Batch file to copy files from C drive to USB

[tys]

Hi all,

To increase our backup solutions, we have decided to backup our SQL database every hour to a folder within the C drive (we couldn't get it to backup straight to a USB drive). So now we need a way (batch file best solution?) to copy these files to the USB drive, lets say every 1.05hours just after they've been created?

Maybe we could copy the entire folder every hour and delete old backups that are in this folder and to the new place for the backups. (although I guess it won't work as it'll have the same folder name once it has been copied).

Or copy the individual files to that new folder although with this they have all different names so is it possible to copy the newest file to the new folder and then after this delete the old backups from a certain time frame?

Big thanks for your help!

 

[x BlueRobot]

REM Creates a Backup of files every hour
@echo off
:start
XCOPY <source path> <destination path> /w /f /-y
TIMEOUT /t 3600 /nobreak
goto start

This might work, I'm no expert by any means, but the batch file should copy all the files, and then pause for a hour, and then loop back to the start and complete the same process again.

Here's what the XCOPY switches mean - http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/xcopy.mspx?mfr=true

 

[tys]

Doesn't seem to have worked. just brings up the black command prompt and goes again.

I'm a novice with scripting... the destination path has been listed as "B:\" as I've mapped a USB drive from the physical server to the virtual server. I'm not sure if that''s the correct path?

Regards,

 

[richnrockville]

Tys, you did put quotes around the source and target for the xcopy????

Rich

 

[x BlueRobot]

Thanks Rich, here's the modification, with an example of my Test file I used to make sure the Batch file works, and it does work now:

@echo off
:start
XCOPY "C:\Users\Harry\Documents\Test.txt" "C:\Users\Harry\Documents\Batch Tutorials" /w /f /-y
TIMEOUT /t 3600 /nobreak
goto start

 

[tys]

Hello. This does work, although when the time period runs out I have to manually click any button and then select "Yes or No". I want it to do this manually...

Thanks!

 

[richnrockville]

Tys, Piping works fine.
TIMEOUT /t 3600 /nobreak <yes.txt

this then pipes the yes.txt file to the question Yes or No.
create the yes.txt file with the word YES and a Carriage Return.
should do it, you might have to experiment with the YES and Y

Rich

 

[tys]

Sorry, I don't understand. Is this a new batch file? Or is this an add on to the existing batch file..?

 

[x BlueRobot]

Hello. This does work, although when the time period runs out I have to manually click any button and then select "Yes or No". I want it to do this manually...

Thanks!

Don't you mean you want to do it automatically?

 

[x BlueRobot]

You could remove the overwrite protection switches, I added those, to ensure you wanted to overwrite that file.

 

[tys]

sorry, yes, automatically.

 

[x BlueRobot]

@echo off
:start
XCOPY "<Source Path>" "<Destination Path>" /f 
TIMEOUT /t 3600 /nobreak
goto start

The batch file should just copy and overwrite the old backup file with the new backup file without waiting for your response, I've left the /f switch so you know which files are being copied.

 

[tys]

Thanks!

Nearly there, but it still asks me for "(YES/NO/ALL)". Is there a way to get this script to work automatically without running a Scheduled Task?

 

[x BlueRobot]

@echo off
:start
COPY "<Source Path>" "<Destination Path>"
TIMEOUT /t 3600 /nobreak
goto start

I've just tried the batch file out now, and it doesn't prompt for anything, the only problem with COPY command is that it doesn't sub directories I believe.

 

[tys]

Yup. lovely it works.


Is there an add-on to this which enables files to be deleted, lets say older than a week?

Thanks!

 

[x BlueRobot]

@echo off
DEL [[drive:][path]filename

You wouldn't able to use the Timeout command for a week though, since the command is limited to 99999 seconds, which if I worked it out correctly, is 27 hours.

You would have to create a different batch file, since I don't see how it could be added to the existing batch file without being added to the loop, which would mean your backups would be saved and then deleted every hour.

With the above command, at least you wouldn't have to go searching for the backups.