NTBackup

Windows Backup Utility
	Component of Microsoft Windows
	NTBackup's default (wizard) mode in Windows XP
File name/executable	ntbackup.exe
Type	Backup tool
Included in	Windows NT 3.1-Windows Server 2003
Replaced by
	Backup and Restore ; Windows Server Backup

NTBackup, internally known as Windows Backup Utility and also referred to as Backup Utility or simply Backup, is a backup tool in Microsoft Windows. It can create file and system backups on floppy or tape drives.

History[edit | edit source]

Early versions[edit | edit source]

NTBackup was first included in Windows NT 3.1 as a recovery solution for Windows NT operating systems. It was internally known as NT Tape Backup Utility, and as the name implied, it was a program that could create file backups on tape drives. When launched, it had a simple interface that would open a window where a tape drive connected to the computer could be browsed in search for existing backup files to manage them or to create a new one on it.

Windows 2000[edit | edit source]

NTBackup's first notable improvements arrived with Windows 2000, and included the following changes:

The interface received a major overhaul in which the child-window functionality was removed and divided into different wizards and tabs.
Floppy disks could now be used as backup devices in addition to tape drives.
The Schedule Jobs feature was introduced, which allowed to create different "jobs", or periodic backups on a specific tape drive.
Emergency Repair Disks (ERD) creation was migrated from Windows Setup and the rdisk tool, which was removed in this version, to this app. ERDs, however, could be interchangeably used with the Recovery Console, which was added to Windows installation medias with this version and had a similar recovery functionality.

Windows 2000 was originally also planned to ship with the Automated System Recovery feature. It was first added in build 1575 as "Disaster Backup Recovery", then later removed in build 2031 and postponed to Windows XP.

Windows XP and Server 2003[edit | edit source]

Windows XP and Server 2003 had additional improvements which included the following:

The tool's icon has been changed to reflect the addition of floppy drive support. The internal name has also been changed to Windows Backup Utility to be more generalized.
A new visualization, the Wizard Mode, has been added and shows up by default when launching the tool, which contains more simplified options. The untouched Windows 2000 interface is now referred to as the Advanced Mode, and can be launched in place of the Wizard Mode through a link on its initial screen.
Support for Emergency Repair Disks was dropped.
The Automated System Recovery feature has been reimplemented and finalized.
The Restore tab in Advanced Mode has been renamed to Restore and Manage Media.

Replacement[edit | edit source]

In Windows Vista and Server 2008, new tools were included as a replacement for NTBackup, these being Backup and Restore and Windows Server Backup, respectively. They included backup support in more drive types, such as CD-ROM, or even other hard disk drives, and included separate solutions that provided more control over system-state backups. Other features NTBackup had were also kept, such as scheduled backups. However, the ability to back up on tape drives was removed.