Wbadmin “The Server Threw an Exception”: Fix and Alternative

The error: Windows Server Backup won’t open

“I migrated (all) my server disks to a new system, including an external USB-connected HDD used for backups. That went (mostly) well, but I have a problem with Windows Server Backup. When I start the wbadmin console, under Local Backup I get the following:
‘A fatal error occurred during a Windows Server Backup snap-in (Wbadmin.msc) operation. Error details: The server threw an exception. Close Wbadmin.msc and then restart it.’
Scheduled backups are not running anymore. Any ideas on what's going on here?”

👉 How to fix wbadmin “The server threw an exception”
👉 How to backup Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 in an easier way🔥

How to fix wbadmin “The server threw an exception”

If you find Windows Server Backup won’t open and throw you an error message “The server threw an exception,” it can be caused by:

• The scheduled backup policy folder in the task scheduler is missing or broken.
• The backup location disk failed.

If the backup location disk is damaged, you can simply fix the problem by using another destination disk. What if the backup policy folder is missing or broken? In this condition, you can fix it by deleting the old backup catalog. Follow the steps below:

1. Right click on the Start icon and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
2. Type wbadmin delete catalog and press Enter to delete the backup catalog that is stored on the local computer.
3. Enter y to confirm the operation.

After completing the above command, you will not see the fatal error message when opening the Wbadmin.msc user interface. Click Local Backup > Backup Schedule or Backup Once to create a new backup for your server.

How to backup Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 in an easier way

Besides the error “The server threw an exception,” Windows Server Backup may disappoint you in other situations, such as Windows Server Backup incorrect function, Windows Server 2016 system state backup fails, etc. Is there a server backup utility that ensures a higher success rate and offers more powerful features? AOMEI Backupper Server, the best server backup software, is the answer.

• It enables you to do system/disk/partition/file backup with more flexible options.
• You are allowed to run Windows Server backup to USB drive, external hard drive, network share, NAS device and cloud drive, etc.
• You can create multiple schedules for your server backup, such as daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers and USB plug in.
• You can set backup retention policy to delete old server backups automatically to save disk space.
• It supports both Windows PC (Windows 11/10/8/7, etc.) and Windows Server (Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012, etc.) systems.

Download this remarkable server backup software and follow these steps to create a system image backup in Windows Server 2016/2019/2022:

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper. Click on Backup and select System Backup.

Step 2. The required system partition(s) is (are) selected by default. You just need to choose a desired backup location to store the system image.

Step 3. Press Start Backup to proceed.

🌟 Advanced settings you may need

👉 Options: you can set email notification, encrypt, compress and split your backups, etc.

👉 Schedule Backup: you can create automatic server backups based on your needs.

👉 Backup Scheme: you can choose the backup method (full/incremental/differential backup). You can also choose the automatic backup cleanup method, such as By quantity, By time, By daily/weekly/monthly and By space.

The end

If you encounter the error wbadmin “The server threw an exception,” you can fix it by running the wbadmin delete catalog command. If Windows Server Backup lets you down for many times, you could consider replacing it with a more advanced backup utility like AOMEI Backupper.

AOMEI Backupper can help you backup system state, entire disk or backup individual files in Windows Server. What’s more, it is powerful disk cloning software that enables you to clone C drive in Server 2019, etc. Don’t hesitate to try it out!