copy and update files in a folder

Hi - I have 3 Windows computers (2 are XP and 1 Vista) which I
occasionally update or use a pc to back up files. To update the folders I
copy the folders to a 1 or 2 GB flash drive and then copy the files from the
flash drive to the pc and then delete the old folder from the pc with the
update folder. This is time consuming. I have a network for the 3 pcs. Years
ago I used a XCopy DOS command to update files but have gotten away from
that. There must be a better way without purchasing additional software.
What I want to accomplish is to update a folder by updating only the files
that have changed since last update. What is the easiest and fast way? Any
suggestions and hopefully I am in the correct newsgroup. Many thanks - the
'Ole Man'

 

You can backup all folders using Vista's backup and restore center. You
would want the Vista PC to have the other PC's (and folders) networked
and shared.

You also could have the shared folders on your desktop and use drag and
drop.

Using Windows Explorer is also another method.


--
lemur

Please click on rep icon if I've been of any help.
Thanks!

 

"Ole Man" <ZeroMail@Verizon.net> wrote in message
news:AB763A3C-9141-4AB1-B66F-DBC2338E3B18@microsoft.com...<!--coloro:blue--><span style="color:blue <!--/coloro-->
> Hi - I have 3 Windows computers (2 are XP and 1 Vista) which I
> occasionally update or use a pc to back up files. To update the folders I
> copy the folders to a 1 or 2 GB flash drive and then copy the files from
> the flash drive to the pc and then delete the old folder from the pc with
> the update folder. This is time consuming. I have a network for the 3 pcs.
> Years ago I used a XCopy DOS command to update files but have gotten away
> from that. There must be a better way without purchasing additional
> software. What I want to accomplish is to update a folder by updating only
> the files that have changed since last update. What is the easiest and
> fast way? Any suggestions and hopefully I am in the correct newsgroup.
> Many thanks - the 'Ole Man'<!--colorc--><!--/colorc-->

Synctoy.

 

Ole Man wrote:<!--coloro:blue--><span style="color:blue <!--/coloro-->
> Hi - I have 3 Windows computers (2 are XP and 1 Vista) which I
> occasionally update or use a pc to back up files. To update the folders
> I copy the folders to a 1 or 2 GB flash drive and then copy the files
> from the flash drive to the pc and then delete the old folder from the
> pc with the update folder. This is time consuming. I have a network for
> the 3 pcs. Years ago I used a XCopy DOS command to update files but have
> gotten away from that. There must be a better way without purchasing
> additional software. What I want to accomplish is to update a folder by
> updating only the files that have changed since last update. What is the
> easiest and fast way? Any suggestions and hopefully I am in the correct
> newsgroup. Many thanks - the 'Ole Man'<!--colorc--><!--/colorc-->

You can use robocopy! It comes with Windows! This command will only copy
the files that have been updated.

robocopy [source] [destination] *.* /E /XO

source/destination can also be shared folder (i.e. \\computer\sharedfolder)

/E copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.
/XO eXclude Older files.

You can also use the following options if you want:

/PURGE delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in [source].

/MON:n :: MONitor source; run again when more than n changes seen.
/MOT:m :: MOnitor source; run again in m minutes Time, if changed.

and

/LOG:file :: output status to LOG file (overwrite existing log).
/LOG+:file :: output status to LOG file (append to existing log).

You can also use the /FFT switch

/FFT :: assume FAT File Times (2-second granularity).

if you're copying to a FAT partition (the last change file could be
different, this switch fixes this problem).

Alex