I have two removable hard drives. One is a backup for the other. I keep the
backup unplugged and stored away when it's not needed. Up till now I've just
done entire disk copies from the first to the second, but now I'd like to do
copies of only new material to the backup.

What I'd like to do is select the new files and have them copied to the
backup disk using their full path association. So if I've added a new file
to a directory that already exists on the backup, just selecting that file
will place it in the "same" directory on the backup. Or, if I have a new
subdirectory with files, just selecting those files will copy them to the
backup disk but creating the entire path necessary from the root level of
the disk. Possible?

Why re-invent the wheel? You're asking about an incremental backup,
which most any backup program can do.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Tony wrote:
> I have two removable hard drives. One is a backup for the other. I keep the
> backup unplugged and stored away when it's not needed. Up till now I've just
> done entire disk copies from the first to the second, but now I'd like to do
> copies of only new material to the backup.
>
> What I'd like to do is select the new files and have them copied to the
> backup disk using their full path association. So if I've added a new file
> to a directory that already exists on the backup, just selecting that file
> will place it in the "same" directory on the backup. Or, if I have a new
> subdirectory with files, just selecting those files will copy them to the
> backup disk but creating the entire path necessary from the root level of
> the disk. Possible?
>
>

A simple utility named SyncToy might do the job:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

I would create a test case so that you can verify the results with each of
Sync Toy's options, this way you will not put anything at risk.

JS

"Tony" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have two removable hard drives. One is a backup for the other. I keep the
>backup unplugged and stored away when it's not needed. Up till now I've
>just done entire disk copies from the first to the second, but now I'd like
>to do copies of only new material to the backup.
>
> What I'd like to do is select the new files and have them copied to the
> backup disk using their full path association. So if I've added a new file
> to a directory that already exists on the backup, just selecting that file
> will place it in the "same" directory on the backup. Or, if I have a new
> subdirectory with files, just selecting those files will copy them to the
> backup disk but creating the entire path necessary from the root level of
> the disk. Possible?
>

Dear Tony,

What you would be best using is "robocopy". Search Microsoft's site
for this FREE tool.

Here is an example command:

C:\RoboCopy C:\myimportantstuff F:\mis-backup /e /copyall /mir

Or you can copy the whole drive etc.
Read the robocopy help. The first copy will take everything across,
the next time you run it only the changed files will be copied.

Hope that helps.

CreateWindow
http://mymessagetaker.com
The while-you-were-out message program you have been looking for!

This looks like the ticket! I tried a test case and it seems to do what I
need. Way more straightforward than using a full blown backup utility.
Thanks.

"JS" <@> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>A simple utility named SyncToy might do the job:
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
>
> I would create a test case so that you can verify the results with each of
> Sync Toy's options, this way you will not put anything at risk.
>
> JS
>
> "Tony" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I have two removable hard drives. One is a backup for the other. I keep
>>the backup unplugged and stored away when it's not needed. Up till now
>>I've just done entire disk copies from the first to the second, but now
>>I'd like to do copies of only new material to the backup.
>>
>> What I'd like to do is select the new files and have them copied to the
>> backup disk using their full path association. So if I've added a new
>> file to a directory that already exists on the backup, just selecting
>> that file will place it in the "same" directory on the backup. Or, if I
>> have a new subdirectory with files, just selecting those files will copy
>> them to the backup disk but creating the entire path necessary from the
>> root level of the disk. Possible?
>>
>
>

Dear Tony,

Just watch out for the /mir switch which "mirrors" the data. Like,
so, if you delete a file in yourimportantstuff robocopy will delete it
in the target copy too!! Only if you use /mir option(s).
Apart from that it works like a dream.

Cheers,

CreateWindow