Definition of Windows NT Backup in Network Encyclopedia.

What is Windows NT Backup?

Windows NT Backup (NTBackup) is a Microsoft Windows NT utility for backing up and restoring important data to tape. Windows NT Backup is accessed through the System Tools group in the Accessories group.

Windows NT Backup was designed to allow small and mid-sized organizations back up their servers without requiring third-party backup software. NTBackup becomes less reliable as the volume of data increases.

How Windows NT Backup Works

With Windows NT Backup, you can either manually back up volumes or schedule unattended backup jobs to be performed automatically on a regular basis. Windows NT Backup lets you back up data either to a tape drive or to a file that can be stored on various media including hard disks, removable disks, writable CDs, or optical drives.

NTBackup files have a .BKF file extension. When Microsoft created Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, they retired NTBackup and created a new backup utility called Windows Server Backup. Windows Server Backup can’t restore .BKF files created by NTBackup, so Microsoft created the Windows NT Backup – Restore Utility that will allow .BKF files to be restored to machines running newer versions of Windows.