Backup files created with Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows are removed automatically according to the retention policy settings. However, you can also remove backup files manually if necessary.
Always delete the whole backup chain from the target location. If you delete a full backup file or individual incremental backup file from the backup chain, the chain will be broken, and Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows will fail to perform the scheduled backup next time.
If you remove the whole backup chain from the target location, during the next backup job session, Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows will produce a new full backup. All subsequent backups will be incremental.
Deleting Backups with Command Line Interface
You can use the command line interface to delete Veeam Agent backups from a Veeam Cloud Connect repository or Microsoft OneDrive storage.
When you delete a backup from a cloud repository, Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows deletes actual backup files from the cloud repository and removes records about the backup from the Veeam Backup & Replication database on the SP backup server. After information about the backup is removed from the SP backup server, Veeam Backup & Replication removes this information from its database and console on the tenant backup server, too.
When you delete a backup from Microsoft OneDrive, Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows deletes actual backup files from the target location and removes records about the backup from the Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows database.
Before you delete a backup, check the following prerequisites:
- To perform the delete backup operation, you must run the command line interface with administrative privileges.
- The delete backup operation cannot be performed if a backup or a restore task is currently running.
- [For Veeam Cloud Connect repository] The cloud repository from which you want to delete a backup must be specified as a target location for backup files in the backup job settings. To learn more, see Selecting Cloud Repository.
- [For Veeam Cloud Connect repository] Credentials of the user account (tenant account or subtenant account) whose backup you want to delete must be specified in the backup job settings. To learn more, see Specifying User Account Settings.
- [For Microsoft OneDrive] You must be signed in to the Microsoft OneDrive account whose backup you want to delete in the Configure Backup wizard. To learn more, see Microsoft OneDrive Settings.
To delete a Veeam Agent backup, use a command with the following syntax:
"C:\Program Files\Veeam\Endpoint Backup\Veeam.EndPoint.Manager.exe" /deletebackup |
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows can provide the following exit codes:
- 0 — backup was successfully deleted
- -1 — the delete backup operation failed
