Looking for a backup or sync program

  • Thread starter Thread starter rcm
  • Start date Start date
R

rcm

I am looking for a backup or sync program to copy selected files from my
main C drive to a backup hard drive to an extra drive I have. The main C
drive is 4 gb of which I want to back up key files about 160 mb, 40 mb
change daily.

I am running Win98SE, PIII 733 256m, C Drive 4 gb, backup drive G 2 gb.

I have used the backup in win 98. I am currently testing Iomega Backup 30
day trial. I choose that at random because I have an Iomega 250 mb Zip
drive and I was cleaning up my C Drive onto my 6 x 250 Zip disks and saw it
at the Iomega site. My data changed too much in a week to backup to a Zip
disk as it got full and I was not comfortable with a ZIp disk disk being in
there 24/7 so I opted for a second hard drive. I want to run an unattended
backup of changed files at 3 am each day after having run a full backup.

What I like about Iomega Backup is that is makes a copy of the folders/files
on my backup hard drive in the same format / directory structure as my C
Drive in uncompressed format as well as keep revisions separate. IT is easy
to go find what I want using Windows Explorer. What I don't like is the
backup selection structure interface in Iomega backup. I like the windows
98 built in backup (Seagate) much better, point and click what you want.
Also Iomega is slow. I will not purchase Iomega Backup as I do not like it.

So what can I use that is freeware. It is for personal use. I want a tree
like interface like Seagate backup with a regular file backup structure like
Iomega Backup so I can use Windows Explorer with the revisions stored
somewhere else and have it run at 3 am doing incremental.

Thanks
 
I am looking for a backup or sync program to copy selected files from my
main C drive to a backup hard drive to an extra drive I have. The main C
drive is 4 gb of which I want to back up key files about 160 mb, 40 mb
change daily.

I am running Win98SE, PIII 733 256m, C Drive 4 gb, backup drive G 2 gb.

I have used the backup in win 98. I am currently testing Iomega Backup 30
day trial. I choose that at random because I have an Iomega 250 mb Zip
drive and I was cleaning up my C Drive onto my 6 x 250 Zip disks and saw it
at the Iomega site. My data changed too much in a week to backup to a Zip
disk as it got full and I was not comfortable with a ZIp disk disk being in
there 24/7 so I opted for a second hard drive. I want to run an unattended
backup of changed files at 3 am each day after having run a full backup.

What I like about Iomega Backup is that is makes a copy of the folders/files
on my backup hard drive in the same format / directory structure as my C
Drive in uncompressed format as well as keep revisions separate. IT is easy
to go find what I want using Windows Explorer. What I don't like is the
backup selection structure interface in Iomega backup. I like the windows
98 built in backup (Seagate) much better, point and click what you want.
Also Iomega is slow. I will not purchase Iomega Backup as I do not like it.

So what can I use that is freeware. It is for personal use. I want a tree
like interface like Seagate backup with a regular file backup structure like
Iomega Backup so I can use Windows Explorer with the revisions stored
somewhere else and have it run at 3 am doing incremental.
Click to expand...

http://www.xxcopy.com/

This is a command line utility ideal for what you want to do if you
know how to create a very simple batch file triggered by Windows Task
Scheduler.

I maintain a 2 gig backup drive in this way but I /clone my entire c:
drive to it. Since xxcopy only copies files that have changed, the
backup runs amazingly fast. One or two minutes at most and it's all
over.

Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
http://www.xxcopy.com/
This is a command line utility ideal for what you want to do if you
know how to create a very simple batch file triggered by Windows Task
Scheduler.

I maintain a 2 gig backup drive in this way but I /clone my entire c:
drive to it. Since xxcopy only copies files that have changed, the
backup runs amazingly fast. One or two minutes at most and it's all
over.
Click to expand...

For those of us who don't know how to use command line arguments,
perhaps you could post a sample that we could modify to our needs.
 
I looked at the web it but too complicated. I would like a tree like
selection process similar to the interface like Backup in Windows 98 SE.
There I just click the folders I want or just a file. It is visual and
quick. XXCOPY would be way too complicated to learn and know exactly what I
am backing up.

I did know about XXCOPY and all its features but I want to do rather
selective backup of files and folders.

Thanks for the suggestion.
 
For those of us who don't know how to use command line arguments,
perhaps you could post a sample that we could modify to our needs.
Click to expand...

Sure. Create the following in a text editor:

@echo off
xxcopy c:\windows d:\windows /clone/yy
echo ******************************************
echo FINISHED!
echo ******************************************
exit

This example will clone the windows folder including all
subdirectories to drive d: All hidden and system files will be copied
and the directory tree structure mimiced exactly. It creates a
"logical" clone, in other words (as opposed to a sector identical
clone). The /YY will cause it to run with no questions asked, making
it suitable to be invoked by a Task Scheduler and run automatically
while you're asleep :)

Name the batch file anything you want, but it, of course, must be
given a .BAT extension. For example, you might name it winbak.bat
before you Save it.

If you want it to clone more than one folder, simply add consecutive
working lines such as:

xxcopy c:\windows d:\windows /clone/yy
xxcopy c:\foo d:\foo /clone/yy

and so on. Also, any files or folders that have been deleted from the
source folders will be deleted from the clone. Again, only new or
updated files and folders will be copied.

Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
Wrong. This won't copy the disk sector. It doesn't copy the boot
sector. It doesn't copy files that are locked in use, which includes
the registry in nt/2k/xp systems (which badgolferman must be using
since he asked about NTFS).
Click to expand...

First of all, I didn't give a batch file line for cloning the entire
drive. The OP was interested in just copying certain subdirectories.
So I gave an example of that. Secondly, I've never had a problem using
my fully cloned drive as the primary master and booting up with it. So
you're wrong about the inability to fully clone. Third, I've never
used or claimed to use xxcopy on any but my Win 98 and Win ME PCs.

Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
I tried MOB (My Own Backup). It was easy to use and did a quick backup
uncompressed as I wanted. What I would like is the way Iomega backup keeps
the revisions (old copies can be retained forever or a fixed number of
times). I will have to play with MOB to see if it will keep the equivalent
of revisions.
 
First of all, I didn't give a batch file line for cloning the entire
drive. The OP was interested in just copying certain subdirectories.
So I gave an example of that. Secondly, I've never had a problem using
my fully cloned drive as the primary master and booting up with it. So
you're wrong about the inability to fully clone. Third, I've never
used or claimed to use xxcopy on any but my Win 98 and Win ME PCs.
Click to expand...

I agree the OP was asking about certain directories, and XXCopy works
fine for that.

But badgolferman (who is not the OP) then asked "but are you able to
restore this cloned drive to a virgin fresh disk when your current
drive goes tits up?" Your reply, which I quoted, was in response to
badgolferman's question. It was this response that I was clarifying.

As I said in the part of my message you snipped, you can do this in
windows 9x/me, but not in nt/2k/xp.

Terry
 
Thank you guys. I will just stick to Drive Image and to periodical
backups of the whole system. I do weekly backups of selected
directories with Cobian Backup.
Click to expand...

Did you verify that xxcopy is incompatible with versions of Windows
later than Win ME? Insofar as not copying locked files, etc., xxcopy
has no problem with that on Win ME. It even copies the swap file.

Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
Did you verify that xxcopy is incompatible with versions of Windows
later than Win ME? Insofar as not copying locked files, etc., xxcopy
has no problem with that on Win ME. It even copies the swap file.
Click to expand...

This page says no. At least the disk will not be bootable after cloning
and restoring.
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy10.htm
 
rcm said:
I am looking for a backup or sync program to copy selected files from my
main C drive to a backup hard drive to an extra drive I have. The main C
drive is 4 gb of which I want to back up key files about 160 mb, 40 mb
change daily.

I am running Win98SE, PIII 733 256m, C Drive 4 gb, backup drive G 2 gb.

I have used the backup in win 98. I am currently testing Iomega Backup 30
day trial. I choose that at random because I have an Iomega 250 mb Zip
drive and I was cleaning up my C Drive onto my 6 x 250 Zip disks and saw it
at the Iomega site. My data changed too much in a week to backup to a Zip
disk as it got full and I was not comfortable with a ZIp disk disk being in
there 24/7 so I opted for a second hard drive. I want to run an unattended
backup of changed files at 3 am each day after having run a full backup.

What I like about Iomega Backup is that is makes a copy of the folders/files
on my backup hard drive in the same format / directory structure as my C
Drive in uncompressed format as well as keep revisions separate. IT is easy
to go find what I want using Windows Explorer. What I don't like is the
backup selection structure interface in Iomega backup. I like the windows
98 built in backup (Seagate) much better, point and click what you want.
Also Iomega is slow. I will not purchase Iomega Backup as I do not like it.

So what can I use that is freeware. It is for personal use. I want a tree
like interface like Seagate backup with a regular file backup structure like
Iomega Backup so I can use Windows Explorer with the revisions stored
somewhere else and have it run at 3 am doing incremental.

Thanks
Click to expand...
try this
http://www.winarchives.com/workstation/desktop_utils.html

Look for a program called Asynchrophobia
been using for the last month, thumbs up program.
 
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