How to Backup and Restore IIS Configuration

How to Backup and Restore IIS Configuration Using the GUI

Backing up and restoring IIS (Internet Information Services) configuration is crucial for disaster recovery or migrating websites to a new server. This guide will show you how to perform these tasks using the IIS Manager on Windows Server 2022.

Backup IIS Configuration

Copy the created backup files to your target computer or external storage for safekeeping.

Open IIS Manager:

Go to Administrative Tools from the Start menu.

Select IIS 6.0 Manager (for IIS Manager version applicable to your server).

Access Backup/Restore Configuration:

In the IIS Manager, under Internet Information Services, right-click on the Local Computer node.

Click on All Tasks, and then select Backup/Restore Configuration.

Create a Backup:

On the Configuration Backup/Restore page, click on the Create Backup button.

Name the Backup:

Enter a unique name for the backup.

Optionally, tick the box Encrypt backup using a password, enter the password, confirm it, and click OK.

Close the Backup Window:

Click Close once the backup process is complete.

Copy Backup Files:

Navigate to the MetaBack folder: C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\MetaBack.

On the Configuration Backup/Restore page, click on the Create Backup button to create an IIS configuration backup.

Type a unique name for the backup name.
Tick the box “Encrypt backup using the password,” enter the password, confirm it, and then click OK.

Click on the close button.

Open the MetaBack folder, “C:Windows\System32\inetsrv\Metaback,” and then copy the created backup files to the target computer.

Restore IIS Configuration

1. Prepare Backup Files:
   • Copy the IIS configuration backup files to the target computer if they are not already there.
   • Navigate to the MetaBack directory by typing %windir%\system32\inetsrv\MetaBack in the Run box.
2. Open IIS Manager on Target Computer:
   • Launch IIS Manager on the target computer where you want to restore the configuration.
3. Access Backup/Restore Configuration:
   • Right-click on the Local Computer node under Internet Information Services.
   • Select All Tasks, and then click on Backup/Restore Configuration.
4. Restore the Backup:
   • In the Backup/Restore Configuration window, click on the backup name you want to restore (e.g., IIS Configuration Backup).
   • Click the Restore button.
5. Confirm the Restoration:
   • Confirm that you want to proceed with the restoration by clicking Yes when prompted.
6. Enter Backup Password:
   • Enter the password you used to encrypt the backup, and click OK.
7. Complete the Restoration:
8. Once the restoration is complete, click OK to close the confirmation window.

%windir%\system32\inetsrv\MetaBack

And paste the IIS configuration backup.

Open the IIS Manager on the target computer.
Under Internet Information Services, right-click the device labeled local computer.
Select All Tasks, and then click on Backup/Restore Configuration.

Click on the backup name (IIS Configuration Backup), and then click on the Restore button.

Are you sure you want to continue? Choose yes.

Enter your backup password, and then click OK.

The IIS configuration backup was successfully restored; click OK.

Conclusion

Backing up and restoring IIS configurations ensures that your web server settings and websites are preserved and can be quickly restored in case of server failure or migration.

Refer to this article for more information about backing up and restoring IIS configuration.