Automatic backup on Windows VPS

What and where to back up (quick checklist)

• Objects: volumes/files, System State (registry, boot loader, etc.), application data if available (e.g., MSSQL makes its own dumps).
• Destination: separate VPS disk, NAS/file server via SMB, cloud storage. For storage, only SYSTEM/administrators must have NTFS rights.
• Policy: daily — incremental/full (depending on the destination), weekly — full, retention period N versions (e.g., 14–30).
• Readiness criteria: backup runs without errors, log is readable, test recovery is performed periodically.

Installing the Windows Server Backup (WSB) component

WSB is a built-in OS tool that can handle System State, volumes, files, and runs on a schedule.

Prepare the target folder and permissions

For network storage, create a separate directory, grant RW permissions only to SYSTEM, Domain Admins (or local administrators), and, if necessary, source computer objects.

Important: When backing up to a network folder, the standard wbadmin.msc utility saves only one “current” copy. For many versions, we use wbadmin.exe + our own rotation (see below).

wbadmin script: daily backup to folders with the date

Create a folder like \backup-srvwinvps01$YYYY-MM-DD and start the backup. For System State, use -systemState, for volumes — -include:C:,D:.

Scenario with a “by date” folder, running wbadmin, and log examples

Where to view logs: C:WindowsLogsWindowsServerBackup*.log

On a locally connected disk, you can limit the number of versions by default:

Scheduler: automatic script launch

Option via GUI

taskschd.msc → Create Task… → it is better to launch from SYSTEM + Run with highest privileges → configure triggers and action powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:PSBackup.ps1.

Option via PowerShell

The all-in-one alternative:

Creates a daily schedule using WSB. Syntax — in Microsoft Learn.

“Quick” versions for files: Robocopy (+ daily folders)

For the data catalog (sites, uploads), it is convenient to make folder snapshots by date:

Enable VSS snapshots (shadow copies) for “quick rollback”

Shadow copies provide “previous versions” and help you quickly restore individual files without a large backup. In a domain, it is convenient to enable VSS with policies and create snapshots with a script/scheduler.

Enable the Volume Shadow Copy service (startup type: Automatic).

Regularly create a snapshot (example with vshadow.exe) and reserve 10–20% of the disk for shadows.
List of snapshots: vssadmin list shadows → take the Shadow Copy ID.

Mount a specific snapshot (read-only) and copy the files:

VSS and shadow volume base — in Microsoft Learn.

Check, monitor, rotate

• Recovery test: periodically mount VHDX/folder with the date and restore a couple of files “to the desktop.” For critical roles, use profile procedures (AD, MSSQL, etc.).
• Logs and return codes: WindowsServerBackup logs, return codes (mask) for Robocopy.
• Rotation: delete old folders by date (PowerShell) and/or wbadmin delete backup -keepVersions:N.
• Schedule wbadmin enable backup — settings and syntax in Microsoft Help.

Common problems and solutions

• It says that only one copy is stored on the network target. This is a limitation of the WSB wizard; use wbadmin + folders by date (as in the script above).
• The scheduler hangs or asks for a password. Run from SYSTEM with Run with highest privileges; check the Log on as a batch job right and the -ExecutionPolicy Bypass arguments.
• No space for VSS. Increase the quota on the volume (10–20%), check the shadow creation/deletion schedule.

Table of Contents