Robocopy: Deleting Folder Files

Michael,

1 Small point first just to get it out of the way:-
You can avoid :D turning into a smiley face in your posts by selecting the text and clicking on the NoParse icon so, whilst typing your post, you'll see and, when posted, you'll see source c:\temp\destination /E /DCOPY:DAT /R:100 /W:3


2 Most important point next:-

mikeincousa said:

enough head space

I know you are going to go on and create more free space on your disk but I thought your primary concern had quite usefully become to get backups of all those irreplaceable files which are currently at risk without backups.


3 About your RoboCopy commands themselves:-

mikeincousa said:

I snagged on this command: source c:\temp\destination /E /DCOPY:DAT /R:100 /W:3

I don't know what snagged means.
- Personally, I would never use R:100, I'd be waiting till next Tuesday if there was a problem.
- I cannot remember the last time I used the /W switch.
- You can include empty subfolders if you want with /E instead of /S to include just ones with files in them
- I assume you wrote source just to avoid typing out the path in your post. source needs to be a folder path.
This is what I normally use Sample RoboCopy backing up script - TenForums
- I don't think the /MIR in my examples is suitable for your case because you'll probably re-use your RoboCopy commands later on and the /MIR switch would mean that files deleted in your source folder would also get deleted in your destination folder. The /MIR switch can be very useful but you have to be very careful with it when backing up.
- I've also put some comments & helpful links in my attempt at a consolidated RoboCopy post - TenForums
- And I've posted about the /MT switch in my ditty Using RoboCopy threading [post #10] - TenForums It can speed up RoboCopying well beyond what other copying commands can achieve. If you don't include the /MT switch, RoboCopy assumes /MT:8 I used to find problems with using /MT when RoboCopying to a particular SD card so I deliberately included /MT:1. In other cases, I use /MT:32


4 RoboCopy logging:-
RoboCopy does have logging capabilities that I don't use.
For reasons that go too far back to remember, I just add >F:\Logs\RoboCopy.txt to each RoboCopy command line to send the whole output to RoboCopy.txt in that folder. Naturally, you'd chose a folder that exists on your computer.
e.g. RoboCopy "D:\Docs\Work" "G:\Docs\Work" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPYD:AT /XA:SH >F:\Logs\RoboCopy.txt

I found that the logs created that way were more informative than the ones made using RoboCopy's own logging capabilities but it is perfectly possible that that advantage applied in Windows 98 but no longer applies. Since the logs are only ever of any interest when there's a problem to be investigated, I thought it was worth choosing that type of log.

The only examples I've kept of using RoboCopy's own logging capabilities are
robocopy "d:\desktop\lcu folder" d:\desktop\target /s /log:rcloglog.txt
or, to append to an existing log,
robocopy "d:\desktop\lcu folder" d:\desktop\target /s /log+:rcloglog.txt


5 That 10Windows file:-

mikeincousa said:

I established a 10Windows file

I hope this is not significant because I don't understand what you mean.




All the best,
Denis

Michael,

I'll reply to the rest of your post later.

mikeincousa said:

Sorry for the long delay. I am returning to my Robocopy project.

Not a bother.

mikeincousa said:

XXXXX
First: I do not know how to intent comments.

It's just a bit of manual manipulation of the Quote facility. I often find it very handy, when responding to intricate discussions, to make sure that each of my comments is clearly marked as relating to a specific earlier segment.

So I quote your whole post, then
split it up into the bits I want to respond to, then
copy the opening code [QUOTE=mikeincousa;2542148] in front of each bit, then
add the closing code [/quote] at the end of each bit, then
type what I want underneath each bit.

You can manually copy in or write in various opening codes and each variant has its own properties [the names I've used are just my own invention rather than defined terms]

- [QUOTE]...[/Quote] - raw quote

This is useful when I give you a link to an MS article, a TenForumsTutorial or anything else outside TenForums normal quoting scheme just to make sure it's clear that I'm quoting not stating something.

- [QUOTE=mikeincousa]...[/Quote] - named quote

There's rarely any particularly good reason for using this form of quote instead of the next one, a sourced quote, but it can be a handy shortcut sometimes. Instead of quoting the whole post then chopping it up, I can just write in [QUOTE=mikeincousa]...[/Quote] manually then paste in some specific text in the middle of it.

- [QUOTE=mikeincousa;2542148]...[/Quote] - sourced quote

Sourced quotes shows the arrow which anyone can click on to see the original post from which the quote was taken. This can be invaluable in avoiding confusion & misunderstandings. I wanted, for example, to be clear about which bit I did not understand in the following:-

If it was relevant, I could write a post in which I put sourced quotes from several of your posts, or indeed, my own. This could be handy of we had both been making comments about one particular topic throughout the thread and I wanted to consolidate the whole thing in one place.


In practice, what I do is quote the whole of your post then copy the opening code section umpteen times,

and then I copy & paste each bit I want afterwards,
and then I write or copy the ending [/quote] after each bit and add my reply to that part.



I used the NoParse method [see my smiley face comments from last month] several times in this post so you could see the code I was referring to without it being acted upon by the forum software.


All the best,
Denis

mikeincousa said:

xxxxx
2. I know you are going to go on and create more free space on your disk but I thought your primary concern had quite usefully become to get backups of all those irreplaceable files which are currently at risk without backups.

>>>>I do not have any room in my computer for backups. In such circumstances is Robocopy without Time Stamps my only option for them? Do have any alternatives?

mikeincousa said:

I do not have any room in my computer for backups.

Backups are made onto external disks not onto your computer.
A backup made on your own computer's disks is marginally more useful than a chocolate teapot.
I only have one file backup onto my own computer and that's onto an SD card that sits in my otherwise unused SD card slot. We can discuss that later on, when the main backup job has been done, if you want to.

RoboCopy can be a useful backup tool for file backups.
I don't know why you mention timestamps. I can't see it mentioned earlier on so I don't know where your comment came from.
I really do think what you need to focus on is getting a full backup of your own files done onto an external disk e.g.

Code:

Set BackupDrive=G:
RoboCopy "D:\Desktop" "%BackupDrive%\Desktop" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\Work" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\Work" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\Home" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\Home" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\Cooking" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\Cooking" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\Friends" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\Friends" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\House" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\House" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\Odds N Sods" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\Odds N Sods" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
RoboCopy "D:\Documents\Suppliers" "%BackupDrive%\Documents\Suppliers" /S /R:10 /MT:1 /DCOPY:DAT /XA:SH 
Pause to look at the results until you are confident in the file.  This line makes the batch file stay open when it has finished its job.
∷ Put two colons in front of Pause after you decide you no longer want it to remain open when it has finished.  Or just delete the Pause line and this line.

I'm sorry to nag but I think this is the most important & most urgent action for you to take.
- "this suggests that I do NOT need to add them to my copy. Is that correct?" Yes. I think even my use of /R:10 is possibly too much.
- "I will start studying your code later today." In the code above, all I have changed is chopping out /MIR. I don't think it is relevant to your current task.
- "It just occurred to me that worst case I could batch small amounts files from the Main Drive to the secondary one!" Yes. Once /MIR is removed, you are safe doing it in small bits.
- "Are R:100 and /W switch "filtering" tasks?" No. /R is a retry switch. /W controls waiting times between reties.
- It's entirely up to you but I suggest that you leave trying to use RoboCopy filters until later. They are possible.
- My primary guides to RoboCopy usage are the response to the command

Code:

RoboCopy /?

and RoboCopy - SS64 I only go looking at things like your sysop link if I'm researching a specific topic.


I'm concentrating on RoboCopy because I think it is the most relevant tool for your current needs, copying a bucketful of your own files.
Once the backup has been done, you can resume trying to consolidate your own files on the computer, delete duplicates, ...
If any nagging about system images is needed, I can hold myself back until the more important job has been done.


All the best,
Denis

Michael,

mikeincousa said:

I have been thinking that copying one drive to another using Robocopy can create a full independent backup?

Copying your own files creates a copy of them.
Copying a Windows drive will not copy every single file because various folder permissions will get in the way which is why we use disk imaging for that job instead.
my ditty - File backup vs imaging, imaging utilities, backing up drivers [post #3] - TenForums

mikeincousa said:

Backups are made onto external disks not onto your computer,
Does my attached drive qualify? Is it sufficiently "external"?

All drives are attached in some way.
If your backup drive is permanently attached then it is as vulnerable to malware as the rest of your computer.


All the best,
Denis

Mike,

mikeincousa said:

I have updated my Macrium Reflect.

1 I do not know why you mention that.

mikeincousa said:

I have Macrium Reflect poised just a few steps under the Window C: Setting. Should I move it somewhere else?

2 I do not understand what you mean.
Please post a screenshot if you want me to understand.

mikeincousa said:

I have something called "Microlife" just below Macrium in the File Tree. I
could not find a source for it on the Internet.
It seems to be connected to the Macrium file. I have no recollection of ever using it.
I doubt that is has any significance. I am thinking it was an unwanted download?
If is not significant should / could I get rid of it?

3 I know nothing about the MicroLife app except that it is a health app & has nothing to do with Macrium.

mikeincousa said:

Copying your own files creates a copy of them.

Macrium will take care of this, no?

4 If you make an image of a drive then that image will include all files on that drive.
But you are trying to re-organise & consolidate your files.
I think a simple set of copies of all your files on an external drive is better suited to your current task. RoboCopy is a suitable tool for making those copies.

mikeincousa said:

My external drive is USB. That is its only connection to my computer.

mikeincousa said:

How do you connect and disconnect your two backup devices?

5 I suppose that's in reply to my comment about not leaving backup drives permanently connected. The method of connection is not significant.
My backup drives are connected by USB. Before connecting them, I disconnect from the internet & I disconnect the backup drives before reconnecting to the internet.

mikeincousa said:

Macrium shows some content in my external drive. I am recalling I have something parked there? It could be in a partition?
Should I clear that content before proceeding with the imaging?

6 You do not need to remove anything before making a Macrium reflect image.

mikeincousa said:

I do not think that I have any thing special in my files.

7 I do not know why you mention that.

mikeincousa said:

Macrium shows 112 GB. and 912 free. I could send you snapshot if you need it.

8 I do not know why you mention that.

mikeincousa said:

How can find the files in the current Macrium Drive?

9 There is no such thing as a Macrium Drive.
You make Macrium reflect images on a drive but Macrium does not own the thing.
You can double-click on a Macrium Reflect image and Windows will "mount" it so you can browse around it.
But why bother?
Just make your copies of your own files using, for example, RoboCopy and they'll be separate files already. You'll be able to browse around them without mounting anything.


10 I urge you to stop delaying your intended backup of your files using RoboCopy so that you
- have the safety of a backup of all your files, and
- can get on with the reorganisation / consolidation of your files that was your objective.
I know you are going to make system images as part of your normal routine but that is not relevant to your files consolidation effort.



All the best,
Denis