How to backup Mapped Drives on Windows - alternative approach

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Hi!

In order to back up mapped or shared network folders, the FAQ section says “you have to change the user UrBackup runs as”.

This may not be appropriate in some scenarios where UrBackup service should be left as LocalSystem.

In order to get a default UrBackup installation to work with mapped drives, it is possible to map these drives from the SYSTEM account. This can be achieved via Task Scheduler as following:

  1. Create a .bat file with commands that map the drives, i.e. net use X: \\SERVER-or-IP\DirectoryToMap /user:\UsernameHere PasswordHere /persistent:yes - do check how /user is formatted: you may or may not need \ before the username.
  2. In Task Scheduler, create a new task to run this bat file
  3. Modify the task to be ran as SYSTEM - this is done under Change User or Group button in General tab

Such task will therefore map a drive under SYSTEM account, same account that UrBackup service is ran under, therefore with full access for UrBackup.

Hope it helps someone.