Using SyncToy

Greenlizard0

Greenlizard0

Greenlizard0

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I have just got an external hard drive and I wish to use SyncToy to back my data onto it on a regular basis.

I have a D: which I wish to backup, and I created my external drive as X: which I wish to backup to.

Do I have this in the correct order?:

1)Copy + paste D: over to X:
2)Setup left (D: ) + right pairs (X: ) using SyncToy
3)Use the Echo function periodically. From what I gather reading the help files, Echo will copy any type of changes (add files, delete files, rename files, modify files) in D:, and mirror them to X: .
 
I use it to back up my work folder on my home pc each day.

I just echoed my folder pair and then set it to run automatically each day at 5pm.

Edit: Yeah, you have it right.. except you don't need to copy the folder over to the second drive. Synctoy will do that for you once you set up the folder pair.
 
I found after my first sync that a couple of files couldn't be copied over.

Now in certain folders, I find "SyncToyDirectoryId" as a hidden text file with a number that is shown when opened.

What's going on?
 
9/10 the files in question are things like Index.Dat and other windows files - nothing to worry about - but just double check.

SyncToydata file is annoying but just keeps track of everything!

also FYI if you want to set it to run automatically create a task in task scheduler pointing to synctoy.exe (lives in your user profile folder, not program folders! v strange) and use the -R switch to run all pairs :) just something to bear in mind!

(if you knew that didn't mean to be patronising, i just know when i first started using it it took a lil while)
 
Thanks for the advice fella, I did know that.

I run the back up whenever I remember to do so, because the external drive in question sits in a different room of the house hidden away when e.g. files aren't being added to it. I then plug it in roughly on a weekly basis.
 
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