How to Back Up and Restore the System State Using the Windows 2000 Backup Program

ID: Q240363

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

SUMMARY

You can optionally back up the system state in the Windows 2000 Backup program to back up up and restore critical system data. When you choose to back up the system state on a domain controller, the following items are included:

  • Active Directory (NTDS)
  • The boot files
  • The COM+ class registration database
  • The registry
  • The system volume (SYSVOL)
When you back up the system state on a non-domain controller, the following items are included:
  • The Boot file
  • The COM+ class registration database
  • The registry
When you back up a member server or domain controller with Certificate Server installed, the following additional item is also included:
  • Certificate Server


MORE INFORMATION

Windows 2000 Backup can back up and restore Active Directory on Windows 2000 domain controllers. You can perform a backup operation while the domain controller is online. You can perform a restore operation only when the domain controller is booted into Directory Services Restore mode (by pressing the F8 key when the server is booting).

To Back Up the System State on a Domain Controller

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.


  2. Click the Backup tab.


  3. Click to select the System State check box.

    NOTE: All of the components to be backed up are listed in the right pane. You cannot individually select each item.


The following information applies only to domain controllers. You can restore member servers the same way, but in normal mode.

If any of the following conditions are not met, the system state is not restored. Backup attempts to restore the system state, but does not succeed.
  • The drive letter on which the %SystemRoot% folder is located must be the same as when it was backed up.


  • The %SystemRoot% folder must be the same folder as when it was backed up.


  • If sysvol or other Active Directory databases were located on another volume, they must exist and have the same drive letters also. The size of the volume does not matter.


For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q235478 Recovering from Failed System Drive with Non-Default %SystemRoot% Folder

To Restore the System State on a Domain Controller

  1. To restore the system state on a domain controller, first start the computer in Directory Services Restore Mode. To do so, restart the computer and press the F8 key when you see the Boot menu.


  2. Choose Directory Services Restore Mode.


  3. Choose the Windows 2000 installation you are going to recover, and then press ENTER.


  4. At the logon prompt, supply the Directory Services Restore mode credentials you supplied during the Dcpromo.exe process.


  5. Click OK to acknowledge that you are using Safe mode.


  6. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.


  7. Click the Restore tab.


  8. Click the appropriate backup media and the system state to restore.


  9. In the Restore Files to box, click Original Location.

    NOTE: When you choose to restore a file to an alternative location or to a single file, not all system state data is restored. These options are used mostly for boot files or registry keys.


  10. Click Start Restore.


  11. After the restore process is finished, restart the computer.


Additional query words:

Keywords : kbtool
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: December 29, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.