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Backing Up a SQL Server Database

March 5, 2026 12:43 AM
1 min read

The following procedure walks you through a complete database backup operation for SQL Server using the SQL Server Management Studio. This procedure is provided as a guideline only. The procedure for your operation may differ based on the type of backup you are performing and your backup storage (Destination) media type.

  1. Start SQL Server Management Studio.
  2. Expand the tree under Console Root until you get to the Databases folder.
  3. Select the database that you need to backup.
  4. Right click on the database and navigate to Tasks > Backup.
  5. Make sure the correct database is selected in the Database field.
  6. In the Name field, enter a name for the backup (Description is optional).
  7. Make sure the Backup type is set to Full.
  8. If the filepath highlighted in the Destination area is not satisfactory, click Remove… then Add… to select a new name and path for the .bak file.
  9. Choose Database from the backup component.
  10. Click Add… in the Destination area to set the folder and name for the backup file.
  11. Choose the appropriate Overwrite method (Append or Overwrite existing).
  12. Click OK to begin the backup process.