work even with elevated command prompt. I think I will look into a third party program.

This one mentioned by whs and his tutorial are very good.
http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/80349-command-line-image-backup.html#post702528

 

[blockie]

The following batch file worked from a elevated command window:

"WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget: -include:c: -quiet "

However, if I add a folder to back up to, like :

"WBADMIN START BACKUP -backupTarget:\Images\ -include:c: "-quiet

I get an error msg that the destination path cannot be found. What am I doing wrong? The folder D:\Images does, in fact, exist.

Can't get rid of the smiley face. It should be colon D

 

[Tepid]

have you tried removing the last \

backupTarget:D:\Images