Backup program that doesn't change the file structure

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Gary Gary

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Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create

their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm

backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the

backup location after its done. Is this even possible? Basically a

mirror of the existing data.
 
"Gary Gary" wrote in message

news:op.u8wsyn0ku4oxh7@----------.wp.shawcable.net...

> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create

> their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm

> backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the

> backup location after its done. Is this even possible? Basically a

> mirror of the existing data.



You could use xcopy.exe or robocopy.exe.
 
On 3/1/2010 2:05 PM On a whim, Gary Gary pounded out on the keyboard



> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create

> their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm

> backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the

> backup location after its done. Is this even possible? Basically a

> mirror of the existing data.



Hi Gary,



Here's one from a Google search:

http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm



There are others....





Terry R.

--

Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.

Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.
 
"Gary Gary" wrote in message

news:op.u8wsyn0ku4oxh7@----------.wp.shawcable.net...

> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create

> their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm

> backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the

> backup location after its done. Is this even possible? Basically a

> mirror of the existing data.





Gary...

Have you considered a disk-cloning program? For all practical purposes the

clone would be a "mirror" of your HDD (or a specific partition if you were

only interested in a partition-to-partition copy). Of course you might

consider a disk-cloning program overkill if all you were interested in was

backing up personal data and not particularly interested in a comprehensive

backup program that would back up the *entire* contents of your "source"

HDD, including the OS, all programs & applications, all personal data - in

short, *everything* that was on your HDD.

Anna
 
On 3/1/2010 5:27 PM, Pegasus [MVP] wrote:

>

>

> "Gary Gary" wrote in message

> news:op.u8wsyn0ku4oxh7@----------.wp.shawcable.net...

>> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

>> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

>> location without putting them in some proprietary file format.

>> ntbackup from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem

>> to create their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders

>> that I'm backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22

>> folders in the backup location after its done. Is this even possible?

>> Basically a mirror of the existing data.

>

> You could use xcopy.exe or robocopy.exe.

or xxcopy. (Free for personal use)
 
I also use Combien - it's very good



Dave





"Terry R." wrote in message

news:%23s81C7YuKHA.4220@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> On 3/1/2010 2:05 PM On a whim, Gary Gary pounded out on the keyboard

>

>> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

>> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

>> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

>> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create

>> their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm

>> backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the

>> backup location after its done. Is this even possible? Basically a

>> mirror of the existing data.

>

> Hi Gary,

>

> Here's one from a Google search:

> http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

>

> There are others....

>

>

> Terry R.

> --

> Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.

> Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.
 
In news:op.u8wsyn0ku4oxh7@----------.wp.shawcable.net,

Gary Gary typed:

> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem

> to create their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders

> that I'm backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22

> folders in the backup location after its done. Is this even

> possible? Basically a mirror of the existing data.



Unless I misunderstand you:

Yes, it's not only possible but most imaging and even XP's ntbackup.exe can

show you that; Just open the Restore features and look thru the folder

structure and files and go to the one you want. They work by using

Explorer's API so most of the features are even still available.

I use both NOorton Ghost and XP's backup program and can find a single

file to recover easily in either of them. Ntbackup was particularly useful

for System State backups and to see what exact files are backed up when you

run a System State backup. It's sort of a super-Restore Point.



If you want to see exactly the same structure in your backup location, then

use simple copy or xcopy commands in a batch file. Xcopy is better because

it can tell if a file has changed since the last backup was done and not

bother to copy it because it's already backed up.



Note however that you can NOT back up your Operating System with xcopy or

any other copy program because it requires VSS or Shadow Copy Services to be

able to copy files that are "in use". You'll just get error messages for any

files that are in use. XP's backup and most any true backup or imaging

program however CAN back up the OS because it calls the VSS services.



This might be too advanced from the sound of your post, but you could also

get the same thing from a RAID setup if you have the drive to hold

everything. Both disks will be identical at any point in time.



May I ask what your aversion is to using the program that backs up the files

to look at the files that were backed up? It's rather unusual, IMO.



Twayne





--

--

Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered

through personal experience does not become a

part of the moral tissue.
 
On Mar 1, 10:05 pm, "Gary Gary" wrote:

> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a  

> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another  

> location without putting them in some proprietary file format.  ntbackup  

>  from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create  

> their own type of files.  If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm  

> backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the  

> backup location after its done.  Is this even possible?  Basically a  

> mirror of the existing data.



One easy program is Comodo Backup, when you use the "Simple Copy" mode.
 
On 3/1/2010 2:05 PM, Gary Gary wrote:

> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem to create

> their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders that I'm

> backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22 folders in the

> backup location after its done. Is this even possible? Basically a

> mirror of the existing data.



xcopy *.* [destination] /e

should do what you want, where [destination] is your backup drive.



Type xcopy /? at a command prompt for more details than you really need.



Bill
 
>> Not sure if anyone or myself asked this before but I'm looking for a

>> backup program that will copy and update modified files to another

>> location without putting them in some proprietary file format. ntbackup

>> from XP makes some file called .bkf and other programs seem

>> to create their own type of files. If I have 300 files in 22 folders

>> that I'm backing up from drive C: I want to see 300 files in 22

>> folders in the backup location after its done. Is this even

>> possible? Basically a mirror of the existing data.

>

> Unless I misunderstand you:

> Yes, it's not only possible but most imaging and even XP's ntbackup.exe

> can show you that; Just open the Restore features



Don't I have to Restore it first? And if its say a 20gb file, won't that

take a rather long time?



> and look thru the folder structure and files and go to the one you want.

> They work by using Explorer's API so most of the features are even still

> available.

> I use both NOorton Ghost and XP's backup program and can find a

> single file to recover easily in either of them. Ntbackup was

> particularly useful for System State backups and to see what exact files

> are backed up when you run a System State backup. It's sort of a

> super-Restore Point.

>

> If you want to see exactly the same structure in your backup location,

> then use simple copy or xcopy commands in a batch file. Xcopy is better

> because it can tell if a file has changed since the last backup was done

> and not bother to copy it because it's already backed up.



I realized just now that perhaps I'm looking for a Sync program, rather

than a backup. I want to be able to work on duplicate files in 2 locations

and have the mirror imaged all the time when they are connected on the

same machine or network.



> This might be too advanced from the sound of your post, but you could

> also get the same thing from a RAID setup if you have the drive to hold

> everything. Both disks will be identical at any point in time.



I'll be using Raid in the future but it will be striped for performance. I

don't need to backup/sync all the time - just once a day should suffice.



> May I ask what your aversion is to using the program that backs up the

> files to look at the files that were backed up? It's rather unusual,

> IMO.



I guess....:) But I need to be able to work on both without having to

restore files each time. I should have specified a syncing program. :)
 
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