Windows XP Backup
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Windows XP Backup provides a large amount
of options to backup, restore and repair your system. Backups
are typically written to one or more tapes, examples being
DLT and DAT drives, but Windows Backup also provides the option
to backup to a file, which then can be written to removable
storage such as a CD, DVD, or a network share.
One of the main improvements of Windows Backup
in Windows XP is the volume shadow copy technology.
This allows a point-in-time copy of an entire volume including
all open files such as system files and open databases. The
same technology is also used in Windows 2003 to provide a
similar function as the Recycle Bin, allowing users to restore
deleted or corrupted files on network shares. For more information
about this feature read the Windows
2003 Shadow Copy Volumes TechNotes.
Windows XP Backup can be started from the
Start Menu by clicking Backup in All Programs|Accessories|System
Tools. When it runs for the first time, the Backup
or Restore Wizard starts by default. The wizard allows
you to easily create a backup of your documents and settings,
all users’ documents and settings, the entire computer,
or a selection of files and/or folders. Additionally the wizard
allows a restore with the default options by selecting a backup
file. To perform backups and restores with specific options
click the Advanced Mode when the wizard starts, which
will open the Backup Utility.
The Backup Utility has a Welcome
tab with three buttons to start an advanced Backup Wizard,
an advanced Restore Wizard, or the Automated
System Recovery (ASR) Wizard. The tasks performed by
these wizards will be explained in the following paragraphs.
Backup
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The Backup tab of the Backup
Utility allows you to create and schedule backup jobs.
Select the files and folders you want to back up, and on the
bottom left, select the backup destination and provide a name
for the media or file.
To
start the backup, click the Start Backup button on
the right bottom of the Backup tab. The Backup
Job Information dialog box will appear as depicted below.
Provide a name for the backup job,
a label and choose what should be done when the media already
contains data. The option Allow only the owner and the
Administrator access to the backup data is only available
when Replace the data on the media with this backup
is selected.
The Advanced button opens the Advanced Backup
Option dialog box as shown below:
Selecting the option Back up data that
is in Remote Storage backs up data that has been designated
for Remote Storage. If you select this option, Remote Storage
reparse points (placeholder files) are backed up. Remote Storage
data can only be restored on an NTFS volume.
The option Verify data after backup
allows you to verify that the backup is exactly the same as
the original data. This usually has a huge impact on the time
it takes to perform a backup.
The option If possible, compress the
backup data to save space allows you to compress tape
backups. This option is available only if you have a tape
drive attached to your computer that supports data compression.
The option Automatically back up system
protected files with the System State allows you to include
all system files that are in your systemroot directory (i.e.
c:\Windows) in addition to the files that are included with
the System State data by default.
The option Disable volume shadow copy
disables the point-in-time shadow copy method and reverts
to the pre-Windows XP backup method. If this option is disabled,
files that are in use or open might be skipped.
Select one of the following under Backup
Type: copy, daily, differential, incremental, or normal.
To understand the various common backup types, first you'll
have to know about the archive file attribute. If
a file has this attribute it means it has changed since the
archive attribute was turned off. An archive attribute can
be turned off by performing certain types of backup, or manually
by using the 'attrib' command line utility or Windows Explorer
for example. The table below lists the most common backup
types:
| Normal/Full |
Backs up every selected file, regardless
of the archive attribute setting, and clears the archive
attribute. |
| Copy |
Backs up every selected file, regardless
of the archive attribute setting. Does not clear the archive
attribute. |
| Daily |
Backs
up every selected file that has changed that day, regardless
of the archive attribute setting. Does not clear the archive
attribute. |
| Incremental |
Backs up only those files created or
changed since the last normal or incremental backup, and
clears the archive attribute. This method is used in combination
with a periodic full backup. For example, a Normal/Full
backup on Mondays and an incremental backup on the remaining
days of the week. In case of a restore, you will need
the last normal backup as well as all incremental
backups since the last normal backup. |
| Differential |
Backs up only those files created or
changed since the last normal or incremental backup, but
does not clear the archive attribute. This method is also
used in combination with a periodic full backup. For example,
a Normal/Full backup on Mondays and a differential backup
on the remaining days of the week. In case of a restore,
you will need the last normal backup and the last differential
backup. |
Click OK after setting the advanced options
to return to the Backup Job Information dialog box,
where you can either start the backup immediately or schedule
it to run at a future date and time. When you schedule the
backup job, you will be prompted to save the current selection
of files and folder, and you will need to provide a user account
and password to run the job. This account must have sufficient
permissions to backup the selected files and folders, and
will become the owner of the backup. The Scheduled Job
Option dialog box will open where you can provide a name
for the job and one or more schedules. The Task Scheduler
service will schedule and run the backup job. When the backup
job is completed you will be able to view a report that shows
a summary log of the backup job performed.
Backup jobs can also be created and scheduled
from the Schedule tab of the Backup Utility.
It provides a large calendar where you can select a day and
click the Add Job to start the advanced Backup
Wizard allowing you to backup the entire computer, a
file and folder selection, or the System State Data.
Restore
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The Restore and Manage Media tab
of the Backup Utility allows you to restore backups
and manage backup media. The latter includes formatting, erasing,
and naming tapes as well as maintaining catalogs.
To restore a backup, select the backup on
disk, tape, or other media, select the Restore Location
and press the Start Restore button. You can choose
to restore the files to their original location, an alternate
location, or a single folder. When you choose to restore the
backup to a single folder, the directory structure will be
lost, thus all files will be placed in the same folder.
When you click the Start Restore
button, the Confirm Restore dialog box appears as
depicted below:
In most cases you will click ok to start
the restore, but in some situations you may want to set Advanced
Restore Options by clicking the Advanced button.
The Restore security option is enabled
by default and only available if the backup is from an NTFS
volume in Windows XP and you are restoring it to an NTFS volume
in Windows XP. If you disable this option, security settings
for files and folders, such as permissions, ownership, and
audit entries, will not be restored.
The option Restore junction points,
and restore file and folder data under junction points to
the original location restores the junction points on
your hard disk and the data that the junction points point
to. If you are restoring a backup of a mounted drive and the
data on it this option must be enabled.
The option When restoring replicated data sets, mark the
restored data as the primary data for all replicas allows
you to ensure that restored File Replication service (FRS)
data is replicated to your other servers to ensure that other
servers participating in the replicated data set do not overwrite
the restored data because it is older.
The option Restore the Cluster Registry to the quorum
disk and all other nodes ensures that the cluster database
is replicated to all nodes in a server cluster.
The option Preserve existing volume mount points
prevents any volume mount points you have created on the partition
or volume prior to the restore from being overwritten. Disable
this option if you want to restore the volume mount points
from backup.
After you have set the advanced options, click OK, and then
click OK again to start the restore. At the end of the restore
you will be able to view a report showing a summary log of
the restore operation.
Automated System Recovery
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When the operating system does not start
and the logon screen does not appear, you should first try
to access and repair the system by booting in Safe Mode or
using the Last Known Good configuration. If that
does not work, you can try Automated System Recovery (ASR)
as a last resort.
An ASR backup set is created by using the
ASR Wizard in Backup. The wizard backs up the system
state, system services, and all disks associated with the
operating system components. It also creates a file containing
information about the backup, the disk configurations (including
basic and dynamic volumes) and how to accomplish a complete
restore.
To use ASR to restore the system, you need
to press F2 when prompted for ASR in the text-mode portion
of setup. You will need to provide the floppy disk that contains
the file created by the ASR Wizard, the media containing the
actual data backup, and the Windows XP Installation CD. First,
the volumes and partitions required to start the computer
are recreated, and after a minimal version of Windows is installed,
ASR will restore the backup created by the ASR wizard.
System State Data
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The System State Data includes the
registry, COM+ Class Registration database, and boot files.
As mentioned earlier, the Advanced Options of a backup
job allow you to include all system files under Windows
File Protection that are in your systemroot directory
(i.e. c:\Windows), if you back up the System State Data. This
allows you to create a comprehensive backup of ‘just’
the operating system. To create a backup of the System State
Data you can either run the Backup Wizard or use
the Backup Utility. On the Backup tab of
the Backup Utility, select the System State Data
as depicted below, and click Start backup.
You must be an administrator on the local
computer to back up and restore System State data. You can
only backup the System State data on the local computer, not
on a remote computer.
In case you want to restore the System State
Data on a running computer, you should use the Backup
Utility and perform the restore like you would perform
a basic restore. Just select the System State Data
from the backup file or media and click Start restore.
Ntbackup.exe
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Windows XP also includes the command-line
utility Ntbackup.exe. This utility can only be used
to backup data, not to restore data. It can be used to create
backups by running it from the command-prompt, but more often
it is used in batch files.
Click the following link for more information
about NTbackup.exe:
How
to Use Command Line Parameters With the "Ntbackup"
Command
Last Known Good configuration
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There are several other methods available
to repair your system without having to perform a restore
from backup. The Last Known Good configuration is
one of them. Those who took CompTIA’s A+ OS, Windows
NT 4, the 70-210, or the 70-215 exam, know the Last Known
Good configuration very well. It is one of Microsoft’s
favorite exam topics.
The Last Known Good configuration is a backup
copy of the current configuration stored in the registry key
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet and is updated when a user shuts
down the system after successfully logging on. Restoring the
information from this registry key can repair your system,
for example when you added a driver that prevents the operating
system from loading.
So when you changed the configuration of
your system and the OS fails to load after you restart the
computer, you should press F8 when you see the message Please
select the operating system to start, and select the
Last Known Good Configuration from the Windows
Advanced Options Menu. The Last Known Good configuration
is only useful if you have not logged on yet. When you logon
and shut down or restart the system, the current configuration
will become the Last Known Good configuration.
Safe mode
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If you still cannot start Windows, and you
already tried the Last know Good configuration, you can try
to boot Windows in Safe Mode. In Safe mode, Windows
loads only the mouse, monitor, keyboard, mass storage, and
base video drivers. Only the default system services are started
and there is no support for networking. This allows you to
troubleshoot the system if it does not start normally. For
example, you can remove installed drivers and devices, view
log files, repair the registry, and run System Restore. A
common situation in which you should start in Safe Mode is
when Windows XP doesn't start because of incorrect video drivers
or settings. In Safe Mode, the default VGA driver (vga.sys)
is used with display settings 640 x 480 with 16 colors.
Many services and programs are not available
in Safe Mode. For example the Removable Storage services that
is used to provide access to tape devices and other storage
devices, cannot be started in Safe Mode, hence you cannot
perform a backup or restore from tape. Only accounts with
administrative permissions on the local machine can log on
to Windows XP in safe mode.
To use a Safe Boot option, choose
the appropriate type of Safe Mode from the Windows Advanced
Options Menu, which can be accessed by pressing F8 when
the computer starts or when the boot menu appears. Besides
the standard Safe Mode option, there are several
other types of Safe Mode available:
- Safe Mode with Networking, loads all of the essential
services and drivers required to support networking. This
can be useful if you need to download drivers or tools to
repair the system.
- Safe Mode with Command Prompt, is the same as safe
mode but starts the command prompt (cmd.exe) instead of the
GUI.
- Use Last Known Good Configuration, starts Windows
by using a previous configuration, and as described earlier,
is available from this menu.
- Enable VGA Mode, starts Windows with a resolution
of 640 x 480 using the current video driver, instead of the
standard Vga.sys driver that is normally used in safe mode.
This option can be used if you changed the display settings
and set the resolution too high for your monitor.
- Debugging Mode, starts Windows in debugging mode,
allowing you to sent debugging information across a serial
cable to another computer running a debugger.
- Enable Boot Logging, enables logging when the computer
is started in a Safe Mode. The information will be stored
in the Ntbtlog.txt file in the %SystemRoot% folder.
System Restore
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System Restore can be used to restore
your computer to a previous state, if a problem occurs, without
losing your personal data files (such as MS Office files,
Internet history, pictures, favorites, and e-mail). System
Restore monitors changes to the system and some application
files, and automatically creates periodic restore points.
These restore points allow you to revert the system to a previous
state. They are created daily and when significant system
events occur (i.e. when an application or driver is installed).
You can also create and name your own restore points at any
time.
System Restore is available from
the System Tools start menu folder (Start|All
Programs|Accessories|System Tools). When you run System
Restore you can either restore your computer to a previous
time or create a restore point:
When the restore completed, you should
check if the system is indeed fixed. If you start System
Restore after having performed a restore, there will
be an option called Undo my last restoration.
The System Restore tab of the System
Properties, depicted below, allows you to configure System
Restore settings per volume, or turn it off entirely.
To turn off System Restore for the system drive,
you need to turn it off for all individual volumes first.
The Settings button allows you to configure the maximum
amount of disk space available for restore points, with a
maximum of 12% of the volume’s total size.
Device Driver Roll Back
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If you changed the driver for a device and
the system becomes unstable, but you are able to boot to the
GUI, you can use Device Driver Roll Back to reinstall
the previous driver. To restore the previous driver of a device,
in Device Manager right-click the device and click
Properties, and click the Roll Back Driver
button on the Driver tab.
Recovery Console
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If the computer hangs during or after startup
and you cannot boot in safe mode, you can try to repair the
system by using the Recovery Console. If you haven’t
added the Recovery Console to the boot menu by using
the winnt32.exe /cmdcons command, you need the Windows XP
Setup CD and choose Recovery Console by pressing
R when prompted during the text-mode setup stage. Use the
local Administrator account’s password to gain access.
You can perform any of the following tasks in the Recovery
Console to repair your computer:
• Enable or disable drivers or services to start at
startup.
• Copy files from the Windows Setup CD or other removable
media.
• Create a new boot sector and new master boot record
(MBR).
• Create and format partitions on drives.
The following limited set of commands is available in the
Recovery Console:
• Attrib
• Batch
• Bootcfg
• CD (Chdir)
• Chkdsk
• Cls
• Copy
• Del (Delete)
• Dir
• Disable
• Diskpart
• Enable
• Exit
• Expand
• Fixboot
• Fixmbr
• Format
• Help
• Listsvc
• Logon
• Map
• MD (Mkdir)
• More/Type
• Net use
• Rd (Rmdir)
• Ren (Rename)
• Set
• Systemroot
For more information about how to use the
Recovery Console:
- Description
of the Windows XP Recovery Console
- HOW
TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
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