Veeam Backup & Replication v13 has arrived with significant improvements in security, performance, and data governance. I recently performed the upgrade from version 12.3, and in this article we will discuss how to Upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication v12.3 to v13 on Windows. This means, we will share the entire process, from preparation to post-upgrade validation, following the official Veeam documentation. Please, see Hyper V Disk allocation: Why Veeam reports full size after Shrinking, and Restore VM to Original location using Veeam Entire VM restore.

The goal is to present a practical, real-world experience while highlighting what’s new in this anticipated release.

Please, see Unveiling OOTBI Mini and New Features for v1.7 from Object First, Understanding User Roles & Access Control in Object First OOTBI and how to create a backup job for Proxmox VMs using VBR.

What’s New and the Key Benefits of V13

Version 13 introduces a series of improvements that make the upgrade worthwhile, especially considering today’s security landscape and the increasing need for deeper governance.

Enhanced Security: Veeam strengthened its ransomware protection layers and optimized internal component communication. Hardening has also improved, reducing exposure and potential attack vectors.
Better Performance: Backup and restore pipelines have been optimized, allowing better throughput, improved parallelism, and more efficient use of proxies and repositories. Job performance is noticeably smoother.
Improved Governance and Visibility: 13 includes enhanced reporting, more detailed alerts, and improved visibility into backup and data protection policies. This is especially useful for audits and compliance requirements.
Improved User Experience: With V13, the interface feels faster and more intuitive. Job creation workflows have been refined, and the installer provides a safer and clearer upgrade path.

Please, see Unknown Error occurred when installing Veeam Software Appliance, How to Resize or Expand Proxmox Hard Drive, and OOTBI Security Best Practices: Enable Honeypot on Object First.

Preparing for the Upgrade on Windows

Before starting the veeam update, I followed Veeam’s recommended best practices to ensure a smooth and safe process. This included:

Checking system compatibility, supported OS, storage repositories, hypervisors, and all backup infrastructure components.
Ensuring no backup jobs were running.
Updating the Guest Catalog and cleaning up old sessions.
Performing a Configuration Backup, which stores all settings from the Veeam server.
Creating a server backup or snapshot as an additional safety measure—especially recommended for production environments.

With these steps completed, the environment was fully prepared for the veeam update.

Download ISO page — Select Software for Microsoft Windows

Upgrade Process from 12.3 to v13

When launching the v13 installer, it automatically detected the existing Veeam Backup & Replication 12.3 installation and offered the option to update to the newest version. This is an in-place upgrade, meaning it layers the new version on top of the existing one without requiring a full reinstall. The upgrade wizard performs several key steps:

Detects the installed version and validates component compatibility.
Stops all Veeam services.
Updates the system binaries.
Prompts for the database upgrade—one of the most important steps for preserving configuration integrity.
Restarts the services using the new versions.

The entire process was straightforward, fast, and clearly guided, with built-in safety checks and rollback options.

Accept the license agreement

Review the program to be installed and click next

Please, see How to setup Veeam Software Appliance v13, How to upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication 12.3, and Upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication to version 12.2.

Specify the license provisioning

Select your license provisioning method as shown below and click next

Bonus tip: It’s important to ensure that you download the license file that matches the correct version.

Tip: Download license to the right version

Specify the service account details and click next

Missing features will be installed

Please, see Install Veeam ONE and Add VBR: Fix failed to connect to VBR, and “Fix Error 1069: Windows could not start the Veeam backup service on local computer“.

Select the PostgreSQL Server Instance

Specify the SQL Server Settings and click on next

Selecting an existing instance and your desired authentication method and click next

For the Recovery Orchestrator, I am fine with the following DNS name and click on Next

Fine with the default data locations

Change Veeam Backup and Replication Port v13

Here you can change the port configuration and click on Next

Select your certificate type and click next

On the ready to install, click on “Install”.

As you can see, the §Veeam Data Platform” upgrade is in progress.

Please, see Fix Users must have at least permission on these subscriptions, how to fix Error 401 Permission denied for invalid PVE ticket, and Enable SSH and Remote Desktop Connection in Windows Server.

Launch the Veeam Backup and Replication v13 Console

My favorite change: the new and improved Dark Mode, it looks fantastic!

Dark mode

Configuration Restore: Safety and Reversibility

One of the strongest features of Veeam is the reliability of the Configuration Backup. This can be restored at any time if something unexpected occurs during the upgrade. To validate this, I tested a Configuration Restore after completing the update. This process allows you to restore:

Backup repositories
Credentials
Hosts, proxies, and infrastructure components
Jobs, policies, and history
Licensing information

The restore process worked flawlessly, reinforcing how dependable this built-in protection mechanism is and ensuring full reversibility.

Restore modes

Select Backup repo

Click on next to continue after review

Specify Target Database

Now, specify the configuration data to restore.

Configuration is being restored

Review the components and click to upgrade

As you can see, the components are bring upgraded. Click on Start to proceed.

On the summary window, click on finish

The console has been upgraded successfully. You can not connect to access your VBR.

Select to trust this server.

Sign-in in progress

Console connected successfully

Also, check Restore VM to Original location using Veeam Entire VM restore and Patch Veeam Backup and replication 12.3.2.3617 to 12.3.2.4165 to help veeam update.

Post-Upgrade Validation

After completing the veeam update, I performed several checks to ensure the environment was functioning as expected:

All existing jobs executed without issues.
Hypervisor connections (VMware/Hyper-V) remained intact.
All repositories were recognized with no adjustments required.
Credential records were preserved successfully.
Quick Restore and Full Restore tests completed without errors.

All core functionalities were operational, and some performed even better than before.

Please, see Backup and Restore Proxmox VE virtual machines with Veeam, how to Protect your Windows Devices with MFA with SystoLOCK, and how to Set up Microsoft PKI (ADCS) for SystoLOCK via PowerShell.

Conclusion

The veeam update from Veeam Backup & Replication 12.3 to 13 was simple, safe, and highly reliable. The in-place upgrade process works smoothly, and the ability to restore the previous configuration adds confidence for administrators handling production environments.

With major improvements in security, performance, and governance, V13 stands out as a strong and highly recommended upgrade for any organization looking to enhance its data protection strategy. If you haven’t upgraded yet, it’s definitely worth planning the transition.

I hope you fund this guide very useful on how to Upgrade Veeam Backup and Replication v12.3 to v13 on Windows. Feel free to leave a comment below.

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