How to restore to a different physical server with MARS

Hi Herman Pang,

Thanks for Reaching out Microsoft Q&A portal.

When we try restoring data to a different server using the Microsoft Azure Recovery Services (MARS) agent, the files may be placed in a separate directory (e.g.: C_vol) to prevent overwriting existing critical OS files or system data on the target machine. There is no configuration switch in the MARS agent to override this behavior.

So, to ensure the restoration process goes as expected:

Ensure the Correct Recovery Options

When going through the Recover Data Wizard, make sure you select the option to restore to the original location if that's what you want.

Be aware that selecting Another location may lead to the creation of a new folder like C_vol to avoid conflicts.

Manual Move

You may choose to manually move data from the C_vol folder after the restore is complete.

Steps to Follow

1.On the target server, open the Microsoft Azure Backup console (the MARS agent MMC) as Administrator.

2.In the console, choose Recover Data, select the C: volume in your vault’s recovery points, and initiate the download/mount process.

3.Note the path of the mounted folder—for example,  C:\C_vol<RecoveryPointID>\

4.Use a robust file-copy utility (e.g., Robocopy) to move the contents from the mounted folder to the root of C:, preserving ACLs, timestamps, and attributes.

• Ensure no critical system files are in use.
• If you only need user data, restrict the scope to those subfolders.
• After copying/moving, verify file integrity and permissions on C:.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/robocopy

Code Snippets:

Run these commands in an elevated PowerShell or CMD prompt:

robocopy C:\C_vol""\ C:\ /E /COPYALL /MOVE /R:3 /W:5

•  /E — copy all subdirectories, including empty ones
• /COPYALL — copy data, attributes, timestamps, security info
•  /MOVE — move files and dirs. (deletes from source after copy)
• /R:3 and /W:5 — retry 3 times with 5-second wait on failed files

 robocopy “C:\C_vol" "C:" /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:T

/DCOPY:T: Maintins directory timestamps.

You can also copy only a specific folder

robocopy "C:\C_vol\Users" "C:\Users" /E

Reference documentation: Restore all files in a volume with MARS - Azure Backup | Microsoft Learn

Yes, there is way to change the retention period for your backup.

Please fine below documentation to change retention period:

Back up Windows machines by using the MARS agent - Azure Backup | Microsoft Learn

please feel to reach out for further questions. I'm happy to assist you.