How to Make Windows Server Backup Mapped Network Drive

Can you backup mapped network drive with Windows Server Backup?

Windows Server Backup, the built-in backup tool of Windows Server operating system like Server 2008 (R2) and Server 2012, is able to create backup image for the Server and backup to the network share, only full backups. Well, could you select a mapped network drive as the backup item?

The answer is NO, with Windows Server Backup service. It could be a sort of flaw that Windows Server Backup utility is designed to back up local drives only and the network share and NAS are not in the list.

Backing up a mapped network drive is more complicated for the utility because the mapped drives do not exist outside of the logged on user’s session. As a result, you can either run the backup from within the very session which is not an option with Servers, or recreate the mapping in your backup run context, where you have to know the UNC path of the location not only the mapped drive’s name.

Absolutely, you have more choices than the complicated ones. You can backup mapped network drive with third-party backup software.

Backup mapped drive with Windows Server backup alternative

AOMEI Backupper Server is dedicated backup & restoring software that designs for Windows Server operating systems such as Server 2003, Server 2008 (R2), Server 2012 (R2), Server 2016 and Server 2019. It can help you backup a mapped network drive in only a few clicks and also provides various other functions:

• It allows you to backup a mapped network drive with incremental and differential backup. You are also allowed to backup a local/external drive and create system state backup, etc.
• Schedule backup mapped drive is also supportable. You can set it to backup daily/weekly/monthly or based on event triggers.
• With the Disk Space Management feature, it can help automatically delete the previous image backups to free up space.

As a matter of fact, you can directly backup from network share or NAS path if you did not map the drive to local. Let’s have a closer look. Take making Windows Server 2008 (R2) backup mapped drive for example.

1. Install and launch AOMEI Backupper Server on your Server. Click File Backup under Backup tab.

Tip: You can also use the Cloud Backup feature to backup files on the mapped drive. It allows you to backup files to AOMEI Cloud and offers you1TB of free storage if you register an AOMEI account. 

2. Click on Add Folder or Add File to add folders/files on the mapped network drive (it is shown as a local drive in File Explorer) to be backed up.

The Filter settings option allows you to include/exclude some certain file types during the backup process.

3. Choose another location as the destination path. Backing up to local disk, external drive, NAS and Cloud are available.

4. You have choices to password encrypt the backup image (Options), set schedule backup task (Schedule). And manage destination backup disk space (Scheme) now.

5. Click Start Backup to run the backup immediately or at the next schedule time.

Tips:

• By default, AOMEI Backupper will perform incremental backup. But a full backup will be created for the first time.

• The method also applies to Windows Server 2012 backup mapped drive and backup to network share.

• For more information about Windows Server incremental backup, please refer to Windows Server incremental backup to network share.

More Details about Schedule and Scheme

To help you manage your backups easily in Windows Server 2008, 2012, and other systems, AOMEI Backupper provides you two powerful features: Schedule and Scheme.

There are 5 options in Schedule that you may need:

• Daily/Weekly/Monthly: To avoid forgetting to backup data, you could set the backup running daily, weekly, monthly to back up data constantly.

• Event Triggers: Trigger the backup event via the following events: User logon, User logoff, System startup, System shutdown, not affecting your working time.

• USB plug in: AOMEI Backupper will automatically back up the data on the USB or backup local data to USB device once detecting the USB device of the task. It’s kind of simple and flexible.

Another powerful feature is Scheme, you could click Scheme -> Enable Backup Scheme to customize the retention policy.

There are 5 schemes to help you to delete old backup image to free up space: Full Backup Scheme, Incremental Backup Scheme, Differential Backup Scheme, Space Management Scheme, Other Backup Scheme. Refer to the backup scheme to know more details of the deletion.

Conclusion

When you cannot make Windows Server backup mapped drive, why don’t you turn to other reliable backup tools? Besides file backup, you can do system backup, disk backup, system clone and disk clone with the software as well. If you’re a service provider, it is recommended to try AOMEI Backupper Technician Plus edition which enables you to offer charged technical service to unlimited companies or individuals.