How to Backup Physical Machines with AOMEI Cyber Backup

The backup of physical machines is equally important, and setting a scheduled backup of disks is an effective method to ensure data security. Because when a disaster occurs, you can quickly recover data by restoring these backups, which is very time-saving and worry-free.

In this article, we will introduce how to create backups of physical machines with AOMEI Cyber Backup. AOMEI Cyber Backup provides a convenient and reliable solution for centralized backup management of all Windows operating systems. With the program, you can backup all devices to a local or network location and easily restore them to the original state when necessary.

How to Create Backups of Physical Machines

Prerequisites for Windows Backup:

  • Computer with AOMEI Cyber Backup installed
  • Computer with AOMEI Cyber Backup Agent installed
  • Local disk or network share to store backup files

Windows Backup provides System Backup, Disk Backup and Partition Backup. System Backup is mainly used for OS backup, while Disk Backup is used to backup the entire disk data, which can include both the operating system and regular data disk. Partition Backup is for backing up a certain data partition. Here we take Disk Backup as an example. For the usage environment supported by AOMEI Cyber Backup, please refer to here.

1. Click "Backup Task" on the left menu bar, select "Backup Task". Click "Create New Task" to open the task creating page.

Create New Task

2. Select "Backup Type", you can choose Disk Backup, Partition Backup or System Backup.

Select Backup Type

3. Set a "Task Name". It will have a default name. You can edit the name of the task.

Set Task Name

4. Select "Device Name". All Windows devices with AOMEI Cyber Backup Agent installed will be listed here.

Select Device Name

Then you can select one Windows device for backup.

Select Windows Device

5. Select "Backup content". All disks on this Windows device will be listed.

Select Backup Content

Then you can select one or multiple disks for backup.

Select Backup Disk

Tips: If you are doing a System Backup, then this step is not necessary, the program will automatically choose the system partitions to be backed up.

6. Select "Target" to save backups.

Select Target

You can select a local or network path.

Added storage: It will list all added backup target. You can select the backup target without adding it again.

Add a new local storage: It will list the local directory of this computer with AOMEI Cyber Backup installed , then you can select a location as backup target.

Add a new network storage: You can type into a network path (such as: 192.168.1.1\data), then fill in username and password of the network path to add. After that, you can continue to select a folder of the network path as backup target.

Tips: You can also add and managetarget locations in Target Storage.

Choose Backup Target

7. Set Schedule Backup.

Schedule Backup helps you backup your virtual machines automatically and regularly. After activating this option, you can let AOMEI Cyber Backup automatically run backups without worrying about a certain day's backup not being performed.

Generally, the schedule setting is enabled by default. You can change the schedule on your needs, or disable it. For more details about this function, please check Schedule Backup.

Select Schedule

8. Set Backup Cleanup.

Backup Cleanup helps youautomatically removehistory backup versions based on rule to save storage space. After activating this option, you can let AOMEI Cyber Backup clean up automatically without worrying about backup failure due to disk space being full.

Generally, the backup cleanup is enabled by default. You can change the backup cleanup based on your needs, or disable it. For more details about this function, please check Backup Cleanup.

Select Backup Cleanup

9. You can enable "Email Notification" to receive email notifications when the task is abnormal or successful. Click "Go Now" to set or modify the notification settings. Currently Gmail Server, Hotmail Server and Custom SMTP Server are supported. Please note SMTP server authentication is required and cannot be empty. For more details about this function, please check Email Notification.

Email Notification

10. You can also choose compression level (None, Normal, High) and backup mode (Backup Used Sectors, Sector-by-sector backup) in "Advanced Settings".

Advanced Settings

11. Click "Start Backup" to create the backup task and perform backup.

Once you enable schedule, you can also select "Add the backup and start backup now" or "Add the schedule only".

If you select "Add the backup and start backup now", the backup will be added and the backup task will start immediately.

If you select "Add the schedule only", the backup task will be created with schedule and wait to start at the scheduled timepoint.

Add Schedule

12. The backup is running, please wait patiently for the backup to complete. You can click on theellipsis button to see backup details and backup progress.

Backing-up

13. After the backup is complete, a *.adi file will be created in the destination location. The folders are named as follows: \AOMEI Cyber Backup\DiskPart\task name_backup time and type

Backup Files

Summary

Now that we've covered the Windows Disk Backup process, the same goes for System Backup and Partition Backup.

You can see the backup details in Backup Tasks, and you can continue to do full backup, incremental backup or differential backup. You can also manage backup tasks here, like edit or delete the tasks.

If there is an abnormality in the Windows device, you can restore it to the previous state.