Veeam Backup ~ How do I restore VM guest OS files?

You can restore individual Microsoft Windows guest OS files from backups of Microsoft Windows VMs.

During file-level recovery, Veeam Backup & Replication does not extract the VM image from the backup file. Virtual disks files from the backup are published directly into the Veeam backup server file system with the help of Veeam's proprietary driver. After VM disks are mounted, you can use the Veeam Backup Browser or Microsoft Windows Explorer to copy necessary files and folders to the local machine drive, save them in a network shared folder or simply point any applications to restored files and work with them as usual.

To restore VM guest OS files of a Microsoft Windows VM from the backup:

1. Open the Home view.
2. Select the Backups node in the inventory pane. Expand the backup job in the working area, right-click a necessary VM in the corresponding backup job and choose Restore guest files > Microsoft Windows.
3. At the Restore Point step of the wizard, select the necessary restore point.
4. At the Reason step of the wizard, specify the reason for future reference.
5. Click Next and then click Finish to finish working with the File Level Restore wizard. Veeam Backup & Replication will mount VM disks from the backup to the backup server file system, and display the Veeam Backup Browser.
6. In the Veeam Backup Browser, Veeam Backup & Replication will display the file system tree of the VM. Right-click the necessary file or folder and select one of the following options:
7. To overwrite the original file or folder on the VM guest OS with the file or folder restored from the backup, select Restore > Overwrite.
8. To save a file or folder restored from the backup next to the original file or folder, select Restore > Preserve. Veeam Backup & Replication will add the RESTORED- prefix to the original file or folder name and save the restored file or folder in the same location where the original file or folder resides.
9. To save a file or folder on the local machine or in a network shared folder, select Copy To and specify a path to the destination location.
10. Click OK to restore selected files and folders.