How to Backup Windows Server 2019 Files (Top 3 Ways)

🌟Key Takeaways of File Backup in Windows Server 2019

Overview of Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2019 is the ninth version of the server operating system released by Microsoft. Built on the strong foundation of Windows Server 2016, it brings plenty of innovations on four key themes: Hybrid Cloud, Security, Application Platform, and Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI).

There are several new features added to Windows Server 2019, including:

• System Insights: brings local predictive analytics capabilities natively to Windows Server, thus helping you reduce the operational expenses associated with reactively managing your Windows Server instances.

• Storage Migration Service: provides a graphical tool to inventory data on servers and makes it easier to migrate to new servers.

Due to its powerful functions, more and more companies and organizations choose to upgrade to Windows Server 2019. If you have newly upgraded your server operating system and want to figure out how to backup Windows Server 2019, please read on. This page will show you the top three ways.

Way 1: Backup files via powerful server backup software

AOMEI Backupper Server, specialized backup software for server, can help you with file backup in Windows Server 2019.  Also, you can use it to backup files in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP and Windows Server 2022/2016/2012 (R2)/2008 (R2)/2003, etc. Following are its main features:

AOMEI Backupper

Easiest Windows Server Backup Software

• Offer various backup types: System/Disk/Partition/File Backup. Thus, you can not only backup files in Windows Server 2019, but also create Windows Server 2019 system image backup, etc.

• Schedule automatic backup with daily, weekly, or monthly mode; backup only changed files with Incremental or Differential Backup; delete old backup image with different cleanup methods.

• Enable you to backup to various locations, such as local disks, external hard drives, USB flash drives, NAS devices, and network location.

• Provide other useful tools like Create Bootable Media and AOMEI PXE Boot Tool (booting multiple computers from network).

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★ How to schedule automatic backups in Windows Server 2019

Step 1. Download, install and run Windows Server 2019 backup software. Click on “Backup” and select “File Backup”.

Note: To backup Active Directory Windows Server 2019, choose "System Backup" here.

Step 2. Name the task so that you can distinguish it from other backup tasks.  Click “Add File” or “Add Folder” to select the files/folders you want to backup.

Step 3. Select a destination location to store the image file. You can backup files to external hard drive, USB flash drive, network drive, NAS, etc. 

Step 4. To schedule automatic backups in Windows Server 2019, please click "Schedule Backup" and choose your preferred schedule modes. There are five options available: “Daily”, “Weekly”, “Monthly”, “Event triggers”, and “USB plug in".

Step 5. Confirm the operation and click “Start Backup” > "Add the schedule and start backup now"to begin backing up files in Server 2019.

★ How to clean old backups in Server 2019

To clean old backups in Windows Server 2019, you can make use of the Backup Scheme feature.

>> Backup Method: You can use the default backup method - incremental backup or change it to differential backup.

>> Enable Automatic Backup Cleanup: You can delete old image files automatically to free up disk space for new backups. There are four inbuilt cleanup rules: "By quantity", "By time", "By daily/weekly/monthly", and "By space".

★ Further backup needs

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

👉 There is a growing trend to backup files to cloud storage. AOMEI offers users its own cloud - AOMEI Cloud. After you sign up for an AOMEI account, you can use 1TB storage for free within 15 days. 

Way 2: Backup files in Server 2019 using Wbadmin

Wbadmin (wbadmin.exe) is a command line utility which enables you to back up and restore your operating system, volumes, files, folders, and applications from a command prompt. To use it, you should be a member of the Administrators/Backup Operators group or you must have been delegated the appropriate permissions.

Here’s how to backup files in Server 2019 using Wbadmin:

Step 1. Hover your mouse pointer over the bottom left corner of your desktop to show the Start menu launcher. Right-click the Start menu launcher and select Command Prompt (Admin).

Step 2. Type Wbadmin start backup -backuptarget:E: -include:C:\Users\Administrator\Documents and press Enter to backup the Documents folder to E: drive.

📢Note:
-backuptarget: Specifies the storage location for this backup.
-include: Specifies the comma-delimited list of items to include in the backup. You can include multiple files, folders, or volumes.

Step 3. Type y and press Enter to start the backup operation.

Step 4. Exit Command Prompt when the backup operation is complete.

Way 3: Backup files with Windows Server Backup 2019

Windows Server Backup 2019 is essentially the same as Windows Server Backup 2016, but you can only backup the whole volume instead of individual folders. If you intend to use Windows Server Backup, you have to first install it as a Windows Feature using Server Manager or PowerShell. After it is installed, you can follow the instructions below:

Step 1. Open Server Manager, click Tools in the upper-right column and select Windows Server Backup.

Step 2. Click Local Backup. On the Action menu, click Backup once.

Step 3. In the Backup Once Wizard, on the Backup options page, click Different options, and then click Next.

Step 4. On the Select backup configuration page, click Custom, and then click Next.

Step 5. On the Select Items for Backup page, click Add Items to select the volume(s) to be backed up, and then click Next.

Note: Choose volumes and not individual folders. The only way to perform an application-level backup or restore is to select an entire volume.

Step 6. On the Specify destination type page, click Local drives or Remote shared folder, and then click Next.

• If you choose Local drives, the Select Backup Destination page appears. Select an option from the Backup destination dropdown, and then click Next.

• If you choose Remote shared folder, the Specify remote folder page appears. Specify a UNC path for the backup files, configure access control settings.

Step 7. On the Confirmation screen, click Backup. Once this has completed, click Close to exit the Backup Once Wizard.

Step 8. Close Windows Server Backup.

Except for not backing up individual files, there are other Windows Server Backup limitations you should know. If you want a more powerful server backup software, please go to way 1.

Recommend: Best enterprise data backup solution

If you are an enterprise user who has multiple Windows Server devices that need to be backed up, you can try the best enterprise backup software - AOMEI Cyber Backup. It offers you all-around enterprise data backup solutions:

• It enables you to create system/disk/partition backup for a bunch of Windows PCs and Servers, supporting Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 and Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012 (R2)/2008 (R2).
• You are allowed to save backup images on a local disk, external hard drive, network share or NAS device, etc.
• You can schedule a backup task to run every day/week/month using the full/incremental/differential backup method.

Download this powerful enterprise backup software now to have a try!

To make backups for client computers, just log in AOMEI Cyber Backup, and add the Windows device that you want to backup. Then click Backup Task on the left menu bar and select Backup Task > Create New Task.

Note: AOMEI Cyber Backup can not only help you backup physical machines but also virtual machines. It enables you to backup Hyper-V and VMware easily.

To sum up

This page has offered you top three ways to backup files in Windows Server 2019. AOMEI Backupper is recommended due to its easy operation and rich features. It enables you to schedule automatic backups and delete old backups with backup scheme, etc. Thus, there is no Windows Server Backup not deleting old backups issue.

If you want to protect unlimited PCs and servers within your company, you may choose AOMEI Backupper Technician Plus. You will be surprised to find that it enables you to copy the installation directory for portable version creation. Download the free trial of AOMEI Backupper at once!

FAQs about Windows Server 2019 backup

🔍1. Does Windows Server 2019 have backup software?

Yes, Windows Server 2019 includes built-in backup software called Windows Server Backup. This tool provides a range of backup and recovery options for protecting your server's data and system state.

🔍2. How to add Windows backup feature in Server 2019?

You can add the Windows Server Backup feature in Windows Server 2019 using Server Manager:

• Open Server Manager and select "Add Roles and Features" from the "Manage" menu.
• Proceed through the wizard by selecting "Role-based or feature-based installation," and choosing the target server.
• On the "Select Features" page, check "Windows Server Backup."
• Continue through the wizard, confirm your selections, and click "Install."

🔍3. Where are Windows Server backups stored?

Windows Server backups can be stored in various locations depending on your configuration and storage preferences. The supported locations include local disks, external USB drives, network shares, and VHDs.

🔍4. How do I recover files from Windows Server 2019?

To recover files from a backup created by Windows Server Backup, you can:

• Open Windows Server Backup, and click "Recover" in the Actions pane.
• Choose the backup location (local or remote), select the backup date and time, and choose "Files and folders" as the recovery type.
• Browse and select the files and folders to recover.
• Specify whether to restore them to their original location or an alternate location.
• Confirm the recovery options and click “Recover” to initiate the recovery process.