Comments on: How To Use Robocopy To Sync Backup Files In Windows 7?

By: Walker

Walker — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:15:31 +0000

Only those files that have changed will be replaced with a copy from source.

By: Surm

Surm — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:16:04 +0000

Hi Walker,

From your description (dated 04-03-11@00:01), it appears that RoboCopy does merely does a one-way copy from Source to Target.

In other words, what RoboCopy does is functionally equivalent to:

1. Delete everything in Target
2. Copy everything from Source to Target

By: Walker

Walker — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:01:50 +0000

It mirrors files from “source” to “destination” – depends on how you define the “source” and “destination”, it can be “both” way.

My requirement is simply as this:

1. All data files that has changed on Desktop/Laptop are sync to USB drive for backup.

2. In case of restoring, I swap the “source” and “destination” so all files are “sync” from USB drive to Desktop/Laptop.

By: jason404

jason404 — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:35:10 +0000

Robocopy does not sync both ways, so it’s not actual syncing, is it? It’s just one way copying.

By: David

David — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 18:28:09 +0000

When running RoboCopy in Win7 remember to run CMD as Administrator This will allow you to use /B and /ZB

By: Walker

Walker — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:02:26 +0000

Just realize there is an option of robocopy to exclude Junction points:
/XJ

Type robocopy /? for more information on the options.

By: Walker

Walker — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:26:22 +0000

@David, I never tried to backup the %userprofile%.

I guess you can by explicitly backup some of the folders but not all in the %UserProfile%, because there are lot of junction (similar to symbolic links in UNIX/Linux).

You can view the junctions by typing this in command prompt:

dir /A:D %UserProfile%