Utility to copy user data?

[paperfist]

Can you guys recommend any utilities that will copy a user's docs, pics, videos, etc from a non-booting PC so they can be transferred to another PC?

I know I can just do a search from File Explorer and copy that way. I see there's some apps like PCTrans, but as far as I can tell that only works on 'live' PCs.

Thanks!

 

[lxskllr]

Not sure about automated solutions, and I'm not sure I'd trust them. I prefer seeing what I'm copying, either drag/drop or through a script I setup myself. I'd use a bootable gnu/linux usb. then copy everything over like that. The user directory should get most of what your looking for.

I like partedmagic a lot for pc rescue/repair. It's not gratis, but I think the $11 is reasonable for the tools you get, and to have someone put them together for you. Very useful for maintaining computers. Put it on a small old usb, and keep it as a dedicated "toolbox"

https://partedmagic.com/

 

[paperfist]

Not sure about automated solutions, and I'm not sure I'd trust them. I prefer seeing what I'm copying, either drag/drop or through a script I setup myself. I'd use a bootable gnu/linux usb. then copy everything over like that. The user directory should get most of what your looking for.

I like partedmagic a lot for pc rescue/repair. It's not gratis, but I think the $11 is reasonable for the tools you get, and to have someone put them together for you. Very useful for maintaining computers. Put it on a small old usb, and keep it as a dedicated "toolbox"

https://partedmagic.com/

Thanks for the suggestion. It's not my PC so I'm not sure I'm going to know (or want to know) what I'm copying. Just want to grab as many of those file categories as I can.I'll provide them an image of the HD anyway incase I miss anything.

I guess I could break out CMD and write a batch file.

 

[mxnerd]

Batch file is the answer.

Assuming u: drive is the dead PC's drive that's attached to the current PC and the user profile is admin.

echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Desktop   /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Desktop
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Documents /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Documents
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Downloads /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Downloads
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Favorites /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Favorites
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Music     /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Music
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Pictures  /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Pictures
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Videos    /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Videos

the reason using echo d is because xcopy will ask whether the destination is a file or a directory and user should answer (d)irectory.

/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
/F Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
/S Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones. (sorry, missed this one earlier)
==
/Q Does not display file names while copying.

 

[paperfist]

Batch file is the answer.

Assuming u: drive is the dead PC's drive that's attached to the current PC and the user profile is admin.

echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Desktop   /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Desktop
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Documents /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Documents
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Downloads /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Downloads
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Favorites /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Favorites
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Music     /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Music
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Pictures  /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Pictures
echo d | xcopy u:\users\admin\Videos    /Y/F/S  c:\users\admin\Videos

the reason using echo d is because xcopy will ask whether the destination is a file or a directory and user should answer (d)irectory.

/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
/F Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
/S Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones. (sorry, missed this one earlier)
==
/Q Does not display file names while copying.

Nice, thanks 😉

I was thinking of using more of a wild card copy though since not everyone uses the default directories. So something like *.doc, *.pdf, *.xls, *.docx though I'm not sure if I run that in C:\ if it'll grab sub directories too.

 

[mxnerd]

Using wildcard under a user will copy too many files, including files/folders under hidden AppData directory that are usually created by applications. Copy those files not necessarily will make same application work on new machine or even make installed applications malfunction.

If you just want to copy *.doc, *.pdf, *.xls & *.docx files, appending xcopy command with /S will copy all files and its sub-directories.

 

[Ketchup]

I always just copy everything under my user name when I'm backing up. Works for everyone else I have backed up as well. I do look for other users and anything glaring (I bunch of pics in a riot folder for example) but for most people everything with keeping is going to be under their user account name for Windows 7 and up.

 

[Shmee]

I second a booted linux like parted magic. Good for directly copying any user folders and ignoring windows permissions/password locks, provided the drive is not encrypted.