Restoring System State

The System State feature of Windows can be restored using DPX.

System State has the following components:

  • Active Directory (domain controllers only)

  • Boot files

  • COM+ class registration database

  • Registry

  • System volume (SYSVOL) (domain controllers only)

  • Certificate server (Certificate Authority only)

  • System protected files

  • Performance counter configuration

  • IIS metabase

  • Cluster Quorum

The File Restore window displays System State and all its components. You can select System State for restore as if it were an ordinary disk. You cannot initially browse or select individual components.

Warning! Always restore the System State components collectively, never individually.

Warning! Do not abort a System State restore operation. Doing so could leave the system unusable.

Note the following considerations related to restoring System State:

  • To restore System State to a controller that is not a domain controller, proceed as you would for any restore. However, to restore System State to a domain controller, you must start the target server (domain controller) in Directory Services Restore. After the restore, restart the target server as you normally would.

  • If your Enterprise has more than one domain controller, you can choose whether to replicate SYSVOL files and folders to the other controllers by using the SYSVOL Handling field on the Restore Destination Options window.

  • Consider using BMR to recover the whole node, including System State and its components.

  • For information about backing up and restoring Active Directory, see Microsoft article https://learn.microsoft.com/pl-pl/windows/win32/vss/vss-backup-and-restore-of-the-active-directory.

  • For Block restore procedures for Active Directory on Windows 2008 and later, read knowledge base article 46474.

  • If your Enterprise contains clusters, you can choose whether to restore the cluster quorums by using the Cluster Handling field on the Restore Destination Options window.

  • For DPX, User Profile is not a component of the Registry within System State. User Profile is part of the System Table. As such, it can be individually backed up and restored.

  • After a System State restore, reboot your system.

Related Topics:

Restoring a Specific Instance of System State

To restore the System State from a specific backup set, you must set the browse period to encompass only the time that you performed that specific backup. For example, assume you performed a base backup of the System State on January 1 and then performed an incremental backup of the System State on January 2. When you browse the System State on the Restore window using the default options of Last Base Backup to Latest Backup for the browse period, the System State that is displayed will be from January 2. You will not to see the System State from January 1, even though this instance is within the browse period. If you want to recover the January 1 instance, you must set the browse period to include only January 1.

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