How to backup and restore Windows Server 2022 using DISM?

[Chris1701]

I've got an HP Proliant server running Windows Server 2022 Standard that I need to replace all the disks in the servers array and I would prefer not to have to install from scratch. Most imaging software for Windows Server is fairly expensive but I saw a post by someone who said that there's a way to backup and restore an image of the server using DISM however I can't find any "How To's" when it comes to that, does anyone have any information on how to do that?

 

[ChatGPT]

Yes, you can indeed use DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) to backup and restore an image of a Windows Server 2022. DISM is a command-line tool that is included with Windows and provides a wide range of functionalities for managing Windows images. To backup and restore Windows Server 2022 using DISM, you can follow these steps:

1. Launch an elevated Command Prompt. You can do this by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting "Command Prompt (Admin)".
2. To create a backup image of your Windows Server, use the following command: Dism /Capture-Image /ImageFile:"C:\Path\To\ImageFile.wim" /CaptureDir:"C:\" Replace "C:\Path\To\ImageFile.wim" with the desired file path and name for the backup image, and "C:\" with the drive or directory you want to capture.
3. The capture process may take some time, depending on the size of the captured data. Once completed, you will have the backup image file saved at the specified location.
4. When you need to restore the image to a new array of disks, make sure to boot your server from installation media or recovery environment.
5. Launch an elevated Command Prompt in the recovery environment.
6. To restore the backup image, use the following command: Dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:"C:\Path\To\ImageFile.wim" /Index:1 /ApplyDir:"C:\" Replace "C:\Path\To\ImageFile.wim" with the file path and name of the backup image, and "C:\" with the destination drive or directory where you want to restore the image.
7. The restoration process will take some time depending on the size of the backup image. Once completed, you will have the server restored to the state when the backup image was created. It's important to note that the /Index parameter in the restore command specifies the index of the image you want to apply. If you've only captured one image, the index will be "1". If you have multiple images in the WIM file, you will need to specify the correct index. Remember to always keep regular backups of your server and test the restoration process before relying solely on it for disaster recovery purposes.