How to Back Up and Restore Active Directory in Windows Server 2022/2019/2016?

What is Active Directory?

As mentioned above, Active Directory connects users to network resources to get their jobs done. Therefore, if data in AD is lost, users will no longer be able to use the computer. This is the prime reason why we need to back up AD.

Why Back Up and Restore Active Directory?

Active Directory is an essential component of any Windows network. Without a backup strategy, the entire system and devices are at risk. In the event that an Active Directory Domain Controller (AD DC) becomes unavailable for any reason, users will be unable to log in, computer systems may malfunction, resulting in financial losses and disruption to business operations. This is why backing up Active Directory is crucial. Speaking of good backup tools, you might want to learn about the Todo Backup Enterprise utility.

A reliable assistant - Tool Todo Backup Enterprise

As a user-friendly backup program, Todo Backup Advanced Server features:

• Simplicity, efficiency, and power.
• Savvy Windows backup solutions for desktops and servers.
• Protection for your business and systems.
• Economical solutions to lower your total cost of ownership.

If you have backup and restore issues, just download and try it. With the Todo Backup Enterprise tool, you can easily perform automatic or external backups.

As mentioned above, Active Directory is crucial to computers, so we need to back up its data for safety. But how to back up Active Directory? You will find the answer in the next part. These methods work for Windows Server 2019/2016/2012.

# Back up and restore Active Directory with Windows Server

Now that you know the importance of backing up and restoring Active Directory, owing to its crucial role in your computer system, the next two sections will illustrate how to back up and restore Active Directory.

Windows Server Backup uses the Volume Shadow Copy Service. Users can back up system files and whatever they choose. It's great for backing up Active Directory. Let's see how it's done.

Backup Active Directory using Windows Server Backup

First, here's a step-by-step guide to backing up Active Directory using Windows Server Backup.

Step 1: Open Server Manager, click on Tools, and then choose Windows Server Backup.

Step 2. Click on Backup Now to initiate an on-demand backup of your AD.

Step 3: Click “More options” and then click “Next”.

Step 4: Select “Customize” and click “Next.”

Step 5: Choose what you want to back up. Click on "Add Items," then select "System State," and click "OK."

Step 6: Specify the type of backup destination. You can choose either a local disk or a remote shared folder at your will.

Step 7: Review your backup information on the confirmation screen, then tap “OK.”

Next, it's time to look at how to recover AD using Windows Server.

Restoring Active Directory on Windows Server

Before you can restore the AD, you must start up in Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM).

To start to DSRM, you must:

• Restart the server.
• At the boot menu, press F8 to get to the Advanced Options menu.
• Then, select Directory Services Restore Mode.
• Press Enter, which will restart the computer in Safe Mode.

You can now restore Active Directory. To do so, follow these steps.

Step 1: Run Windows Server Backup.

Step 2: Look for the “Restore” option and tap on it.

Step 3: Launch the Recovery Wizard and choose the option to restore “From another location”.

Step 4: Select the disk and type in the precise path for your backup file.

Step 5: Choose the backup you want to use.

Step 6: Next, select the type of recovery you wish to perform.

Step 7: Choose where to restore the backup.

Select recovery location

Depending on the type of recovery you chose, you might see some warnings. Click “OK” for all of them. Your data should now be recovered.

Backup and Restore Active Directory with Todo Backup Enterprise

As mentioned, the Todo Backup Enterprise tool allows users to back up disk partitions or hard drives. We'll try using it to back up an Active Directory.

Backup Active Directory

Follow these steps to perform a basic backup.

Step1: Launch Todo Backup Enterprise and click "Create Task" to set up a new backup.

Click "Create new task" to create a backup.

Step 2. Select “Files” as the destination at the top. Then choose the specific files you'd like to back up.

Step 3: Then click on “Browse” to choose the location where you want to save the backup file.

Select Destination

Step 4. Click on Schedule: Off to customize your backup schedule. Here, you will see the Schedule, Backup Cleanup, and Advanced Settings. Click on New under the Schedule tab.

Then set the backup frequency according to your needs.

Alternatively, you can select Smart Backup in a backup plan to monitor changes to the selected files and back them up automatically.

Select "Smart Backup".

5. Click the “Backup Options” button in the bottom-left corner of the window.

Here, you can adjust the performance, encryption, email notifications, and other options as needed. When you're done, click Save to return to the main interface.

Step 6: Once all settings are completed, click "Start Backup" to begin the backup process.

Click Continue to start the backup.

Next, we will use the Todo Backup Enterprise tool for the restoration process.

Restore Active Directory

Here, you can learn how to restore Active Directory, and if you follow the steps, it can be easily done.

Step 1: Launch the Todo Backup tool on your computer and click on the 'Restore' button.

Click on "Recover"

Step 2: Click the "Browse" button on the top right.

Click "Browser"

Step 3: A recovery window will appear. Locate and select the file you wish to recover, then click OK.

Select the file type to recover

Step 4: You can choose a new location, or keep the original one, and then click the "Proceed" button to start the recovery process.

That's it for the backup and restore process. It's very simple to do backups with tools like Todo Backup Enterprise. Apart from backup and restore, it also allows users to clone a hard drive to another and make things easier for businesses. Download and give it a try now.

Frequently Asked Questions About Backing Up and Restoring Active Directory

This section lists some common questions about backing up and restoring Active Directory, with the hope that they will be helpful to you.

Can I back up Active Directory and restore it to another server?

Yes, you can. You can use Windows Server or third-party backup tools to help you accomplish this task.

How to restore a Windows Server backup to another server?

Step 1: Launch the Windows Server Backup utility and select Local Backup.

Step 2. In the Operations section, select Restore to launch the Restore Wizard.

Step 3. Next, under Getting Started, you're prompted to select the other server from which you want to restore data.

Then, you can restore the Windows Server backup to another server.

Where is Windows Server Backup usually stored?

Windows Server stores its backups in the ComputerName folder under BackupStorageLocation.