Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Restoring Files from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008/2011

I thought I had blogged about this prior, but it has been brought to my attention that I haven’t to date.  So I wanted to make sure it was covered.NTBackup Restore Utility

As you recall, Small Business Server 2003 used Windows NT Backup (or NTBackup for short).  With the introduction of Server 2008 (and hence SBS 2008), NTBackup was removed from the product (with good reason! Trust me!).  With this came the introduction of the Server Backup, built by the same team as the Data Protection team.

This server backup and restore utility doesn’t know what to do with NTBackup (.bkp) files.  So instead, you can download the Windows NT Backup and Restore Utility for Windows 7 (KB 974674).  Be sure to choose the version you need based on what operating system you’re running on.

Another IMPORTANT note to realize, is if you use it on your server, and then attempt a bare metal restore of the server using the Windows Server Backup, the box gets stuck at a black window and doesn’t boot properly.

So the correct steps are

  1. Install the NT Backup and restore utility
  2. Restore desired set of file(s)
  3. Un-install the NT Backup and restore utility

Happy Restoring from Old backups!


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about a tutorial on setting up and managing windows phone 7 with SBS .....remote wipe with EAS

Viola said...

I have to admit I am very impressed with the quality of your blog. It is certainly a pleasure to read as I do enjoy your posts.

selling used electronics said...

Got that pretty clear.

Server Support said...

I am looking for experienced IT staff for diagnosing and repairing server issues both remotely and on-site. If someone can recommend some excellent providers that would be great!

Waldo said...

To uninstall NTbackup Restore Utility, go to Control Panel, Programs and Features, and View installed updates.
Under the heading "Microsoft Windows" , look for "Update for Microsoft Windows Windows (KB974674)".
Double click or right click and choose uninstall.

Anonymous said...

I just love when someone writes something that ACTUALLY works and they know what they're talking about. Thank you so very much for helping me solve this issue!!!

Chris Watson said...

Well unfortunately, if you are running SBS 2011 this does not work.

When you try to install the restore utility, it says "To run Windows NT Backup Restore Utility, you need to turn on or install Removable Storage Management. For instructions about turning on or installing this feature, go to the Microsoft Windows NT Backup Restore Utility webpage. Do you want to go to that webpage?"

The issue here is that this is no longer included in SBS 2011, Server 2008 R2, or Windows 7 as a feature or role.

What I have done twice to get around this is simply install robocopy on the source server or destination server and use it to move the data with permissions intact.


Just thought I would share. FYI I am certified on SBS 2011 Standard with the Premium Add-On . . .

Chris Watson
Network Engineer
MCTS, MCITP, MCSE

Chris Watson said...

Correction: UPDATE!!

I applied this hotfix and it did not allow me to install the utility. HOWEVER, after about 5 minutes the utility showed up in my start menu and launched successfully. I stand corrected. Thanks for the write-up Sean!

Chris Watson said...

Not sure if anyone has figured this out yet, but you aren't supposed to leave the NT Restore utility on the server (per Microsoft). I guess it may interfere with server backup working right. Any case, with the method outlined in this article, the utility does not show up in programs and features for removal. Anyone know what the ramifications are or how I can remove it?

Thanks