How to back up device configurations
Choosing the folder and the options, following the run, and knowing exactly what was written where.
The backup fetches two files from each device you ticked: the .backup (the RouterOS system backup) and a .rsc export (the readable configuration script). Both land on your computer, in a folder per device. Unlike the health check and the network map, this feature is not read-only: it creates two temporary files on each device and removes them after download. Nothing else on the device changes.
Run a backup#
- Tick the devices to back up. Every ticked device needs a password — the shared credentials or its own.
- Choose Configuration backup in the main window (or press Ctrl+B).
If the button is disabled, the hint beside it names the reason: wrong protocol, devices missing a password, or more devices than the recommended batch.
- In the backup window, check the folder and the two options (below). Nothing starts on its own.
- Choose Start backup (or press Ctrl+Enter).
Devices that cannot run — no password, or not executable — are skipped, and the status line says how many. The window is not modal: the main window stays usable while a run is in progress.
What you get#
Each device gets its own sub-folder named after its identity, and both files carry the identity plus the date and time:
<folder>\<identity>\<identity>_<yyyyMMdd-HHmmss>.backup
<folder>\<identity>\<identity>_<yyyyMMdd-HHmmss>.rscThe default folder is RosRunner Backups under your Documents folder. Open folder opens the root in File Explorer. Runs never overwrite earlier files: every run has its own timestamp.
The options#
| Option | Default | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Save to | Documents\RosRunner Backups | The root folder. Each device gets a sub-folder under it |
| Encrypt the .backup file (AES-SHA256) | Off | The .backup is encrypted on the device before download. The password is not stored anywhere: lose it and the file cannot be restored |
| Include passwords and keys in the .rsc export | On | Sensitive values are written into the .rsc so it can rebuild the device completely. Turn it off when the file will be shared or stored somewhere less protected |
RouterOS 6 and 7 express the sensitive-value choice with opposite flags (hide-sensitive versus show-sensitive). You only set the checkbox; the application applies the right flag for each device's version.
What happens on the device#
Each device goes through the same stages, and every one is written to the activity log:
- Connecting — signs in over 8291 with the credentials from the device list.
- Checking free space — reads the identity and the free storage. If there is not enough room for a backup,
the device is skipped before anything is written.
- Creating .backup — runs the system backup and waits until the file exists and its size stops changing.
- Exporting .rsc — runs the export to a file, with or without sensitive values.
- Downloading .backup / Downloading .rsc — transfers both files.
- Saving locally — writes them into the device's sub-folder.
- Removing temporary files — deletes both files from the device.
If free space runs out during the run, the device stops and the files from that attempt are removed. Anything that could not be removed is named in the result table, so you know to delete it by hand from the device's file list.
Following the run#
- Progress — one row per device with the current stage and a bar.
- Activity — one line per step, newest at the top: what was connected, how much space was left, which file
was written, downloaded and removed.
- Results — appears when the run ends. One row per device with the outcome and a note: the saved file names
and sizes, or the reason it failed, or the files left on the device.
The status line at the bottom sums it up: how many devices succeeded, how many failed, and where the files are. Back up again reruns with the same options; the progress and log start afresh.
Cancelling and closing#
Cancel (or Esc) stops the remaining stages and removes the temporary files from the devices where it can. Devices that had already finished keep their files; the result table marks the rest as cancelled.
Closing the window while a run is in progress asks for confirmation first, then cancels in the same way.
When a device fails#
| The note says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Could not connect or sign in | Wrong address, port or credentials, or the device is unreachable. Check the device list entry |
| Not a Winbox 8291 connection | Switch the protocol selector to 8291 |
| Not enough free space on the device | Nothing was written. Free some space on the device and rerun |
| Device ran out of space during the backup | The files from this attempt were removed. Free space and rerun |
| The .backup / .rsc did not appear on the device | The command was accepted but no file arrived within the wait. Check the device's own log |
| Device rejected the backup command / export command failed | The account may lack the permission to write files or export. Try the same command in a terminal |
| Download failed or was empty | Rerun; if it repeats, check the connection quality |
| Could not write to the local folder | Check the folder exists and you have permission to write to it |
| Files left on the device | Cleanup could not remove them. Delete them from the device's file list by hand |
Recommended batch size is 20 devices. You can start with more, but the button hint suggests splitting the run, and the recommendation exists because the transfers run concurrently.
What it will not do#
- It does not run on a schedule. A backup happens when you start one.
- It does not restore a backup to a device. Restoring stays a WinBox or terminal operation you perform
deliberately, with the file you choose.
- It does not keep configuration versions or compare them. The files are yours to archive.
Next#
- Adding devices — the list and the credentials the backup works from.
- Troubleshooting — when the button is greyed out or a device does not answer.