Restoring the system using Windows Server Backup
Windows Server Backup (WSB) supports two distinct restore scenarios. Individual files, folders, partitions, and the system state can be restored from the running operating system through the Windows Server Backup graphical interface. A full bare-metal restore that replaces the running operating system is performed from the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), not from the active Windows installation.
This article applies to Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025. The procedure is the same across versions; only minor visual differences exist between the WinRE screens.
Full system restore is performed from WinRE, which is reached by booting from the Windows Server installation media. On a remote server this requires console access through IP-KVM (iDRAC, IPMI, iRMC, or equivalent), with the ability to mount an ISO image as virtual media. Without IP-KVM, a full restore cannot be performed remotely.
Full system restore from a backup on network storage
The procedure below restores the entire system from a backup stored on a network share (for example, INTROSERV Cloud Storage or any SMB share).
Booting into WinRE
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Connect to the server console through IP-KVM.
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Mount the Windows Server installation ISO as virtual media and boot the server from it.
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On the first installer screen, choose language and keyboard layout, then click Next.
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Click Repair your computer.
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Select Troubleshoot.
From this menu the Command Prompt is used to bring up the network and mount the backup share. If the backup is stored on a local disk instead, jump to "Full system restore from a backup on a local disk" below.
Checking the network connection
Open the Command Prompt from the Troubleshoot menu and initialize WinPE services, including the networking stack:
wpeinit
If ipconfig shows no IPv4 address after wpeinit completes, force a DHCP lease renewal:
ipconfig /renew
Verify that the server can reach the network. Ping the default gateway, since outbound ICMP to the public internet and DNS resolution are often blocked in data-center environments:
ping <gateway_ip>
If the data center supplies network configuration over DHCP, ping the gateway usually succeeds immediately and the next step (Configuring the network manually) can be skipped. If ping fails, configure the interface by hand.
Configuring the network manually
List the available network interfaces and identify the one that is Connected and Enabled:
netsh interface show interface
Look up the server's network parameters (main IP address, subnet mask, and gateway) in the order details from the hosting provider. Apply them to the connected interface, replacing the example values:
netsh interface ip set address name="Ethernet" static 192.0.2.10 255.255.255.0 192.0.2.1
The arguments are, in order, the interface name from the previous step, the server's IP address, the subnet mask, and the default gateway.
Set a DNS server:
netsh interface ip set dnsserver "Ethernet" static 8.8.8.8
Confirm connectivity to the backup server:
ping backup.example.com
On systems with hardware RAID controllers, NVMe controllers, or vendor-specific storage drivers, WinRE may not see the backup disks or the network adapter out of the box. If netsh interface show interface lists no usable interface, or if the local disks are missing later in the procedure, additional drivers have to be loaded into WinRE. The Windows Server installation media includes a Load driver step on the Repair your computer path that accepts an .inf driver package from removable media.
If the target disks are protected with BitLocker, unlock them from the WinRE Command Prompt with manage-bde -unlock <drive>: -RecoveryPassword <key> before starting the restore, otherwise the wizard will refuse to write to them.
Mounting the backup share
Mount the network share that holds the backup as drive Z:, replacing the address and the user name with the real values:
net use z: \\backup.example.com\share /user:backupuser /persistent:no
The /user: argument is recommended in WinRE, where the current account context is not the regular logged-in user and the share's credentials usually have to be supplied explicitly. The /persistent:no switch keeps the mapping local to this WinRE session. When prompted, enter the password for the share. A successful mount produces a confirmation message.
Confirm that the backup files are visible before going further:
dir z:
The directory listing should include the WindowsImageBackup folder created by Windows Server Backup. If the listing is empty, the wrong share is mounted or the credentials lack read access.
Before starting the restore, verify that WinRE sees the target disks. Open diskpart and list disks and volumes:
diskpart list disk list volume exit
If the local disks do not appear here, the storage driver for the controller is not loaded into WinRE; see the driver note above before proceeding.
Listing available backups
Before restoring, list the backup versions available on the share:
wbadmin get versions -backupTarget:\\backup.example.com\share
The output lists every backup on the target, each with a Version identifier. Copy the identifier of the backup to restore exactly as shown by wbadmin get versions; the format is locale-dependent (for example 08/09/2023-20:10 on a US system, 09.08.2023-20:10 on systems using day-first regional settings), and the value will be passed to the next command verbatim.
Performing the restore
There are two options.
Option A. Restore all volumes and recreate the disk layout:
wbadmin start sysrecovery -version:<version_identifier> -backupTarget:\\backup.example.com\share -machine:<server_name> -restoreAllVolumes -recreateDisks
The flags mean: -version identifies the backup to restore (use the Version identifier from wbadmin get versions); -backupTarget points to the share where the backup is stored; -machine selects the source server when the share holds backups from several machines (the value is the original computer name and is shown by wbadmin get versions next to each entry); -restoreAllVolumes restores every volume captured in the backup, not just the system volume; -recreateDisks rebuilds the partition layout from the backup before writing data.
-recreateDisks is destructive. It deletes the current partition table on the target disks and recreates the layout from the backup; any data on those disks that is not part of the backup is lost. Use this option only on disks that are empty, that contain no data worth keeping, or that have a partition layout incompatible with the backup. To restore onto disks with the existing layout intact, omit -recreateDisks.
Option B. Restore only the system volume, leaving other volumes and the partition layout untouched:
wbadmin start sysrecovery -version:<version_identifier> -backupTarget:\\backup.example.com\share -machine:<server_name>
This is the safer option for most cases: the system volumes captured in the backup are restored, while data partitions on the same server keep their current contents. Boot-related partitions such as the EFI System Partition or the System Reserved partition are part of the system set and may also be rewritten if the backup includes them.
Always pass -machine:<server_name> when the backup target holds backups from more than one server. Without this flag wbadmin does not necessarily pick the backup that belongs to the current machine, and a wrong choice will restore an unrelated system over the live server.
The command prompts for confirmation and then runs the restore. When it finishes, the server reboots into the restored system.
Full system restore from a backup on a local disk
If the backup image is on one of the server's own disks (not a network share), the restore is driven by the WinRE wizard instead of the command line.
1. In the WinRE Troubleshoot menu, select System Image Recovery.
2. The wizard scans the local disks for system image backups. The most recent image is offered by default. To pick a different one, choose Select a system image and select the image from the list.
3. On the additional options screen, decide whether to enable Format and repartition disks. With this option enabled, the wizard rewrites the partition layout on the target disks to match the backup, erasing any existing data. With it disabled, the restore primarily affects the operating system volumes (including boot-related partitions such as the EFI System Partition if they are part of the backup), while unrelated data volumes are left alone. The Exclude disks button can be used to keep specific disks out of the reformatting process.
Format and repartition disks has the same effect as -recreateDisks on the command line: it deletes existing partitions and the data on them. Leave it disabled unless the target disks are empty or their existing layout has to be discarded.
4. Confirm the affected disks and partitions on the next screen.
5. Click Finish and wait for the restore to complete. The server reboots into the restored system when it is done.
Restoring individual files, folders, or the system state
When the operating system is still running, individual items can be restored from the Windows Server Backup GUI without entering WinRE.
1. Open Server Manager, then Tools, then Windows Server Backup. In the Actions pane, click Recover.
2. Choose where the backup is located. The example below uses a backup stored on a network share, so select A backup stored on another location and pick Remote shared folder.
3. Enter the UNC path to the share, for example \\backup.example.com\share.
4. Select the date and time of the backup version to restore.
5. Choose the Recovery type. The wizard offers Files and folders, Volumes, Applications, and System state. The example below restores Files and folders.
6. Pick the specific items to restore.
7. Set the recovery destination and the handling of existing files (overwrite, skip, or create copies).
8. Review the summary and click Recover.
The wizard runs the restore and reports progress. The other Recovery types (Volumes, Applications, System state) follow the same wizard structure with type-specific steps. Volumes recovery restores an entire partition, such as a data drive, in place of file-level selection. Applications recovery restores software registered with Windows Server Backup through a VSS writer, and depends on that writer being present and functional at restore time. System state recovery restores the operating system's critical components (Active Directory database on domain controllers, registry, boot files, COM+ class registration database, system files protected by Windows Resource Protection, and similar items) without rewriting user data or recreating the disk layout.
After the restore
After a full system restore completes and the server reboots, run a few checks before treating the system as fully recovered.
Verify operating system file integrity:
sfc /scannow
Check Device Manager for drivers that may have been replaced or are missing, especially when the restore is performed on hardware that differs from the original (different RAID controller, network adapter, or chipset). Such cases (dissimilar hardware recovery) often need vendor drivers to be reinstalled manually after the restore.
Domain controllers have a separate procedure. A bare-metal restore of a domain controller usually has to be performed with the server booted into Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) rather than normal startup, and the Active Directory database must be reconciled with the rest of the forest after the restore. Restoring a domain controller as a regular server can introduce USN rollback and replication errors. Consult the Microsoft documentation on Active Directory backup and restore before performing this operation.
Bare-metal restores should be tested on a regular schedule, not only when an actual incident occurs. A backup that has never been restored is not a verified backup.
