Hidden Shortcuts in Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) – Boost Efficiency Like a Pro

Introduction

Most administrators use Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) every day—but few know the hidden shortcuts that can significantly speed up management tasks. These built-in tricks improve efficiency, simplify navigation, and make backup operations smoother.

In this article, we’ll reveal the hidden VBR shortcuts, console tricks, and best practices that can turn you into a Veeam power user.

Why Learn Veeam Shortcuts?

Veeam’s interface is designed for usability, but keyboard shortcuts and hidden console functions allow experienced users to work faster.

Benefits include:

• Save time on daily backup administration.

• Quickly access logs, job settings, and reports.

• Enhance accuracy by avoiding repetitive clicks.

📌 According to Veeam’s Knowledge Base, using built-in console shortcuts reduces operational workload by up to 30% in large environments.

[Ctrl] + Right Mouse Click

In many operations, you can use Ctrl + Right Mouse Click to bring up special menus. Generally, if you don't hold down the Ctrl key, you won't see these hidden menus when you right-click normally.

Performing a brand new job in the NAS backup

Normal NAS file backups in Veeam are forever-incremental backups. However, some users still need to perform a brand new full backup. Veeam also provides this function in NAS backups. Simply select the backup job you want to execute, hold down the Ctrl key, and then right-click. The full backup button will then appear.

After performing this full backup, a situation slightly different from a regular virtual machine full backup/synthetic full backup will occur: the previous backup data will be moved to Disk(Imported), and the new backup chain will replace the old one, becoming the new active NAS forever-incremental backup chain.

Oracle/SAP HANA Backup Job Force Delete

After configuring and running Oracle or SAP HANA backup jobs, VBR will display jobs of type Oracle Rman backup or SAP Backup. Right-clicking these jobs will show a Delete option, but this Delete option requires first deleting the RMAN or SAP HANA backup archives. If you don't want to delete the archives but only want to remove the backup job, you can use Ctrl+right-click to access the Force Delete option.

SOBR's Run tiering job now

I think many friends must be troubled by the rigid setting of uploading data to the cloud every 4 hours. Actually, there's a hidden right-click menu. Hold down Ctrl and right-click on the Scale-Out Backup Repository, and you'll discover this button to immediately run the Tiering job.

Directional Arrow Keys

In VBR's Jobs section, double-clicking each backup job allows you to view the latest execution details. However, if you want to look at older historical jobs, you might get lost in VBR's console. A slightly more complex method is to open the History panel and manually search for the desired date, or use keyword filters.

Actually, you don't need to open the History panel at all. VBR provides a way to view historical jobs directly from each job's details screen. Simply press the left and right arrow keys on the detailed task information interface to browse through past records. While not as flexible as selecting from the History panel, this method is excellent for quick troubleshooting.

Other Hidden Right-Click Menus

In some interfaces, there are hidden right-click menus that are not easy to discover but can be very useful. In most cases, these right-click operations are designed not to interfere with normal user actions, which is why they aren't easily noticeable.

Right-click in the SureBackup Statistics window

Double-click a SureBackup Job to open the Statistics window, where you can see the success or failure status of each VM from the last job execution. In addition to this static view, there is a hidden Start button. By selecting any VM in the Statistics window, you can not only view the execution details in the log below, but also right-click to Start this Datalab again.

This Start button is primarily used for troubleshooting when SureBackup fails. After clicking Start, the Session log will indicate that SureBackup has switched to Troubleshooting mode. In this mode, the SureBackup Job will not be terminated immediately upon success or failure—it will remain running until manually stopped. Please ensure that after troubleshooting or use, you press the Stop button to end it.

Backups stored in a backup repository containing a Capacity Tier

Typically, when you right-click on a backup in the Backups properties dialog, a regular backup repository will only have a "Copy Path" button. This is designed to allow us to quickly locate the corresponding .vbk or .vib file within the file system.

However, in some cases, if the Scale-Out Backup Repository (SOBR) includes a Capacity Tier and certain conditions are met, right-clicking on these backup files will bring up a new context menu.

This restarts the management console without rebooting the host.

👉 Related reading: Making VBR Login More Secure – Complete Guide

Conclusion

These hidden shortcuts in Veeam Backup & Replication may seem small, but together they deliver huge time savings for IT administrators.

By mastering VBR console shortcuts and PowerShell automation, you can work smarter, reduce errors, and maximize productivity in your backup environment.

Try integrating these techniques into your daily workflow—you’ll notice immediate performance improvements and smoother Veeam operations.