Restoring Windows Server from Backup – Bare Metal and Active Directory Recovery

Introduction

If your server crashes or Active Directory becomes corrupt, restoring from backup ensures minimal downtime. This guide explains the steps for Bare Metal Recovery and System State recovery.

📂 If you haven't created a backup yet, start with our Windows Server Backup Guide

Bare Metal Recovery (BMR) Steps

1. Prepare a Windows bootable USB drive and insert it.

2. Follow the on-screen instructions to configure language, time, and keyboard, then click Next.

3. Select Repair your computer.

4. Select Troubleshoot.

5. Select Advanced options.

6. Select System Image Recovery.

7. Select your backup path (for demo purposes, we select a local drive), then click Next.

8. Choose Additional restore options and click Next.
9. Click Finish.

10. Confirm that all disks will be formatted and replaced by clicking Yes.

11. The restoring process begins.

12. After the restoration process is complete, the system will automatically restart.

13. After restart, log in using a Domain Administrator account.

14. The restoration process completes, restoring the entire server, including the OS, system state, installed applications, and data.

System State Backup Restore (Active Directory)

1. Launch Server Manager, navigate to Tools, select Windows Server Backup, and click Recover.

2. Select your backup location and click Next.

3. Choose the backup date and click Next.

4. Select System State as the recovery type, then click Next.

5. Select the location for system state recovery and click Next.

6. Log into Active Directory Repair Mode and access it via DSRM authentication when prompted.

Note: Before restarting, ensure Active Directory Repair Mode is enabled and DSRM authentication is set up. If not, refer to the guide on resetting the DSRM password.

DSRM Authentication Password Reset

Before you reset the DSRM password, note that DSRM refers to the NTDS password set during domain server creation.

Reset Password using PowerShell Command Prompt

Open PowerShell as administrator and execute the following commands:

 ntdsutil  
 set dsrm password  
 reset password on server null  

• Enter your password and confirm it.
• Password has been set successfully.
• Type q (quit) twice to exit.


DSRM password has been successfully reset.

Enable Active Directory Repair Mode

• Open the Run command: msconfig
• Navigate to Boot tab
• Check Safe boot and Active Directory Repair

Restart your system and press F8.

Select Directory Services Repair Mode

Enter the DSRM administrator authentication password set above.

Windows Server Backup and Recovery

• Launch Server Manager
• Navigate to Tools → Windows Server Backup
• Click on Recover

• Select the backup date, time, and location.

• Choose System State and click Next.

• Select Original Location and confirm.

• Click Recover and then Yes. Recovery progress starts.

Disable Active Directory Repair Mode

• Open Run: msconfig
• Go to the Boot tab and uncheck Safe boot

Final Steps

• Log in using your domain name and administrator account.
• Confirm that system recovery has been completed successfully.
• Check if Active Directory Users, OUs, Groups, etc., have been restored.

Troubleshooting

During the in-place upgrade of Windows Server, two issues may encounter:

FSMO (Flexible Single Master Operations)

An FSMO role error occurred, where the FSMO role was incorrectly identified. To resolve:

• Go to Active Directory Users and Computers
• Navigate to Domain Controller
• Right-click on the incorrect FSMO role and delete it.

Run the following command to check FSMO roles:

netdom query fsmo

Hyper-V Issue

After upgrading, virtual machines lost internet connectivity. The solution is to reinstall the Hyper-V role.

Windows Server Backup – Step-by-Step Guide to Safeguard Your System

Introduction

Data loss can be catastrophic for any organization, making a reliable backup and restore strategy essential for maintaining business continuity. Windows Server provides built-in tools to help administrators safeguard critical data.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up Windows Server Backup, creating different types of backups, and best practices to ensure your system is secure and resilient.

⚠️ Need help with restoring data? Check out our restore guide here: How to Restore Windows Server from Backup?

Pre-requisites

• Microsoft Server 2012/2016/2019/2022
• Administrator Role via Server Manager
• Resilient Storage (Local/Remote)

Backup Guide Steps

This backup guide is divided into four main steps:

• Windows Server Backup
• Restore Bare Metal Recovery Backup
• Restore System State Backup
• Troubleshooting

Windows Server Backup

Follow these steps to configure Windows Server Backup:

1. Open Server Manager, select Tools, and then select Windows Server Backup.

2. Select Local Backup.
3. On the Action menu, select Backup once.
4. In the Backup Once Wizard, on the Backup options page, select Different options, and then select Next.

5. On the Select Backup Configuration page, choose one of the following:
   • Full Server: Backs up the entire system.
   • Custom: Select Bare metal recovery for a full system restore, including critical items.
   • System State: If you want to back up Active Directory.

6. Click on Advanced Settings.

7. Click on VSS settings and select VSS Full Backup.

• What is Bare Metal Recovery

Bare Metal Recovery (BMR) is a feature in Windows Server Backup that allows for a complete server restoration in case of catastrophic failure.

This process restores the entire system, including:

• Operating System
• System State
• Installed Applications
• Data

• What is System State Backup

A System State backup includes essential components:

• Active Directory database (on domain controllers)
• System Registry
• COM+ Class Registration database
• Boot files
• Performance Counters configuration
• Cluster service information (on clustered servers)
• Certificate Services database (if installed)
• IIS Metabase (if installed)
• System files protected by Windows File Protection

A System State backup is often a prerequisite for Bare Metal Recovery (BMR) or Active Directory recovery.

Backup Destination

1. On the Specify destination type page, select Local drives or Remote shared folder, and click Next.
2. On the Select Backup Destination page, choose a backup location.
3. On the confirmation screen, click Backup.

4. Once completed, close Windows Server Backup.

🔄 Ready to recover your server? Head to Part 2: Restore Guide for Windows Server Backup

Aligning QA and Development: Strategies for Seamless Collaboration

QA (Quality Assurance) and Developers have the same goal: delivering great software. However, misunderstandings or frustrations can sometimes lead to conflicts.

Here is how to work together better:

1. Work as a Team, Not Against Each Other:

QA and Developers are not rivals. QA finds issues to improve the product, not to blame developers. Think of it as teamwork to build the best software possible.

🔹 Example: Instead of saying, "You always introduce bugs" a QA can say, "I noticed this issue - let's check it together to avoid similar ones in the future."

2. Communicate Clearly:

When reporting bugs, be specific. Instead of saying, "The feature is broken", explain what went wrong and how to reproduce it. Take screenshots, screen recordings, or logs to make things clearer.

Developers should also communicate openly if they disagree with a bug report - ask questions instead of rejecting it outright.

🔹 Example: Instead of saying, "Login is not working", say, "After entering valid credentials, clicking 'Login' causes the app to freeze. This occurs in Chrome (Version) and Edge (Version)."

3. Define Responsibilities from the Start:

Everyone should clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.

Both Developers and QA should clearly understand what needs to be developed and what needs to be tested. This prevents last-minute disagreements.

🔹 Example: Developers may think their task is complete once they implement the requirements. However, a product is truly high quality only if it is bug-free and tested for both positive and negative scenarios. Without QA, completion is not truly complete.

4. Involve QA Early in Development:

Instead of waiting until the end to test, QA should be involved from the start. This way, Developers can avoid common issues, and QA doesn't just find problems but helps prevent them.

🔹 Example: In an Agile project, QA can review requirements and suggest missing edge cases before coding starts. This helps catch issues before they become expensive to fix.

5. Use Facts, Not Opinions:

If there is a disagreement about a bug, check the logs, test reports, or user feedback.

Data helps settle arguments better than personal opinions.

🔹 Example: A Developer says, "This bug is not a big deal" but the QA shows that it crashes the app for 20% of users. Hard Facts make decisions easier.

6. Give and Accept Feedback Gracefully:

If Developer missed a bug, don't attack them - offer help to fix it.

If QA report is unclear, Developers should ask for details rather than ignore it.

Feedback should always be about improving the product, not about blaming people.

🔹 Example: Instead of saying, "You made a mistake", say, "Let's check this together to avoid similar issues in the future."

7. Work Together More Often:

Developers and QA can do joint reviews of features before testing starts. QA can explain common mistakes to developers, and Developers can show how certain parts of the code work. Pairing up can reduce misunderstandings and make bug fixing faster.

🔹 Example: Instead of Developers writing code alone and QA testing afterward, they can do a quick QA-Dev sync after each major change to catch issues early.

8. Handle Disagreements Professionally:

If there is a disagreement that can not be resolved, involve a neutral person like a QA Lead or Scrum Master. Stay focused on fixing the problem, not arguing about who is right.

🔹 Example: If QA says a bug is critical and the Developer disagrees, both can discuss with the Product Owner to decide its priority instead of arguing.

9. Celebrate Successes Together:

If a release goes smoothly or an important bug was caught early, appreciate each other's efforts.

Recognizing teamwork improves relationships between QA and Developers.

🔹 Example: A simple "Great catch!" from a Developer or "Nice fix!" from QA can improve teamwork and morale.

Final Thoughts:

🔹Conflicts between QA and Developers are normal, but they don't have to harm the team. With clear communication, teamwork, and a focus on quality, both teams can work together smoothly to build great software.

🔹Instead of seeing testing as a "blocker", Developers should see it as a way to improve their code. And QA should work with developers as partners, not critics. When both sides respect each other's roles, software quality improves, deadlines are met faster, and everyone benefits.

If you have any questions you can reach out our SharePoint Consulting team here.