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Create a Full System Image Backup with wbadmin

Back up the entire Windows system drive (and all critical volumes) to another disk from the command line using wbadmin start backup.

WindowsrecoverybackupcmdwbadminMedium risk
Run `wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:C: -allCritical -quiet` in an administrator terminal to write a complete system image to drive E:.

01Command

Command
$ wbadmin start backup -backupTarget:E: -include:C: -allCritical -quiet

02What it does

File backups protect your documents, but a dead system drive means reinstalling Windows and every program from scratch — unless you have a system image. wbadmin, the command-line engine of Windows Server Backup, still ships with desktop Windows and can image the system drive: -allCritical automatically includes every volume Windows needs to boot, and -backupTarget points at the destination disk. Keep the target drive connected and you can restore the machine bit-for-bit via recovery media.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk
RequirementsRequires an administrator terminal and a second drive (e.g. E:) with enough free space for the whole image.
!Warning: The target drive's previous backup contents are overwritten in a block-level image backup — do not point -backupTarget at a disk holding files you need.

04Undo

Undo
$ Restore from the backup image with wbadmin start recovery; the source system itself is unchanged.

05Sources

  • wbadmin start backup | Microsoft Learn
    Microsoft · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: wbadmin start backup supports -backupTarget, -include and -allCritical (include all critical volumes for a full system image); -quiet runs without prompts.
  • Wbadmin - Windows Server Backup - SS64
    SS64 · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Documents wbadmin start backup syntax including -backupTarget, -include, -allCritical and -quiet.

Last verified: 2026-09-19 · Category: Files & Folders

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