How to change the default backup location?

Question

SQL Server puts backups in a default folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup
Is there a way to change that to a different location?
I'm using Smo.Backup object in my code to create backups. The backups I create are stored in that default folder, but I was hoping that I can change that default location without having to make code changes.
Is that possible?
thanks.

Answer 1

SQL Server puts backups in a default folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup
Is there a way to change that to a different location?
I'm using Smo.Backup object in my code to create backups. The backups I create are stored in that default folder, but I was hoping that I can change that default location without having to make code changes.
Is that possible?
thanks.
To read the value from the registry you can issue the following command:
DECLARE  @BackupDirectory  VARCHAR ( 100 )
EXEC  master.. xp_regread  @rootkey = 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' ,
   @key = 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\MSSQLServer' ,
   @value_name = 'BackupDirectory' ,
   @BackupDirectory = @BackupDirectory  OUTPUT
SELECT  @BackupDirectory
This will provide the following output, since we changed the value above directly in the registry.
If we want to change this back to the default folder we can use the following command
EXEC  master.. xp_regwrite
      @rootkey = 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' ,
      @key = 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\MSSQLServer' ,
      @value_name = 'BackupDirectory' ,
      @type = 'REG_SZ' ,
      @value = 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\MSSQL\Backup'
If we run this command again we can see that this has changed:
DECLARE  @BackupDirectory  VARCHAR ( 100 )
EXEC  master.. xp_regread  @rootkey = 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' ,
   @key = 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\MSSQLServer' ,
   @value_name = 'BackupDirectory' ,
   @BackupDirectory = @BackupDirectory  OUTPUT
SELECT  @BackupDirectory
To determine where SQL Server is installed you can right click on the server name, select Properties.  The root directory as highlighted below will show you the corresponding install name for the instance such as "MSSQL2" highlighted below, so you know which registry entry needs to be changed.