Backing up the MS SQL (including Express) databases with Powershell script

In free edition of the Microsoft SQL Server - Express - you have no possibility to schedule backups. But you can set up backups with the help of Powershell scripts and Windows Task Scheduler.

Take a look at the script - that's my way to SQL backups. The script does not delete old backups, but please read my article Deleting old files and folders in Powershell, it will help. And also - Running Powershell script in scheduled task.

Please notice highlighted lines - there you will have to set your SQL-instance and path to backups.

[void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo');            
[void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Sdk.Sfc');            
[void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.SqlServer.SMO');            
# Requiered for SQL Server 2008 (SMO 10.0).            
[void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName('Microsoft.SqlServer.SMOExtended');            
$Server = "server\instance";     # SQL Server Instance.            
$Dest = "F:\backup\";    # Backup path      
$srv = New-Object Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server $Server;            
# If missing set default backup directory.            
If ($Dest -eq "")            
{ $Dest = $server.Settings.BackupDirectory + "\" };            
Write-Output ("Started at: " + (Get-Date -format yyyy-MM-dd-HH:mm:ss));            
# Full-backup for every database            
foreach ($db in $srv.Databases)            
{            
    If($db.Name -ne "tempdb")  # Non need to backup TempDB            
    {            
        $timestamp = Get-Date -format yyyy-MM-dd-HH-mm-ss;            
        $backup = New-Object ("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Backup");            
        $backup.Action = "Database";            
        $backup.Database = $db.Name;            
        $backup.Devices.AddDevice($Dest + $db.Name + "_full_" + $timestamp + ".bak", "File");            
        $backup.BackupSetDescription = "Full backup of " + $db.Name + " " + $timestamp;            
        $backup.Incremental = 0;            
        # Starting full backup process.            
        $backup.SqlBackup($srv);     
        # For db with recovery mode <> simple: Log backup.            
        If ($db.RecoveryModel -ne 3)            
        {            
            $timestamp = Get-Date -format yyyy-MM-dd-HH-mm-ss;            
            $backup = New-Object ("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Backup");            
            $backup.Action = "Log";            
            $backup.Database = $db.Name;            
            $backup.Devices.AddDevice($Dest + $db.Name + "_log_" + $timestamp + ".trn", "File");            
            $backup.BackupSetDescription = "Log backup of " + $db.Name + " " + $timestamp;            
            #Specify that the log must be truncated after the backup is complete.            
            $backup.LogTruncation = "Truncate";
            # Starting log backup process            
            $backup.SqlBackup($srv);            
        };            
    };            
};            
Write-Output ("Finished at: " + (Get-Date -format  yyyy-MM-dd-HH:mm:ss));