ROBOCOPY - Create Backup Script

Hi,

OK. You need to let me know what you want backing up, and to where.

The easiest way is to show me some screen capture images of:

1. Your Disk Management with your USB external drive plugged in (so I can see the arrangement of your disks)
2. Windows Explorer showing me the paths and files you want to backup.

See here for help on getting me the information:

Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

Regards,
Golden

Hi Ron, and welcome to SevenForums,

Lets start with ROBO #2. The command should look like this:

Code:

robocopy R:\ *.jpg *.pdf *.zip E:\R.Drive\1.Tuesday /MAXAGE:14 /E

With ROBO #1, the major issue is the the use of * in the folder name (for example *60176753 (K10018)_REDS - High Voltage). Robocopy treats the * as part of the name, and of course Windows does not allow a folder to contain a * in its name. You will need to specify the top-level folder that contains all these sub-folders in the robocopy script.

However, you can still do this part:

Code:

 
robocopy R:\ E:\R.Drive\1.Tuesday /E /MIR /XF *.jpg *.pdf *. zip /XD ArcJet3DSurvey xArchive Archive Inbox Temp xSubmission Archives _Site Director's Shared Docs Nebula Modular Data Center

If you paste an image of the folder structure containing the REDS folders, it would help me work out a way to sort out these folders for backup.

Here is a little batch file that you can use to run ROBO #1 and ROBO #2. Simply copy the text exactly as it is, and paste it into an empty Notepad file, and save it on your desktop as RUN.BAT:

Code:

 
echo off
color 1E
cls
:MENU
echo.
echo ******************************
echo *** Robocopy Backup Script ***
echo ******************************
echo.
echo 1 - Run ROBO #1
echo 2 - Run ROBO #2
echo 3 - Exit
echo.
echo ******************************
echo.
SET /P M=Type 1, 2 or 3 then press ENTER:
IF %M%==1 GOTO 1
IF %M%==2 GOTO 2
IF %M%==3 GOTO 3
:1
robocopy R:\ *.jpg *.pdf *.zip E:\R.Drive\1.Tuesday /MAXAGE:14 /E
goto MENU
:2
R:\ E:\R.Drive\1.Tuesday /E /MIR /XF *.jpg *.pdf *. zip /XD ArcJet3DSurvey xArchive Archive Inbox Temp xSubmission Archives _Site Director's Shared Docs 
Nebula Modular Data Center
goto MENU
:3
pause
exit

The image below shows what it will look like when you run it. If you want something similar, or even simpler, just let me know.

Post back here if you need more help.

Regards,
Golden

Nice Tut!

Here is a quick robocopy batch file i put together a while back, you would just have to change the actual robocopy command on line 77 to reflect the switches you would like.

The reason there is so many lines for such a simple command is because i padded it out visually a little for the people using it :)

Hi Thanks for the reply, I have been playing with the example given in the tutorial and have tried without success to copy a test file.

This is my modified Robocopy text in Notepad:

rem --- Edit the lines below to create your own backup strategy
rem --- The /mir option has been left out for safety sake
rem --- Add more lines for each new folder requiring backup
rem --- Specified 4 threads to use for multi-threaded copying
rem --- The results of the backup can be found in my_backup_log.txt
robocopy <C:\Users\Alans PC\TEST FOLDER> <F:\Outlook Data Files> /e /np /tee /mt:4 /log:my_backup_log.txt
robocopy <source> <destination> /e /np /tee /mt:4 /log+:my_backup_log.txt
robocopy <source> <destination> /e /np /tee /mt:4 /log+:my_backup_log.txt
pause

My modified text in BOLD
This has not worked and the TEST FOLDER has not been copied to F:\Outlook Data Files, after double clicking the command on my desktop it flashes on screen for a millisecond as though it actions.

I have called my F:\ drive 'Backup (F)' according to Disk Management, would that have any bearing on my problem?
Do I need to delete the 2nd and 3rd robocopy lines?

Does the destination drive have to have the same folder name as the folder to copy? For example in the tutorial the example states:

robocopy E:\Data1 G:\Backups\Data1
robocopy F:\Data2 G:\Backups\Data2
robocopy F:\Data3 Q:\Backups\Data3
pause

Using the above do I need to name a folder in G: Backups with a sub folder called Data1?

So in Backups folder I would have a sub folder called Data1 containing the copied folder Data1. OR would the Data1 folder be copied to Backups? Thereby becoming the sub folder.....

If you see what I mean!!



I've yet to play much with DOS boxes and doing this in notepad seems more 'usual' I just need to get to grips with it.

EDIT.
I have tried with the <> removed and still not copied, I must have something fundamentally wrong. (Like my brain)

try putting quotes around the file paths

e.g.

Code:

robocopy "C:\Users\Alans PC\TEST FOLDER" "F:\Outlook Data Files" /e /np /tee /mt:4 /log:my_backup_log.txt

Regards,
JDobbsy1987

Trapper said:

Do I need to delete the 2nd and 3rd robocopy lines?

Yes, just keep:

robocopy "C:\Users\Alans PC\TEST FOLDER" "F:\Outlook Data Files" /e /np /tee /mt:4 /log:my_backup_log.txt

they are just to highlight the syntax that should be used

Hi Trapper,

Unfortunately, ROBOCOPY doesn't have the ability to copy incremental portions of your Outlook file - the smallest level it will work at is the .PST file.

This is the exact command I use to backup my Outlook data files:

Code:

robocopy E:\Mail G:\Colin-PC\Mail /e /mir /mt:12

Note that I don't specify the .PST files - ROBOCOPY just backups up the entire \Mail folder (the \Mail folder actually has two .PST files in it).

If you use the pause command at the end of the script, the cmd window will not flsh and close as you describe. So, for example, you might use this:

Code:

robocopy C:\Users\Alans PC\TEST FOLDER F:\Outlook Data Files /e /np /tee /mt:4 /log:my_backup_log.txt
pause

Also, if you scan the contents of my_backup.log (located on your Desktop), it might yield some cluse as to where you are going wayward with your script. Attach it here, and I'll take a look at it for you.

Regards,
Golden