Category: Tips

  • Synchronize with an array of disks

    Months ago, I did backup a very large disk of my PC (E:\) to multiple smaller disks connected one after one, using a e-sata cradle (G:\).

    Recently one of those small backup disk started to experience NTFS Errors and I did lost its content. To avoid restarting a complete backup of E:\, I had to find which data were lost to redo a backup of those only.

    Click to read more

    First, I did recreate the complete folder structure (i.e.: without the files) of the remaining backup disks in one folder of my PC (C:\Temp\Backups). I did reconnect the disks one after one via the e-sata Cradle and did execute each time the following command in a MS-DOS console:

    [powershell gutter=”true”] MkDir C:\Temp\Backups
    XCopy G:\ C:\Temp\Backups /T /E[/powershell]

    More details typing “XCopy /?” in your console:

    /T Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes empty directories and subdirectories.

    The result was 22.036 folders – 0 bytes.

    Notice that the target folder (C:\Temp\Backups) must exists !

    Next, using BeyondCompare, I did a “Folder Compare” between “C:\Temp\Backups” and “E:\”.

    I did first select the option to see only the orphans, via the menu “View/Show Orphans“.

    And I did next add a “Filter” to “Exclude files”  with a name “*.*”, via the “glasses” icon (i.e.: I did exclude all the files – in order to only compare the directory structure and backup the missing ones. Otherwise, no folder in C:\Temp\Backups would have appeared as orphans as they are all empty while their equivalent folders on E:\ have content).

    Finally, in BeyondCompare, I did select all the orphan folders on E:\ and used the contextual menu “Copy To Folder…“. In the “Action” field of the “Copy to Folder” dialog box, I did pick G:\ as a destination folder.

    Et voilà.

    Loading