To save an image backup to a shared folder in the network use the following command: wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:\sharedFolderolderName -user:username -password:userPassword -include:C: -allCritical -quiet While in PowerShell (Admin) type the following command and press Enter: wbAdmin start backup -backupTarget:D: -include:C: -allCritical -quiet Open the Start screen, start by typing Windows PowerShell, right-click the result and select Run as administrator.Ĭonnect an external USB drive to save the image backup. Just follow the instruction below: How to use PowerShell to create a Windows 8.1 system image backup In Windows 8.1 the image backup tool has disappeared, but as it turns out still possible to create a system image backup, and even though you’ll have use PowerShell, which could intimidate a lot of users, it’s a task pretty easy to do. Basically, it was a program able to make an exact copy of a hard drive and primarily let users recover from hardware failure in a timely manner without losing their desktop applications (e.g., iTunes, Chrome, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, etc.), Metro-styled apps, Windows installation, PC settings, and much more. The Windows 7 “Backup and Restore” feature, which was renamed to “Windows 7 File History” in Windows 8, was somewhat simple tool that allowed users to create a system image backup of their PCs. Now to create a system image backup, you’ll need to use the PowerShell “Wbadmin start backup” tool, which for years system administrators have used on the server version of Windows. Although, Microsoft has removed the Windows 7 backup tool in Windows 8.1, the feature still pretty much alive, but in form of command-line.

Windows 7 backup command line