Vssadmin
Updated: January 21, 2005
- 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 |