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Recover a Backup Catalog

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can use the Catalog Recovery Wizard to recover a local backup catalog that has been corrupted.

Windows Server Backup stores the details about your backups (what volumes are backed up and where the backups are located) in a file called a backup catalog. The catalog is stored in the same place that you store your backups. If that file gets corrupted, you will be alerted and an event is added to the event log (Event 514). To continue with future backups, you will need to either restore the catalog using an available backup or delete the catalog.

If you have no backups that you can use to recover the catalog (so you need to delete the catalog), the information about previous backups will be lost and you will not be able to access the backups using the Windows Server Backup snap-in. In this case, you should create a new backup once your catalog is deleted.

Important

You will only see the Catalog Recovery Wizard in Windows Server Backup if your catalog is corrupted.

Note

You can also use the Wbadmin restore catalog and the Wbadmin delete catalog commands to perform these tasks. For syntax and examples for Wbadmin, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93131.

To recover a backup catalog

  1. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Server Backup.

  2. In the Actions pane of the snap-in default page, under Windows Server Backup, click Recover Catalog. This opens the Catalog Recovery Wizard.

  3. On the Specify storage type page, do one of the following:

    • If you do not have a backup that you can use to recover the catalog, and just want to delete the catalog, click I don't have any usable backups, click Next, and then click Finish.

    • If you do have a backup that you can use, specify whether the backup is on a local drive or remote shared folder, and then click Next.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • If the backup is on a local drive (including DVDs), on the Select backup location page, select the drive that contains the backup that you want to use from the drop-down list. If you are using DVDs, make sure the last DVD of the series is in the drive. Click Next.

    • If the backup is on a remote shared folder, on the Specify remote folder page, type the path to the folder that contains the backup that you want to use, and then click Next.

  5. You will receive a message that you will not be able to access backups taken after the backup that you are using for the recovery. Click Yes.

  6. On the Confirmation page, review the details, and then click Finish to recover the catalog.

  7. On the Summary page, click Close.

  8. Once the catalog recovery is completed or you have deleted the catalog, you must close and then re-open Windows Server Backup to refresh the view.

Additional considerations

  • To recover a backup catalog using Windows Server Backup, you must be a member of the Backup Operators or Administrators group, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

Additional references