---
title: "Specify disk or tape backup destination"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: backup-restore
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.technology: backup-restore
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "backup devices [SQL Server], tapes"
  - "backing up databases [SQL Server], tapes"
  - "database backups [SQL Server], tapes"
  - "backup devices [SQL Server], disks"
  - "disk backup devices [SQL Server]"
  - "database backups [SQL Server], disks"
  - "backing up databases [SQL Server], disks"
  - "backups [SQL Server], creating"
  - "tape backup devices, backing up"
ms.assetid: e391f452-ed8c-4b40-b846-ac3881271b94
author: MikeRayMSFT
ms.author: mikeray
---
# Specify a disk or tape backup destination (SQL Server)
[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  This topic describes how to specify a disk or tape as a backup destination in [!INCLUDE[ssCurrent](../../includes/sscurrent-md.md)] by using [!INCLUDE[ssManStudioFull](../../includes/ssmanstudiofull-md.md)] or [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)].  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  Support for tape backup devices will be removed in a future version of SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.  
  
 **In This Topic**  
  
-   **Before you begin:**  
  
     [Security](#Security)  
  
-   **To specify a disk or tape as a backup destination, using:**  
  
     [SQL Server Management Studio](#SSMSProcedure)  
  
     [Transact-SQL](#TsqlProcedure)  
  
##  <a name="BeforeYouBegin"></a> Before You Begin  
  
###  <a name="Security"></a> Security  
  
####  <a name="Permissions"></a> Permissions  
 BACKUP DATABASE and BACKUP LOG permissions default to members of the **sysadmin** fixed server role and the **db_owner** and **db_backupoperator** fixed database roles.  
  
 Ownership and permission problems on the backup device's physical file can interfere with a backup operation. [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] must be able to read and write to the device; the account under which the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] service runs must have write permissions. However, [sp_addumpdevice](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-addumpdevice-transact-sql.md), which adds an entry for a backup device in the system tables, does not check file access permissions. Such problems on the backup device's physical file may not appear until the physical resource is accessed when the backup or restore is attempted.  
  
##  <a name="SSMSProcedure"></a> Using SQL Server Management Studio  
  
#### To specify a disk or tape as a backup destination  
  
1.  After connecting to the appropriate instance of the [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssDEnoversion](../../includes/ssdenoversion-md.md)], in Object Explorer, click the server name to expand the server tree.  
  
2.  Expand **Databases**, and, depending on the database, either select a user database or expand **System Databases** and select a system database.  
  
3.  Right-click the database, point to **Tasks**, and then click **Back Up**. The **Back Up Database** dialog box appears.  
  
4.  In the **Destination** section of the **General** page, click **Disk** or **Tape**. To select the paths of up to 64 disk or tape drives containing a single media set, click **Add**.  

   To remove a backup destination, select it and click **Remove**. To view the contents of a backup destination, select it and click **Contents**.  
  
##  <a name="TsqlProcedure"></a> Using Transact-SQL  
  
#### To specify a disk or tape as a backup destination  
  
1.  Connect to the [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../../includes/ssde-md.md)].  
  
2.  From the Standard bar, click **New Query**.  
  
3.  In the [BACKUP](../../t-sql/statements/backup-transact-sql.md) statement, specify the file or device and its physical name. This example backs up the `AdventureWorks2012` database to the disk file `Z:\SQLServerBackups\AdventureWorks2012.Bak`.  
  
```  
USE AdventureWorks2012;  
GO  
BACKUP DATABASE AdventureWorks2012  
TO DISK = 'Z:\SQLServerBackups\AdventureWorks2012.Bak'  
GO  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Back Up a Transaction Log &#40;SQL Server&#41;](../../relational-databases/backup-restore/back-up-a-transaction-log-sql-server.md)   
 [Back Up Files and Filegroups &#40;SQL Server&#41;](../../relational-databases/backup-restore/back-up-files-and-filegroups-sql-server.md)   
 [Define a Logical Backup Device for a Disk File &#40;SQL Server&#41;](../../relational-databases/backup-restore/define-a-logical-backup-device-for-a-disk-file-sql-server.md)   
 [Create a Differential Database Backup &#40;SQL Server&#41;](../../relational-databases/backup-restore/create-a-differential-database-backup-sql-server.md)   
 [Define a Logical Backup Device for a Tape Drive &#40;SQL Server&#41;](../../relational-databases/backup-restore/define-a-logical-backup-device-for-a-tape-drive-sql-server.md)