Hi
I used to back up multiple folders from C: or my data drive D: to my external drive using Microsoft's own Synctoy 2.1. I used to "Echo" the folders and contents from C: to my external drive i.e. files and folders that get deleted/moved on C: also get deleted/moved on my external drive. Except that they don't! This is why I have fallen out with Synctoy. Files sometimes get deleted, and folders never(!) get deleted. For example: (this applies to anyone copying files, not just using Synctoy)
Let's say you copy Folder 1 (subsequently containing Folder 1a and 1b) from one location to another. Now some time later you delete sub-folder 1b from the original location because you don't need it, and you copy (back up) Folder 1 again. Folder 1b will still exist in the back up location - I don't want this!
So, there is my problem. I want to regularly back up folders but have the stuff I delete on C: also be deleted on my external. The simplest way of making sure this doesn't happen is by deleting the backed up data, and copying from fresh, but this is time consuming when you have films/steam folder to worry about - I just want to back up the altered stuff, and have the deleted stuff removed from my backup too.
Acronis is out of the question because I don't want images, I want files I can view readily.
That leaves Robocopy. I know some people use it, but I have not fully figured it out yet. It seems complicated
TL;DR I want to Mirror folders i.e. overwrite newer files to backup, add new files but also mirror the deleted folders/files from the source.
Can you help?
Thanks
I used to back up multiple folders from C: or my data drive D: to my external drive using Microsoft's own Synctoy 2.1. I used to "Echo" the folders and contents from C: to my external drive i.e. files and folders that get deleted/moved on C: also get deleted/moved on my external drive. Except that they don't! This is why I have fallen out with Synctoy. Files sometimes get deleted, and folders never(!) get deleted. For example: (this applies to anyone copying files, not just using Synctoy)
Let's say you copy Folder 1 (subsequently containing Folder 1a and 1b) from one location to another. Now some time later you delete sub-folder 1b from the original location because you don't need it, and you copy (back up) Folder 1 again. Folder 1b will still exist in the back up location - I don't want this!
So, there is my problem. I want to regularly back up folders but have the stuff I delete on C: also be deleted on my external. The simplest way of making sure this doesn't happen is by deleting the backed up data, and copying from fresh, but this is time consuming when you have films/steam folder to worry about - I just want to back up the altered stuff, and have the deleted stuff removed from my backup too.
Acronis is out of the question because I don't want images, I want files I can view readily.
That leaves Robocopy. I know some people use it, but I have not fully figured it out yet. It seems complicated
TL;DR I want to Mirror folders i.e. overwrite newer files to backup, add new files but also mirror the deleted folders/files from the source.
Can you help?
Thanks
