How can I change the default backup folder in a SQL 2005? I think at the time of installation it is set to D:\somewhere and I want to change it to somewhere else. The problem is that when I want to backup manually, get an error that D:\somewhere does not exists and then I have to enter the new path.

The default backup folder is set during installation and saved to the registry.  You could change it here for the default instance:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQLServer.

On a SQL Server 2000, the default backup folder is also stored in the registry here for the default instance:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\MSSQLServer

The usual caveat applies: backup your registry before making changes!

 I came to that path in registry and couldn't find the default backup path

could you help me find that? 

You can create a device to specify the new location in this case and use that device during your backup routine. See this http://www.simple-talk.com/community/blogs/philfactor/archive/2007/03/22/21152.aspx foyi.

 modify  the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQLServer\BackupDirectory

the default of that entry is:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Backup 

you can modify it

You can specify the backup location in your backup command....

Is there any reason to change the default backup directory?

Thank you mahmoud I found that :) 

I was just curious about it  

MohammedU:

You can specify the backup location in your backup command....

Is there any reason to change the default backup directory?

No offense, but spoken like true die-hard MS :) "why would anybody want to do that?" :)  "why would anybody need more that 640 k of memory?"

If there is a need for a default backup directory in the first place, then there is a need for someone to change it sometime. 

Thanks for the reg entry, it will help when creating new backups to not have to change the location every time.

If you prefer to change via a GUI.  

Through SQL Server configuration manager.  Under SQL Server 2005 Services,  right click on the the SQL Server (MSSQL Server) service.  Select properties, then select advanced tab.  It will be listed under DUMP DIRECTORY.

That didn't work for us.  The caption for that setting indicates it is only for error log files.  We needed to make the change in the registry.