backing up files automatically

[Cjones]

All,

I have an external drive attached to my laptop. I save X2 files to the desktop and periodically copy them to the external. My question-Is there a way to set up the external hard drive to automatically backup the files once daily? So when I forget to do it manually I am still covered. Is there an application that does something like this?

TY in advance,

Chris

[Ocean Lacky™]

Your drive Should've come with a back-up utility on a CD if you bought it new.

 

Mastercam also has a back-up utility that you can configure.

[3rdstring]

This is what I use. look for SyncBack Freeware V3.2.19.0 about halfway down the page.

 

HTH

[Dave Ball]

I use microsoft synctoy... SyncToy

[Aaron Eberhard]

I use Cobian Backup (freeware: http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm ). It's nice and unobtrusive and will compress to regular zip files so I can selectively pull one file out without needing cobian (in case of emergencies).

[Cjones]

Thanks all External came with no software for this. I will check out the above suggestions.

Chris

[Cjones]

All,

Syncback works great. Thank you. I do have a problem though.

I set up Sync back to backup all files to my external that was plugged in by usb as drive F:.

However, when I started up my laptop today and plugged in the external it came up as drive G:. So Syncback backed up all my files on the wrong drive. Is there a way to assign a permanent Drive letter to my external? So that no matter what order or USB port I plug it into it comes up as F:.

TY,

Chris

[Span]

Windows XP?

 

Plug the drive in first.

 

control panel > administrative tools > computer management

 

pick disk management in left pane

right clock on the drive you want to set in the right pane

change as desired.

 

[Cjones]

span,

unfortunately it's vista. But worked all the same.

Thank you very much.

Chris

[Greg Williams]

You could always use a batch file and pin it to the start menu

 

code:

---

 @echo off

:: variables

set drive=E:Data-Backup

rem set dateNtime="%date:~0,2%-%date:~3,2%-%date:~6,6%_%time:~0,2%-%time:~3,2%"

set backupcmd=xcopy /s /c /d /e /h /i /r /y

 

echo ### Backing up My Documents...

%backupcmd% "C:Data" "%drive%Data"

%backupcmd% "C:Drivers" "%drive%Drivers"

%backupcmd% "C:Apps" "%drive%Apps"

%backupcmd% "C:mcamxconfig" "%drive%mcamxconfig"

%backupcmd% "C:mcamxlatheposts" "%drive%mcamxLathePosts"

%backupcmd% "C:mcamxmillposts" "%drive%mcamxmillPosts"

%backupcmd% "C:mcamxcnc_machines" "%drive%mcamxcnc_machines"

%backupcmd% "C:mcamxmoduleworksmachsim" "%drive%mcamxmachsim"

 

 

echo ### Backing up Favorites...

%backupcmd% "%USERPROFILE%Favorites" "%drive%Favorites"

 

 

echo ### Backing up email and address book (Outlook Express)...

%backupcmd% "%USERPROFILE%Application DataMicrosoftAddress Book" "%drive%Address Book"

 

 

%backupcmd% "%USERPROFILE%Local SettingsApplication DataIdentities" "%drive%Outlook Express"

 

echo ### Backing up email and contacts (MS Outlook)...

%backupcmd% "%USERPROFILE%Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook" "%drive%Outlook"

 

rem echo ### Backing up the Registry...

if not exist "%drive%Registry" mkdir "%drive%Registry"

if exist "%drive%Registryregbackup.reg" del "%drive%Registryregbackup.reg"

regedit /e "%drive%Registryregbackup.reg"

 

:: use below syntax to backup other directories...

:: %backupcmd% "...source directory..." "%drive%...destination dir..."

 

echo Backup Complete!

@pause

---

[Mark H]

I have a similar batch file to Greg's above. I also use "Scheduled Tasks" in the Windows Control Panel and set it to run the batch file every night.

[Dave Ball]

Can you use a .bat to sync, copy the newest file both ways, between directories? What would that look like?