How can I easily construct the command-line syntax for a backup job in Windows XP and later?

A. Because several switches and commands are available when performing a backup from the command line, keeping track of your backup configuration can get complex. Fortunately, you can use the Backup Wizard to construct a dummy backup job that lets you see the equivalent command-line options. To do so, perform the following steps:

Start Windows Backup.
Select the Schedule Jobs tab.
Select a day, then click Add Job, as this figure shows.
Click Next on the first screen of the Backup Wizard page that appears.
Select the files, folders, or drives that you want to back up, then click Next. (Depending on which options you select, you might have to navigate through additional screens to manually select the items you want to back up.)
Select the destination for the backup, then click Next.
Select the type of backup that you want to perform, then click Next.
Select any options you want performed during the backup (e.g., "Verify data after backup"), then click Next.
Select the backup overwrite options, then click Next.
Select when to run the backup, as this figure shows, give it a job name, then click Next.
Enter the user account information necessary to perform the backup, then click OK.
Click Finish.

Windows Backup will create a new backup job. Right-click the new job to display the Properties dialog box, then click the Properties button. Select the Task tab to view the Ntbackup command that will be used to run the backup job. For example, the Backup Wizard constructed the following Ntbackup command for my job:

G:\WINDOWS\system32\ntbackup.exe backup "@G:\Documents and
Settings\savijo\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows
NT\NTBackup\data\Full system normal backup.bks" /n "backup.bkf created
13/11/2003 at 13:50" /d "Set created 13/11/2003 at
13:50" /v:no /r:no /rs:no /hc:off /m normal /j "Full system normal
backup" /l:s /f "E:\backup.bkf"

Click Delete to remove the backup job. Easy! :-)

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