SQL Server: Compress SQL Server Backups using Native Windows Tool

calendar Jul 25, 2011  · Updated: November 1, 2025 · 1 min read  ·
Share on: linkedin bluesky copy

SQL Server 2008 has backup compression built-in, but for SQL Server 2005 and below, you can compress backups using makecab from the command line or xp_cmdshell. Makecab even has a better compression ratio than gzip and does not require additional software to be installed on the server.

1makecab D:\backups\dbname.bak D:\backups\dbname.cab

Update (2025): Backup compression was introduced in SQL Server 2008 (initially Enterprise edition) and made available in Standard edition starting with SQL Server 2008 R2. All currently supported non‑Express editions include native backup compression. SQL Server Express still cannot create compressed backups, so using an external tool like makecab (or a third‑party solution) remains a viable workaround in that specific case.