An Alternative Way To Have Windows Backup

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Hi All,

 

Reading the posing about using Windows basic backup system has prompted me to share my backup system which does use some of Windows basic backup components, but I feel is much better and more set and forget.  Like the Windows backup system, all components used come installed with Windows versions 7 thru 10.

 

Like Windows basic backup system, there are two types of backups being performed…..Individual files and folders of personal data and image backup of the entire drive Windows is installed on.  This backup system uses a Robocopy backup command, BAT file, and Task Scheduler to backup up personal data; and Windows Backup and Restore (Windows7) control applet to create image backups.

 

The Robocopy backup command will create one copy of your personal data with no extra older copies to maintain.  Each time the command is ran only the files/folders on the source drive that have been changed or added since the last backup was ran will be copied, so after the first backup the rest of the backups are very quick.  The command will copy 4 times faster than the rate that Windows copies at.  The command will create a report of the backup in txt format and store that report with the backups.  The report will be replaced with the new report for each backup.  You can open the report to see the last backup stats.  This robocopy backup command is placed in a BAT for repeat running.  Task Scheduler is used to run this BAT every day at 1:00 am.  The result is all my personal data is backed up everyday with no actions needed on my part including file maintenance of backup copies.  Set and forget, but always have an up to date backup copy.

 

I utilize the Windows Backup and Restore(Windows 7) control applet to make system image backups of the drive Windows is installed on.  I remove default settings so no personal data is being backed up and only the system image is being made.  I schedule the system image to be made monthly, at night while I sleep and at a time not to conflict with the daily personal data backups.  The control applet will create the folder WindowsImageBackup in the root directory of your storage drive to store the backup image in.  When the next image backup is made, the app will find the prior backup image in this folder and replace it with the new backup image.  It is important to keep backup images for longer than 1 month because it may take you over a month to discover a problem that warrants restoring a prior backup image.  Can’t restore what is no longer there.  This is an easy fix and is the only maintenance this backup system needs.  Once every 2 or 3 months I create a new folder on the storage drive and move the current WindowsImageBackup folder into it.  With this WindowsImageBackup folder not in the root directory the next time an image backup is made, the app will create a new WindowsImageBackup folder and not over write the last backup image.  When restoring I can choose what image to restore and thus how far I can turn back the clock.

 

The gist of this backup system is using Robocopy to backup your personal files and not Windows Basic backup system.  Below is how to set Robocopy to backup your personal data files.

 

<u>Step 1:</u>

In my system Windows and apps are installed on the internal SSD (C:) drive and data is stored on the internal SATA (D:) drive.  Consolidate (move) all your personal Data files into one drive or folder.  It is best to keep your personal data on a separate drive.  If you can’t get all your personal data moved to that drive or folder; then, create a folder where you store your personal data and place a sym link to the personal data you couldn’t move in the folder.  Copying a sym link copies the file that is the target of the sym link.  The command points to a single drive or a single folder, so multiple drives or folders will require a separate command for each folder or drive.

 

<u>Step2:</u>

Open a new document in Notepad (not Word or Wordpad) and copy the following commands into the new document with any addition lines or spaces.

 

%echo_off

robocopy_”SOURCE”_”STORAGE”_/E_/B_/IM_/R:5_/W:5_/MT:32_/LOG:”STORAGE\DBkupLog.txt”

exit

 

The underscore (_) shows where a space goes, so replace the underscore with a space.

Place the PATH to the Personal data to be copied where SOURCE is in the command.  Be sure to keep the command in quotes.

Place the PATH to the storage drive and folder that the backup will be stored in where STORAGE is in the command.  Note: Create a folder to keep the backups in to keep this backup separate from other backups you will keep on that drive.  Be sure to replace STORAGE in the LOG PATH with the PATH to that storage folder so the report will be in that storage folder.

File and save this document in a place that will not be part of the data being backed up.  Select All Files as file type and include in the name .bat file extension.  Example DataBkup.bat.

 

<u>Step 3:</u>

The next step is to test the bat file, but before you do: make sure all data files to be copied are closed and not in use, that the folder to store the backups has been made, and you will not have to use those files for a while.  As a reference this command backed up 55 GBs of data from an internal SATA drive to an external USB 3.0 drive in under 90 minutes (.7GB/minute).  Once you are ready to test, right click the bat file and select Run as administrator and click Yes to the UAC confirm box.  You can use your PC while the backup is in progress and if the drive has a usage light you will see it in constant use.  When the DBkupLog.txt file appears in the storage folder the backup is complete.  Open the log, it tells a lot.  Close the log.  To show how to bat file will work in the future, run it again.  Wait 1 minute and then open the DBkupLog.txt.  It is very short and the backup took less than a minute…..it only backs up files that have been changed or added which none had.

 

<u>Step 4</u>:

Now to automate the running of this bat file.  Press Win key + R to open the Run box, type in taskschd.msc  and press Enter to open the Task Scheduler.  Create and save new task that:

• Checked to Run with highest privileges
• Trigger – on a Schedule of Daily, recur every 1 day, start at 1:00 am with Stop if it runs longer than 2 hours, and Enabled checked.
• Action is to Start a program with the PATH address to the BAT file in the Program/script box
• Condition that under Power settings the Wake the computer to run this task is checked.
• On the final setting, Allow task to be run on command is checked.

Click the task you created and run it.  Check the report in the Storage folder to verify the run.  Now anytime you need a backup copy of any of your personal data, you have one that is less than 24 hours old.

 

That is.  You’re all set.  Each night before you go to bed, close all your personal data files so the little gnomes can copy them while you sleep.

HTH, Dana:))

 

 

 

HTH, Dana:))

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I would be careful with using Windows Backup and Restore for images. This may be a bit anecdotal, but I’ve heard of quite a lot of people not being able to restore from the images created. Something like Macrium is much more reliable.

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I’ve created and restored images using Windows backup and restore for the past 10 years without issue.  Granted, just my experience.

Win 11 home - 24H2
Attitude is a choice...Choose wisely

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never had an issue with Windows 7 image creator either in years of use.

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geekdom

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Thank you for your comment and I have heard that too, but that is not my experience.  Here are some tips about making and using Windows’ backup images.

I have found that the software that Microsoft uses to copy files while the files are open is weak.  It can copy files that are open OK, but files in use during the image backup tend to be corrupt and copied incompletely or incorrectly.  It really is best to not be using the PC while the image backup is being made and that’s why I schedule my at a time I’m not using the PC.  Also, I look at the size of the image file after it is made and an image file that decreases in size from the last backup image usually means a corrupt and incomplete backup image.

I have also found that the restore wizard expects to find the backup image in a special folder in a special place in a directory.  If not, the restore wizard can’t find the backup image and you can’t restore.  After performing an image backup review the folders and placement in the directory of that drive the image is stored on.  The restore wizard has to find it just like that or it will not “see” the image to restore it.

There is a problem when restoring the a Windows image to a larger drive.  The image will cause Windows to “see” only that portion of the new drive that is equal in size to the drive that the image was made from.  This is an easy fix with Windows Computer Management and the Expand wizard.

HTH, Dana:))

HTH, Dana:))

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ClearThunder

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I was just browsing the forums, and came across this post, which prompted me to throw my 2 cents in.
Over the years, I think I’ve tried just about every free backup utility to back up my own data (i.e. NOT an image backup.) I best I found was FBackup, but every so often, I’d discover a glitch in that, usually right after an update was released. Out of frustration, I decided to take this on myself, and use RoboCopy like DRCard did. But, I expanded on this idea by writing my own “front end” app to create the RoboCopy batch file. Since I needed my backup job to include multiple foldlers, my app allows me to browse for the source folders I want included, and add them one after another to the backup job. Once that’s done, my app creates a preview of the RC commands, which I can then save to the disc. This batch file may contain numerous RC command lines, all of which write their results to the same log file.
When the RC batch file is run and completes, a companion app reads the log file, and creates a summary of the results, so I can quickly spot if there were any reported errors.
I also set up a task using Task Scheduler to run this backup job 3 times a week, copying my data to my NAS.
This front end app I’ve written allows me to make multiple different backup jobs — one for the NAS, one for a removeable SATA drive, one for an external USB drive, etc. It’s come in very handy. The only down side I’ve found about using RoboCopy is there isn’t a verify method (at least not that I’ve found) that can be incorporated into the batch file. But I’m fairly confident I’m getting reliable backups.

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Tools like Macrium Reflect Gs Richcopy360 and Carbonite are much reliable and robust to do data backup and I prefer to make your backups to external Hard Drives or Cloud Storages to secure your data

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