Event ID 723 — File Recovery

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

You can use the wbadmin start recovery command or the Recovery Wizard in Windows Server Backup to recover files and folders for a server.

Event Details

Resolve

Review event details for solutions for failed recovery

If the file or folder recovery fails, review the details for the applicable events to find out why the recovery operation failed. Then re-run the recovery.

To do this, follow these general steps:

1. Find the applicable events in Event Viewer, and then review the details for those events to find out why the recovery operation failed. For more information, see "Review event details in Event Viewer."
2. Review the details provided about the failure in the Windows Server Backup snap-in start page. For more information, see "Review error messages in the Windows Server Backup snap-in."
3. Confirm that the location to perform the recovery to is online.
4. After resolving any errors that you find in performing the steps above, re-run another file or folder recovery. For more information, see "Recover files or folders using the Windows Server Backup snap-in."

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in Backup Operators or Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Review event details in Event Viewer

To review event details for a file and folder recovery in Event Viewer:

1. Open Event Viewer. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Event Viewer.
2. In the left pane, double-click Applications and Service Logs, double-click Microsoft, double-click Windows, double-click Backup, and then click Operational.
3. In the right pane, click the Details tab, and then click XML View.
4. Click an event in the list.
5. Review <Data Name="FilesInfo"> to see the error code (XML Node: HResult) and detailed error code (XML Node: DetailedHResult), along with other details about the file or folder whose recovery failed.
6. Review <Data Name="FileRestoreTargetPath"> to see the file system location where the recovery was being performed to, and use this information to diagnose any errors related to recovery the location.
7. Review <Data Name="FileFailureLogPath"> to determine which files or folders failed and with what errors.
8. Review error messages for the error codes, as described in "Review error messages in the Windows Server Backup snap-in."

Review error messages in the Windows Server Backup snap-in

To view error messages using Windows Server Backup:

1. Open the Windows Server Backup snap-in. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Server Backup.
2. On the start page, under Messages, double-click the event for the failed volume recovery, click the Errors tab, and view the text under Message.

Recover files or folders using the Windows Server Backup snap-in

Before you begin, you should:

• Make sure that the computer that you are recovering files to is running Windows Server 2008.
• Make sure at least one backup exists on an external disk or in a remote shared folder. You cannot recover files and folders from backups saved to DVDs or removable media. In addition, make sure that the backup is not a system state backup. File and folder recovery is not possible from a system state backup.
• Make sure the external disk or shared folder that is hosting the backup is online and available to the server.
• Determine what files or folders that you want to recover. 

To recover files and folders:

1. Open the Windows Server Backup snap-in. 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. This opens the Recovery Wizard.
3. On the Getting started page, specify whether you will recover files from backups run on this computer or another computer, and then click Next.
4. If you are recovering files and folders from backups stored on another computer, do the following, and then click Next:
   1. On the Specify location type page, specify whether the backup that you want to restore from is on a local drive or in a remote shared folder.
   2. If you are recovering from a local drive, on the Select backup location page, select the location of the backup from the drop-down list. If you are recovering from a remote shared folder, on the Specify remote folder page, type the path to the folder that contains the backup. In the folder, the backup should be stored at \\<RemoteSharedFolder>\WindowsImageBackup\<ComputerName>\<YourBackup>.
5. If you are recovering from this computer, on the Select backup location page, select the location of the backup from the drop-down list, and then click Next.
6. On the Select backup date page, select the date from the calendar and the time from the drop-down list of backup you want to restore from. If you are recovering from this computer and the backup you select is stored on a DVD or removable media drive, you are prompted to insert the media. Then click Next.
7. On the Select recovery type page, click Files and folders, and then click Next.
8. On the Select items to recover page, under Available items, expand the list until the folder you want is visible. Click a folder to display the contents in the adjacent pane, click each item that you want to restore, and then click Next. Note: The SHIFT and CTRL keys will enable you to select a group or specific set of items.
9. On the Specify recovery options page, under Recovery destination, do one of the following, and then click Next:
   • Click Original location.
   • Click Another location. Then, type the path to the location, or click Browse to select it.
10. Under When Backup finds existing files and folders, click one of the following, and then click Next:
    • Create copies so I have both versions of the file or folder
    • Overwrite existing files with recovered files
    • Don't recover those existing files and folders
11. On the Confirmation page, review the details, and then click Recover to restore the specified items.
12. On the Recovery progress page, you can view the status of the recovery operation and whether or not it was successfully completed.

Verify

To verify that a file or folder recovery was successful, after you perform the recovery, do the following:

1. If possible, manually verify the file or folder contents.
2. Look for Event ID 214, which indicates that the recovery completed without errors.

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in Backup Operators or Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To verify that a file or folder recovery was successful:

1. Open Event Viewer. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Event Viewer.
2. In the left pane, double-click Applications and Service Logs, double-click Microsoft, double-click Windows, double-click Backup, and then click Operational.
3. In the Event ID column, look for event 214.
4. For this event, confirm that the the value in the Source column is Backup.

Related Management Information

File Recovery

File Services