NTBackup

NTBackup is the built-in backup application introduced in Windows NT around 1997 and part of all subsequent versions up to and including Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. It uses a proprietary backup format (BKF) to back up files. Files can be backed up to tape, ZIP drives, floppy disks, and hard drives. It also features integration with Task Scheduler and has several command line switches for scheduled automated backups.

In Windows Vista and later operating systems, NTBackup was replaced by Windows Backup and Restore, which uses the Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) file format, supports backup to modern media such as DVDs and image-based full system backups.

For server operating systems, Microsoft has replaced NTBackup with Windows Server Backup beginning with Windows Server 2008, which includes the new wbadmin command. This new backup application, wbadmin, no longer supports tape drives, which means that users have to install third-party applications to back up to tape on these new operating systems.

For reading/restoring older backups, Microsoft has made available the NTBackup Restore utility for Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008 and for Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 which can only read BKF files.

When used with tape drives, NTBackup uses the Microsoft Tape Format (MTF), which is also used by BackupAssist and Backup Exec and Veeam Backup & Replication and is compatible with BKF.

NTBackup supports several operating system features including backing up the computer's System State. On computers that are not domain controllers, this includes the Windows Registry, boot files, files protected by Windows File Protection, Performance counter configuration information, COM+ class registration database, IIS metabase, replicated data sets, Exchange Server data, Cluster service information, and Certificate Services database. On domain controllers, NTBackup can back up Active Directory, including the SYSVOL directory share.

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