Best Freeware Backup Software for External HD

[Jeffwo]

Best Freeware Backup Software for External HD?

For use with external hard drive used for music files (recordings for song writer)

Windows XP
Dell Laptop
WD Elements Portable WDE1MSBK4000BN 400GB USB 2.0 External HD - Retail

TIA.
Jeff

 

[Chiefcrowe]

I like syncback a lot, if you are ok with just synchronizing folders.

 

[imported_dlb]

DAR.
It sucks, but there's nothing better.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Cobian

 

[Modelworks]

command prompt:
xcopy *.mp3 D:\ /D /Y
Works well too.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
command prompt:
xcopy *.mp3 D:\ /D /Y
Works well too.

A complete page describing the different switches

http://www.easydos.com/xcopy.html

Thanks Modelworks :^)

 

[Jeffwo]

Originally posted by: lxskllr

Originally posted by: Modelworks
command prompt:
xcopy *.mp3 D:\ /D /Y
Works well too.

A complete page describing the different switches

http://www.easydos.com/xcopy.html

Thanks Modelworks :^)

Wow....I am sorry guys but I don't understand any of this.

I bought a retail HD that had no software with it, I was hoping to get (download) that "one click" b ackup software.

I guess you are saying that I don't need any software but I really don't understand how you talking about doing it.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: Jeffwo


Wow....I am sorry guys but I don't understand any of this.

I bought a retail HD that had no software with it, I was hoping to get (download) that "one click" b ackup software.

I guess you are saying that I don't need any software but I really don't understand how you talking about doing it.

Lets say you want to copy your music files from your C: drive(primary drive) to your D: drive(backup)

xcopy c:\music d: This will copy everything from "music" to your backup drive D: The page I linked gives different switches(denoted by the "/") so you can modify that behavior. The most useful would probably be the date switch.

xcopy c:\music d: /d:04-21-2009 will copy only the files that were changed after yesterday(04-21-2009)

If your directories have spaces in the file names, you have to enclose them in quotes, as in this example...
xcopy c:\"my produced music" d:\"my backups"

 

[Peetoeng]

Try Microsoft SyncToy.

 

[lxskllr]

A really slick way would be to use xcopy in a batch file, then create a shortcut to it. I don't know exactly how to set it up, but if you had it update the date each time, it would be super automated. No GUI, no command line; Just click the shortcut, and you're done.

 

[Lemodular]

Originally posted by: lxskllr
A really slick way would be to use xcopy in a batch file, then create a shortcut to it. I don't know exactly how to set it up, but if you had it update the date each time, it would be super automated. No GUI, no command line; Just click the shortcut, and you're done.

here you go: bat file

I have used Syncback before, it was easy but I heard that SyncToy is even easier.

 

[AlexWade]

SyncToy 2.0.