You Guys should use Robocopy its the best

Wisewiz · Aug 19, 2023

DigitalGoat said:
Robocopy is my preferred method to back up my data as on average it is approx. 40 - 90% quicker than using Explorer, depending on file types/ sizes being copied and the resulting backups are uncompressed, this means that I don't have to worry about support or cost of 3rd party software to access my own data. ...

In addition to my system-and-programs disk images, I use MR to do a set of File and Folder backups, and for those, I just set the compression to none. It works amazingly quickly, and I never have to use MR itself to deal with the uncompressed, validated copies. My main ones are daily backups of my Thunderbird Profiles, and the TB 102.14 uncompressed backup takes four (4) seconds; the TB 117.0b4 uncompressed dailies take six (6) seconds. Nice.

Winuser · Aug 19, 2023

Wisewiz said:
n addition to my system-and-programs disk images, I use MR to do a set of File and Folder backups, and for those, I just set the compression to none.

Is there a benefit of using Macrium over using copy and paste in File Explorer?

Wisewiz · Aug 19, 2023

Winuser said:
Is there a benefit of using Macrium over using copy and paste in File Explorer?

Oh, yeah. One click on the shortcut icon and it's done. No need for locating anything in File Explorer or using context menu or clicking on copy and paste. Just one click. It shows a banner for "Backup Started" and another for "Backup Finished," but those turn themselves off after a couple of seconds, so I don't even have to click them.

Those thunderbird profiles contain all of my local copies of current messages and my local folders of stored messages, and the nightly backups are just a complete peace-of-mind thing, even though I religiously practice a zero Inbox policy every night, and empty the Trash as well.

Yessir, the benefit is real, AFAIC.

Wisewiz · Aug 19, 2023

Oh, and (not for you; for seekers) if, in the final panel of setting up the File and Folder backup (where it says What do you want to do now?), you give the backup a name (NOT My Backup, as is suggested in the blank) and assign it a folder (probably NOT your <username> folder, as is suggested there) for storing, and then in the main MR window, click Definition Files and select <the name you gave it>.xml, you can click the Shortcut button, and MR will create the shortcut on your desktop, with the right icon, and that shortcut is pin-able to Start, Taskbar, or both, and delete-able (if you wish) after you've pinned it somewhere.

MR really does all the work for you. And one initial setup of each image or backup lasts a loooong time.

Winuser · Aug 19, 2023

Wisewiz said:
Oh, yeah. One click on the shortcut icon and it's done. No need for locating anything in File Explorer or using context menu or clicking on copy and paste. Just one click. It shows a banner for "Backup Started" and another for "Backup Finished," but those turn themselves off after a couple of seconds, so I don't even have to click them.

Those thunderbird profiles contain all of my local copies of current messages and my local folders of stored messages, and the nightly backups are just a complete peace-of-mind thing, even though I religiously practice a zero Inbox policy every night, and empty the Trash as well.

Yessir, the benefit is real, AFAIC.

I do use Macrium to do a automatic weekly update of my MoneyDance data folder. MoneyDance does do a backup every time I shut it down but because it's my finances I want an extra backup to a different drive.

Falok · Aug 20, 2023

antspants said:
Yeah I am not sure where he is getting his information from.
”If you do not set a number next to the /MT switch, the default number will be 8, which means that Robocopy will try to copy eight files simultaneously. However, Robocopy supports 1 to 128 threads”

I was thinking that the default is 1, Thanks for your feedback, I did a search and I found it starts from 1 to 128 and the default is 8 as you said

JAM83 · Sep 28, 2023

Firas said:
robocopy <source> <destination> [<file>[ ...]] [<options>]

Robocopy

What if i want to copy everything from one drive to another?

Everything on F Drive to H Drive

Bree · Sep 28, 2023

JAM83 said:
What if i want to copy everything from one drive to another?

Everything on F Drive to H Drive

RoboCopy F:\ H:\ *.* /S /XD "System Volume Information"

(you really don't want to try copying the hidden System Volume Information folder)

hsehestedt · Sep 28, 2023

If I may, I suggest one additional exclusion since you really don't want the Recycle Bin from another drive as well:

RoboCopy F:\ H:\ *.* /S /XD "System Volume Information" $Recycle.bin

hsehestedt · Sep 28, 2023

Sorry, yet another suggestion:

RoboCopy F:\ H:\ /MIR /XD "System Volume Information" $Recycle.bin

If you use /MIR rather than /S this will MIRror the source drive to the destination, making an exact duplicate including all files and folders with the exception of the system vol info and recycle bin. CAUTION: If you already have files on the destination, they will be deleted! /MIR copies everything from source to destination AND deletes anything on the destination that is not present on the source.

This is an excellent way to sync data from a source to a destination. If you delete something on the source and then run this command, it will delete those same items from the destination. If you use /S it will leave stuff on the destination that is no longer present on the source because it won't delete anything from the destination.

bikemanI7 · Sep 28, 2023

I tried Robocopy to a flash drive not too long ago, It was still going 24 hours later, so i was like what the heck should've been done by now. Didn't transfer in minutes in my experience

Think i stick to manually copying files at times, and Image backup software like Macrium til version 8 Home Edition not supported anymore

Unless sometime i try the Mirror Command to my 2nd 8TB External drive, but with the drive being connected via usb 3.0, probably takes ages to Mirror my Storage drive to that External

JAM83 · Sep 28, 2023

bikemanI7 said:
I tried Robocopy to a flash drive not too long ago, It was still going 24 hours later, so i was like what the heck should've been done by now. Didn't transfer in minutes in my experience

Think i still to manually copying files at times, and Image backup software like Macrium til version 8 Home Edition not supported anymore

I'm using Macrium Reflect FREE version to clone Drive F to Drive H

hsehestedt · Sep 28, 2023

I have already upgraded all my systems to to the Sep 26th update. If someone still has a previous version, would you mind doing a really quick test for me:

Go to C:\Windows\System32. Right-click on Robocopy.exe and select properties. Note the exact size of the file in bytes. Now go to the details tab and note the "File version".

Post back here the size and version.

It's possible I am seeing ghosts, but it looks like I'm seeing something I had not noticed before leading me to believe that we have a new version of Robocopy

Bree · Sep 28, 2023

hsehestedt said:
I have already upgraded all my systems to to the Sep 26th update. If someone still has a previous version, would you mind doing a really quick test for me:

Go to C:\Windows\System32. Right-click on Robocopy.exe and select properties. Note the exact size of the file in bytes. Now go to the details tab and note the "File version".

Here you are, file size: 180 KB (184,320 bytes) version 10.0.22621.1635. Windows version 22621.2283.

hsehestedt · Sep 28, 2023

Okay, I guess I inhaled something I wasn't supposed to. It's exactly the same.

Thanks for doing that test, Bree.

thecaretaker · Sep 28, 2023

hsehestedt said:
Sorry, yet another suggestion:

RoboCopy F:\ H:\ /MIR /XD "System Volume Information" $Recycle.bin

If you use /MIR rather than /S this will MIRror the source drive to the destination, making an exact duplicate including all files and folders with the exception of the system vol info and recycle bin. CAUTION: If you already have files on the destination, they will be deleted! /MIR copies everything from source to destination AND deletes anything on the destination that is not present on the source.

This is an excellent way to sync data from a source to a destination. If you delete something on the source and then run this command, it will delete those same items from the destination. If you use /S it will leave stuff on the destination that is no longer present on the source because it won't delete anything from the destination.

Interesting. I've just looked at my bat file to copy my E drive to my F drive. It only copies over any changed files and deletes any I've removed from the E drive. I think that is the PURGE command. I can't remember what the R:1 is, I'll have to look that up.

robocopy e:\ f:\ /s /XD $RECYCLE.BIN "System Volume Information" /R:1 /PURGE

Bree · Sep 28, 2023

thecaretaker said:
I can't remember what the R:1 is, I'll have to look that up.

It's 'Retry'. The default on finding a locked file that can't be copied is to retry 1 million times, waiting 30 second between each retry.

:: Retry Options :
::
/R:n :: number of Retries on failed copies: default 1 million.
/W:n :: Wait time between retries: default is 30 seconds.

hsehestedt · Sep 29, 2023

thecaretaker said:
I think that is the PURGE command.

Correct. If you run Robocopy /? to view the help for Robocopy, you will note that /MIR is the same as /E /PURGE and that /PURGE deletes files and folders on the destination that are not present on the source.

Haydon · Sep 29, 2023

Wisewiz said:
In addition to my system-and-programs disk images, I use MR to do a set of File and Folder backups, and for those, I just set the compression to none. It works amazingly quickly, and I never have to use MR itself to deal with the uncompressed, validated copies. My main ones are daily backups of my Thunderbird Profiles, and the TB 102.14 uncompressed backup takes four (4) seconds; the TB 117.0b4 uncompressed dailies take six (6) seconds. Nice.

@Wisewiz Care to elaborate how you did it?

I created an uncompressed File and Folder backup wherein the compression is set to none, I also excluded system files, excluded hidden files and expected therefore an uncompressed user data file.

However, the backup file can only be mounted by MR, Windows File Explorer cannot open the backup file