Robocopy Destination Naming Confusion

My command is:

Code:

ROBOCOPY C:\Users\mikei\Documents J:\HP.Files /MIR /XD "C:\Users\mikei\Documents\FeedbackHub" "C:\Users\mikei\Documents\Cyberlink" /v /tee /ts /log:"I:\log.HP.temp.txt"

Have I made an error again?

Earlier I tried to run a similar command as User.
It produced a destination file named “Documents”.

So I tried again as PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>
I got the same results on the destination side. “Documents.”

Thinking I had missed something I went to delete the destination “Documents” folder and try again.

At..Aare you sure you want to delete... the prompt showed the correct folder name "HP.Files."

So why is W10 changing my specified destination name in the properties and destination, and keeping it for the delete operation?

I still had the first User run on a different drive. Same problem: a conflict between the destination displayed name and the Properties name, and the name in the delete operation.

How can I get the right name to appear in the destination?

Everything else beside the name seems to working okay.

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

Yes. The embedded commands are for skipping those folders.

I will try what you suggest, preset the destination and drop the punctuation.

I am curious to see what happens to the "Properties".

FYI. I have mirrored many folders with that syntax, but something is different with "Documents".

Hi there

Warning - not really for noobs but those who have or want a bit of experience with Linux can have a go with this as it's incredibly useful.

the easiest way by far to do this is actually via a Linux system - if you have a Linux NAS then you are almost there already.

1) get any Linux distro with a GUI - a VM works well as does a Live distro too - install GRSYNC, NTFS-3G (to read ntfs file -usually installed by default) and SAMBA on it. (GRSYNC is the GUI version of RSYNC which is used a lot for Linux copies / backups etc).

2) On the Linux system mount the Windows directories / disks you want to "Robocopy"

3) start the GRSYNC program on the Linux system -- selecting the mounted windows directories

Works an absolute treat -- even does things like directory recursion, selective copies, update newer only etc.

You need some knowledge to go down this route but believe me the learning pain is well worth the end reward.

I know this is a bit of a radical solution but sometimes these things work far better than the seemingly more obvious ways of doing it.

As an Engineer I always try and find the best tool for the job and when it comes to mucking about with files and directories I've found this method easily the best - I've come to grief loads of times in the past with Robocopy.

It's a pity the old XTREE from DOS days isn't still around !!! Anybody remember that one. (Dos version but was really good in those days !!!).



Cheers
jimbo

1. "Also, as essenbe mentioned, run it under an Elevated Command prompt instead of Powershell, see what you get"

Am I not already running at the Elevated Command prompt?
Cut and pasted from my command prompt window.

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

This is what I am doing.......

Take the cursor to the bottom left corner and right-click to open the WinX menu. Select Command Prompt (Admin) to open an elevated command prompt.

2. I have an older Linux box, but the new Windows machine is much faster and smoother: it has become my main computer for this project. My goal is to very quickly get to a working mirroring back-up scheme with Windows. I know of Rsynch and think it will ultimately be the best tool, but it is complicated and can be challenging (I have been told by a super- competent young fellow). Right now I need to tidy up the WIP.


3. Think of my project like this. I want to consolidate all my historical files to a single archive drive, and keep copies of my most current ones on that drive. I want to keep up to minute at least once a day, say with a Chron-job style script.

Right now I am in the last leg of consolation, getting the files from the two Windows HDD's to the Archive drive, then mirroring it.

I have "Documents" in the new machine: these are the ones that I have been talking about -- and -- I have "Documents" from the old machine drive (now in an enclosure).

So you can see my quandary: how do I keep the two "Document" mirrors separate?

I can deal with the old machine current state because it is a one-time transfer. But what if I add as second Windows machine to the mix? Or id I modify this drive and need to up date the mirror?

Maybe this is beyond Robocopy and Windows?

I am very reluctant to change tools in midstream. I am not too sharp with all this stuff so it is always a challenge.

Batch scripting would be helpful, but I have not written one since the exciting arrival of Disk Operating System.

So if someone could help me start mapping some batch files that out that might the short success path?


I will have another go at this a bit later today or tonight.

mikeincousa said:

Think of my project like this. I want to consolidate all my historical files to a single archive drive, and keep copies of my most current ones on that drive. .

Use /E not /MIR as /MIR will delete files and directories on backup that no longer exist on source.

As far as I can understand, you don't want that - you want everything copied to backup and only the latest files replaced rather than deleting directories/files on backup that don't exist on source any more.

mikeincousa said:

Maybe this is beyond Robocopy and Windows?

No, you just need to decide what you want to do - don't mirror if you want to copy one way for example.