Category: DOS

I backup my files regularly using the windows scheduler. For example several folders from my windows preferences folder in drive C (C:\Users\dellxps\AppData\Roaming) to another drive, to D:\Users\Ronald\AppData\Roaming.

There is a built in smart copier in windows that is not known by many people called robocopy.
Take a look at the following scripts: backup.bat and restore.bat

backup.bat

@echo off
SET vSourceRootFolder=C:\Users\dellxps\AppData\Roaming
SET vDestinationRootFolder=D:\Users\Ronald\AppData\Roaming
echo "========================================"
echo "== Backup application preference files"
echo "========================================"
robocopy %vSourceRootFolder%\\"FileZilla\\" %vDestinationRootFolder%\\"FileZilla\\" /MIR /R:2 /W:0 /XJD /XJ /NP /LOG+:D:\sync\backup_d_drive.log
robocopy %vSourceRootFolder%\\"Mozilla\\" %vDestinationRootFolder%\\"Mozilla\\" /MIR /R:2 /W:0 /XJD /XJ /NP /LOG+:D:\sync\backup_d_drive.log


restore.bat

@echo off
SET vDestinationRootFolder=C:\Users\dellxps\AppData\Roaming
SET vSourceRootFolder=D:\Users\Ronald\AppData\Roaming
echo "========================================"
echo "== Backup application preference files"
echo "========================================"
robocopy %vSourceRootFolder%\\"FileZilla\\" %vDestinationRootFolder%\\"FileZilla\\" /MIR /R:2 /W:0 /XJD /XJ /NP /LOG+:D:\sync\backup_d_drive.log
robocopy %vSourceRootFolder%\\"Mozilla\\" %vDestinationRootFolder%\\"Mozilla\\" /MIR /R:2 /W:0 /XJD /XJ /NP /LOG+:D:\sync\backup_d_drive.log


And here is the documentation from robocopy /?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robust File Copy for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started : Wed Sep 19 21:48:29 2012

Usage :: ROBOCOPY source destination [file [file]...] [options]

source :: Source Directory (drive:\path or \\server\share\path).
destination :: Destination Dir (drive:\path or \\server\share\path).
file :: File(s) to copy (names/wildcards: default is "*.*").

::
:: Copy options :
::
/S :: copy Subdirectories, but not empty ones.
/E :: copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.
/LEV:n :: only copy the top n LEVels of the source directory tree.

/Z :: copy files in restartable mode.
/B :: copy files in Backup mode.
/ZB :: use restartable mode; if access denied use Backup mode.
/EFSRAW :: copy all encrypted files in EFS RAW mode.

/COPY:copyflag[s] :: what to COPY for files (default is /COPY:DAT).
(copyflags : D=Data, A=Attributes, T=Timestamps).
(S=Security=NTFS ACLs, O=Owner info, U=aUditing info).

/DCOPY:T :: COPY Directory Timestamps.

/SEC :: copy files with SECurity (equivalent to /COPY:DATS).
/COPYALL :: COPY ALL file info (equivalent to /COPY:DATSOU).
/NOCOPY :: COPY NO file info (useful with /PURGE).

/SECFIX :: FIX file SECurity on all files, even skipped files.
/TIMFIX :: FIX file TIMes on all files, even skipped files.

/PURGE :: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source.
/MIR :: MIRror a directory tree (equivalent to /E plus /PURGE).

/MOV :: MOVe files (delete from source after copying).
/MOVE :: MOVE files AND dirs (delete from source after copying).

/A+:[RASHCNET] :: add the given Attributes to copied files.
/A-:[RASHCNET] :: remove the given Attributes from copied files.

/CREATE :: CREATE directory tree and zero-length files only.
/FAT :: create destination files using 8.3 FAT file names only.
/256 :: turn off very long path (> 256 characters) support.

/MON:n :: MONitor source; run again when more than n changes seen.
/MOT:m :: MOnitor source; run again in m minutes Time, if changed.

/RH:hhmm-hhmm :: Run Hours - times when new copies may be started.
/PF :: check run hours on a Per File (not per pass) basis.

/IPG:n :: Inter-Packet Gap (ms), to free bandwidth on slow lines.

/SL :: copy symbolic links versus the target.

/MT[:n] :: Do multi-threaded copies with n threads (default 8).
n must be at least 1 and not greater than 128.
This option is incompatible with the /IPG and /EFSRAW options.
Redirect output using /LOG option for better performance.

::
:: File Selection Options :
::
/A :: copy only files with the Archive attribute set.
/M :: copy only files with the Archive attribute and reset it.
/IA:[RASHCNETO] :: Include only files with any of the given Attributes set.
/XA:[RASHCNETO] :: eXclude files with any of the given Attributes set.

/XF file [file]... :: eXclude Files matching given names/paths/wildcards.
/XD dirs [dirs]... :: eXclude Directories matching given names/paths.

/XC :: eXclude Changed files.
/XN :: eXclude Newer files.
/XO :: eXclude Older files.
/XX :: eXclude eXtra files and directories.
/XL :: eXclude Lonely files and directories.
/IS :: Include Same files.
/IT :: Include Tweaked files.

/MAX:n :: MAXimum file size - exclude files bigger than n bytes.
/MIN:n :: MINimum file size - exclude files smaller than n bytes.

/MAXAGE:n :: MAXimum file AGE - exclude files older than n days/date.
/MINAGE:n :: MINimum file AGE - exclude files newer than n days/date.
/MAXLAD:n :: MAXimum Last Access Date - exclude files unused since n.
/MINLAD:n :: MINimum Last Access Date - exclude files used since n.
(If n < 1900 then n = n days, else n = YYYYMMDD date). /XJ :: eXclude Junction points. (normally included by default). /FFT :: assume FAT File Times (2-second granularity). /DST :: compensate for one-hour DST time differences. /XJD :: eXclude Junction points for Directories. /XJF :: eXclude Junction points for Files. :: :: Retry Options : :: /R:n :: number of Retries on failed copies: default 1 million. /W:n :: Wait time between retries: default is 30 seconds. /REG :: Save /R:n and /W:n in the Registry as default settings. /TBD :: wait for sharenames To Be Defined (retry error 67). :: :: Logging Options : :: /L :: List only - don't copy, timestamp or delete any files. /X :: report all eXtra files, not just those selected. /V :: produce Verbose output, showing skipped files. /TS :: include source file Time Stamps in the output. /FP :: include Full Pathname of files in the output. /BYTES :: Print sizes as bytes. /NS :: No Size - don't log file sizes. /NC :: No Class - don't log file classes. /NFL :: No File List - don't log file names. /NDL :: No Directory List - don't log directory names. /NP :: No Progress - don't display percentage copied. /ETA :: show Estimated Time of Arrival of copied files. /LOG:file :: output status to LOG file (overwrite existing log). /LOG+:file :: output status to LOG file (append to existing log). /UNILOG:file :: output status to LOG file as UNICODE (overwrite existing log). /UNILOG+:file :: output status to LOG file as UNICODE (append to existing log). /TEE :: output to console window, as well as the log file. /NJH :: No Job Header. /NJS :: No Job Summary. /UNICODE :: output status as UNICODE. :: :: Job Options : :: /JOB:jobname :: take parameters from the named JOB file. /SAVE:jobname :: SAVE parameters to the named job file /QUIT :: QUIT after processing command line (to view parameters). /NOSD :: NO Source Directory is specified. /NODD :: NO Destination Directory is specified. /IF :: Include the following Files.