Copying modified files only

[David]

I want to copy files to a backup directory but do not
want to overright files that have not changed - simply to
save time. If a folder contains a file of the same name I
currently get the request to overright all or none. How
can I configure Windows 2000 to overight only files that
are dated later than those in the directory to which I am
copying them? This would make backup much quicker. I have
used the backup facility in the past but found I could
not restore the files on a new machine following hard
disk failure so have been somewhat reluctant to use it
since. Any help would be appreciated.

David

 

[Chris]

David,

How are you backing your files up? If you are using xcopy, then the /d
switch should only copy files that have been changed since the last time
they were copied & /y switch should suppress any prompts. Alternatively you
could use the /m switch to only copy files with the archive bit set, then
reset it. Type xcopy /? at a command prompt to find out about all the
switches & do some testing.

Alternatively, Windows 2000 provides Microsoft Backup which can perform a
backup of files to an archive based on files that have changed or do not
exist in the archive, etc.

 

[Guest]

Chris
I am working in Explorer and simply dragging the folder
icon across to the target directory. I am not too
familiar with using commands. Would the following be
correct?
Start/Run/Command/to get the entry window and then type
copy foldername/d:z:\ where /d is the switch and z the
target directory.

When I used Microsoft Backup recently it put all the
files in a backup folder in which I could not locate
specific files. I simply want a mirror image of my
current directory - not compressed or anything else
David

 

[Mark-Allen Perry]

Check out ROBOCOPY which is a small DOS utility in the W2K Server Resource Kit. (which I think you have to purchase)

Check: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/default.asp

Or maybe XCOPY will do what you want.

--
Always try the MS KB first before posting.
MS KB: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;KBHOWTO
And the answer could have already been posted, so try searching this and other newsgroups first.
----
Mark-Allen Perry
ALPHA Systems
Marly, Switzerland
mark-allen_AT_mvps_DOT_org

I want to copy files to a backup directory but do not
want to overright files that have not changed - simply to
save time. If a folder contains a file of the same name I
currently get the request to overright all or none. How
can I configure Windows 2000 to overight only files that
are dated later than those in the directory to which I am
copying them? This would make backup much quicker. I have
used the backup facility in the past but found I could
not restore the files on a new machine following hard
disk failure so have been somewhat reluctant to use it
since. Any help would be appreciated.

David

 

[Chris]

That's right, MS Backup will create an 'archive' file, a bit like a Winzip
file containing an image of the backed up files.

If you need a 'mirror'ed copy of your files, then a command line utility is
more appropriate. You start the command prompt by typing 'cmd' in the
'Run...' box. If you type 'xcopy /?' in the command prompt, you will see the
available switches for the xcopy utility displayed. To use the utility, you
type 'xcopy' followed by the arguments & switches to make it do what you
want it to. For example:

If I wanted to copy all files in c:\myfolder\ to another folder on the d:
drive called 'myotherfolder', I would type:

xcopy c:\myfolder\*.* d:\myotherfolder\*.*

Where *.* represents all filenames with an extension like .doc, etc. If I
wanted to suppress any overwrite prompts, I would type:

xcopy c:\myfolder\*.* d:\myotherfolder\*.* /y

If I wanted to do all that & only copy files that have changed or been
created, I would type:

xcopy c:\myfolder\*.* d:\myotherfolder\*.* /d /y

You could also take this a step further & put this in a text file with a
..bat file extension & schedule it to run if you were feeling extra lazy ;-).

 

[Guest]

Chris
You have been a great help - thanks very much
David

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

Check out ROBOCOPY which is a small DOS utility in the W2K
Server Resource Kit. (which I think you have to purchase)

Check: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/default.asp

Hi

Robocopy.exe is in the free Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit (will work
fine on Win2k as well):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&DisplayLang=en

(The kit will install on WinXP or later, the individual files can
then be copied to another computer if needed)


See rktools.chm and robocopy.doc for documentation for Robocopy.exe.

 

[Mark-Allen Perry]

Excellent! I saw a different page which said you had to pay for it.

Many thanks, Torgeir.

--
Always try the MS KB first before posting.
MS KB: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;KBHOWTO
And the answer could have already been posted, so try searching this and other newsgroups first.
----
Mark-Allen Perry
ALPHA Systems
Marly, Switzerland
mark-allen_AT_mvps_DOT_org

Check out ROBOCOPY which is a small DOS utility in the W2K
Server Resource Kit. (which I think you have to purchase)

Check: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/default.asp

Hi

Robocopy.exe is in the free Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit (will work
fine on Win2k as well):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&DisplayLang=en

(The kit will install on WinXP or later, the individual files can
then be copied to another computer if needed)


See rktools.chm and robocopy.doc for documentation for Robocopy.exe.

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

Excellent! I saw a different page which said you had to pay for it.

Hi

You are correct for the W2K Server Resource Kit, that one you need
to pay for.

 

[Guest]

Chris
Could I seek your advice one more time. I wrote xcopy g:
z:/s/d/y and it copied folders and files when I add new
folders and files or modifed files except that when I
modified my web pages, it doesn't copy them from g to z.
Why would it not work for all folders and files? Even
tried xcopy g: z:/s/d/y/a/r but the files refused to be
copied. What am I doing wrong?
David

 

[Chris]

Hi David,

When you say "I modified my web pages", do you mean that you have a website
stored in g: & you want a copy of it in z:? Have you also been typing spaces
between your arguments & switches - i.e.

xcopy<space>g:<space>z:<space>/s<space>/d<space>/y

?