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Vssadmin

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Vssadmin

  • vssadmin add shadowstorage

  • vssadmin create shadow

  • Vssadmin delete shadows

  • vssadmin delete shadowstorage

  • vssadmin list providers

  • vssadmin list shadows

  • vssadmin list shadowstorage

  • vssadmin list volumes

  • vssadmin list writers

  • vssadmin resize shadowstorage

Displays current volume shadow copy backups and all installed shadow copy writers and providers in the command window. The Windows Server 2003 family version of this command contains more parameters than the one that is in Windows XP.

To view the command syntax, click a command:

vssadmin add shadowstorage

Adds a shadow copy storage association for the given ForVolumeSpec on the OnVolumeSpec shadow copy storage volume.

Syntax

vssadmin add shadowstorage /for= ForVolumeSpec /on= OnVolumeSpec [**/MaxSize=**MaxSizeSpec]

Remarks
  • The maximum space that the association may occupy on the shadow copy storage volume is MaxSizeSpec. If MaxSizeSpec is not specified, there is no limit to the amount of space it may use. If the maximum number of shadow copy storage associations have already been made, an error is given. MaxSizeSpec must be 100 MB or greater and accepts the following suffixes: KB, MB, GB, TB, PB and EB. If a suffix is not supplied, MaxSizeSpec is in bytes.

vssadmin create shadow

Creates a new shadow copy of the specified type for the ForVolumeSpec.

Syntax

vssadmin create shadow /for= ForVolumeSpec [**/AutoRetry=**MaxRetryMinutes]

Remarks
  • The ForVolumeSpec must be a local volume drive letter or mount point. If MaxRetryMinutes is specified and there is another process creating a shadow copy, vssadmin will continue to try to create the shadow copy for MaxRetryMinutes minutes.

Vssadmin delete shadows

Deletes all existing shadow copies for the given ForVolumeSpec.

Syntax

vssadmin delete shadows /for= ForVolumeSpec [/oldest | /all | /shadow=ShadowId] [/quiet]

Remarks

  • If you use /oldest, the oldest shadow copy is deleted.

  • If you use **/Shadow=**ShadowId, it deletes the shadow copy with that shadow copy ID.

  • You can delete shadow copies that have the client accessible type only.

  • You can get the shadow copy ID by using the list shadows command. When you type a shadow copy ID, use the following format: {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}, where the X's are hexadecimal characters.

vssadmin delete shadowstorage

Deletes volume shadow copy storage associations.

Syntax

vssadmin delete shadowstorage /for= ForVolumeSpec [/on=OnVolumeSpec] [/quiet]

Remarks

  • Deletes an existing shadow copy storage association between ForVolumeSpec and OnVolumeSpec.

  • If you do not use /on, all shadow copy storage associations will be deleted for the given ForVolumeSpec.

vssadmin list providers

Lists the name, type, provider ID, and version of all installed shadow copy providers.

vssadmin list shadows

Lists existing volume shadow copies.

Syntax

vssadmin list shadows [**/for=ForVolumeSpec] [/shadow=**ShadowId]

Remarks

  • Without any options, all shadow copies on the system are displayed ordered by shadow copy set.

  • You can get the shadow copy ID or the provider ID by using the list shadows command. When you type a provider, shadow, and shadow set ID, use the following format: {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}, where the X's are hexadecimal characters.

vssadmin list shadowstorage

Displays all shadow copy storage associations on the system.

Syntax

vssadmin list shadowstorage {**/for=**ForVolumeSpec | **/on=**OnVolumeSpec}

Remarks

  • To list all associations for a given volume, specify a ForVolumeSpec and do not use the /on command-line option.

  • To list all associations on a given volume, specify a OnVolumeSpec and do not use the /for command-line option.

vssadmin list volumes

Lists volumes eligible for shadow copies.

vssadmin list writers

Lists subscribed volume shadow copy writers.

vssadmin resize shadowstorage

Resizes the maximum size for a shadow copy storage association between ForVolumeSpec and OnVolumeSpec.

Syntax

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for= ForVolumeSpec /on= OnVolumeSpec [**/maxsize=**MaxSizeSpec]

Remarks

  • Resizing the storage association may cause shadow copies to disappear.

  • If you do not specify MaxSizeSpec, there is no limit to the amount of space it may use. As certain shadow copies are deleted, the shadow copy storage space will then shrink.

  • MaxSizeSpec must be 1MB or greater and accepts the following suffixes: KB, MB, GB, TB, PB and EB. If a suffix is not supplied, MaxSizeSpec is in bytes.

Remarks
  • Input that contains spaces must be surrounded by quotation marks (").

Formatting legend

Format Meaning

Italic

Information that the user must supply

Bold

Elements that the user must type exactly as shown

Ellipsis (...)

Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line

Between brackets ([])

Optional items

Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd}

Set of choices from which the user must choose only one

Courier font

Code or program output

See Also

Concepts

Volume shadow copy overview
Command-line reference A-Z
Command shell overview