How to create and manage configuration backups in Internet Information Services 7.0

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/954872/how-to-create-and-manage-configuration-backups-in-internet-information

INTRODUCTION

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This article describes how to create, list, restore, and delete configuration backups in Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0.

More Information

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In IIS 7.0, you can create and manage configuration backups by using the Appcmd.exe tool. By default, the configuration backups that you create by using the Appcmd.exe tool are located in subfolders in the %SystemDrive%\Inetpub\History directory.

How to create a configuration backup

To create a configuration backup by using the Appcmd.exe tool, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. At a command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER:
   cd %Windir%\system32\inetsrv
   
   appcmd add backup backupName
   Note A directory that has the backup name that you specify is created in the %Windir%\system32\inetsrv\backup directory. If you do not specify a name, the Appcmd.exe tool generates a directory name by automatically using the current date and the current time.

How to list the existing configuration backups

To list the existing configuration backups by using the Appcmd.exe tool, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. At a command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER:
   cd %Windir%\system32\inetsrv
   
   appcmd list backup

How to restore a configuration backup

To restore a previous configuration backup by using the Appcmd.exe tool, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. At a command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER:
   cd %Windir%\system32\inetsrv
   
   appcmd restore backup backupName

How to delete a configuration backup

To delete a configuration backup by using the Appcmd.exe tool, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. At a command prompt, type the following commands, and then press ENTER:
   cd %Windir%\system32\inetsrv
   
   appcmd delete backup backupName

Note The configuration backup features back up only the information that is contained in the root ApplicationHost.config file. The configuration backup features do not back up the information that is contained in the distributed Web.config files that exist within the content folders of the Web sites.