Syncronize files

[Paul C]

Hi
I have just added a hard drive to my machine alonside the main hard drive.
I would like to be able to syncronize any files that I have changed on the
main drive with the added drive for backup
how do I do that Please?
Paul C

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

Hi
I have just added a hard drive to my machine alonside the main hard
drive. I would like to be able to syncronize any files that I have
changed on the main drive with the added drive for backup
how do I do that Please?
Paul C

If you have XP Pro, you can use Offline Files (although I personally hate
that). That isn't offered in XP Home. However, I don't like it, so it
doesn't matter to me. You could do a couple of things:

1. Use a nice little shareware app like SecondCopy at www.centered.com
2. Set up a (scheduled via task, or not) simple little batch file with an
xcopy or robocopy (or similar) command to copy the items to the other
location. For example, using robocopy (downloadable from MS) you could use
something like:

robocopy c:\data\ e:\data\ /e /r:1 /w:1

....which would copy everything in c:\data to e:\data, including subfolders,
will retry once, and wait 1 sec between retries.

If you have spaces in your paths, you'd use "c:\my folder\whatever\my
subfolder"\

You can also use the /MIR switch so anything deleted on c:\data will also be
removed from e:\data, but you will wanna run it once without the /MIR switch
first.

Just a few of many options.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi
I have just added a hard drive to my machine alonside the main hard
drive. I would like to be able to syncronize any files that I have
changed on the main drive with the added drive for backup
how do I do that Please?

It's a very poor idea, as far as I'm concerned. It's betterthan no backup at
all, but just barely. I don't recommend backup to a second non-removable
hard drive because it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous loss of the
original and backup to many of the most common dangers: severe power
glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even theft of the
computer.

In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and not kept in
the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for example, if the life of
your business depends on your data) you should have multiple generations of
backup, and at least one of those generations should be stored off-site.

 

[Paul C]

Thanks Ken
Sound advice
Paul C

It's a very poor idea, as far as I'm concerned. It's betterthan no backup
at all, but just barely. I don't recommend backup to a second
non-removable hard drive because it leaves you susceptible to simultaneous
loss of the original and backup to many of the most common dangers: severe
power glitches, nearby lightning strikes, virus attacks, even theft of the
computer.

In my view, secure backup needs to be on removable media, and not kept in
the computer. For really secure backup (needed, for example, if the life
of your business depends on your data) you should have multiple
generations of backup, and at least one of those generations should be
stored off-site.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks Ken
Sound advice

You're welcome Paul, and glad you agree. You might want to consider buying
an external USB enclosure for the drive, and connecting and backing up to it
periodically.