Add Windows Backup and Restore Options to Desktop Right-click (Cascading) Menu

Windows Backup and Restore tool supports certain command-line arguments using which you can automate certain backup and restore tasks. You can quickly start a backup (full/create new backup set or create a differential backup in the existing backup set), or open a Windows Backup and Restore user interface window without having to open Control Panel every time.

Add Windows Backup and Restore Options as Cascading Menu in Desktop

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,3"
"Position"="Middle"
"SubCommands"=""
"MUIVerb"="Windows Backup and Restore"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\001]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,3"
"MUIVerb"="Open Backup and Restore (Windows 7)"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\001\command]
@="sdclt.exe"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\002]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,1"
"MUIVerb"="Set up backup (Change settings)"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\002\command]
@="sdclt.exe /CONFIGURE"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\003]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,3"
"MUIVerb"="Manage Windows Backup Disk Space"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\003\command]
@="sdclt.exe /SPACEMGMT"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\004]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe"
"MUIVerb"="Turn off scheduled backup"
"CommandFlags"=dword:00000020

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\004\command]
@="sdclt.exe /DISABLEJOB"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\005]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe"
"MUIVerb"="Turn on scheduled backup"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\005\command]
@="sdclt.exe /ENABLEJOB"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\006]
"CommandFlags"=dword:00000020
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,1"
"MUIVerb"="Back up now (Full - New backup set)"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\006\command]
@="sdclt.exe /KICKOFFJOB"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\007]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,1"
"MUIVerb"="Back up now (Differential)"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\007\command]
@="sdclt.exe /KICKOFFNEW"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\008]
"CommandFlags"=dword:00000020
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,2"
"MUIVerb"="Restore my files"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\008\command]
@="sdclt.exe /RESTOREWIZARD"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\010]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,2"
"MUIVerb"="Restore all users' files"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\010\command]
@="sdclt.exe /RESTOREWIZARDADMIN"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\011]
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,2"
"MUIVerb"="Select another backup to restore files from"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\011\command]
@="sdclt.exe /FOREIGNRESTORE"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\012]
"CommandFlags"=dword:00000020
"Icon"="sdclt.exe,4"
"MUIVerb"="Create a system image"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\WindowsBackup\shell\012\command]
@="sdclt.exe /BLBBACKUPWIZARD"

Copy the above lines to Notepad and save the file with .REG extension. Double-click the file to run it. You’ll see Windows Backup and Restore cascading menu when you right-click on the desktop.

windows backup and restore context menu



Command-line Switches for SDCLT.EXE (Windows Backup and Restore Utility)

Here are the command-line switches supported by Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool.


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Switches Description
/BLBBACKUPWIZARD Creates a system image
/CHECKSKIPPED
/CLEARSTALE
/CONFIGELEV
/CONFIGNOTIFICATION
/CONFIGURE Opens the configuration window
/DELETECATALOGANDKICKOFFNEW Deletes catalog, and starts a new backup (set)
/DISABLEJOB Disables Backup Scheduled Task(s)
/ENABLEJOB Enables Backup Scheduled Task(s)
/FIRSTTIME
/FOLDEROPTIONS
/FOREIGNRESTORE Opens advanced restore (Choose a Catalog)
/KICKOFFELEV
/KICKOFFJOB Starts Scheduled Backup Task
/KICKOFFNEW Starts Scheduled Backup Task (Full) – New backup set is created
/RESTORE
/RESTOREWIZARD Opens Restore Wizard
/RESTOREWIZARDADMIN Opens Restore Wizard (all users)
/SHOW Use with /UIMODE
/SPACEMGMT Manage Windows Backup disk space.
/STOPBACKUP Stops the Backup task that is currently running
/TARGET
/TROUBLESHOOT
/UIMODE Displays Windows Backup and Restore UI.

Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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