Comments on: Create a Windows Daily Backup Script

By: Jim Barbera

Jim Barbera — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:14:28 +0000

You can copy folders with spaces in the names. You just have to use the folder’s MS-DOS name in your command lines.

Examples:

My Documents = MYDOCU~1
Program Files = PROGRA~1
Application Data = APPLIC~1

To find the MS-DOS name, you’ll need to open a command prompt window and navigate to the folder using the dir /X and cd commands. Maybe there’s a better way, but this is what I do.

-Jim

By: Pawandeep Singh

Pawandeep Singh — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:01:45 +0000

I have found that, if you are trying to copy a folder that has space in name (Example: Documents and Settings), then this script will not work.
To make it work:
You will have put quotation mark on both ends of folder’s address.
Example:
xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\*” “\\server\admin\Backup\Hp-Desktop\%date:~10,4%_%date:~4,2%_%date:~7,2%_backup\*” /Y /Q /S
This script working perfectly on my pc, and I hope it will work on your too.

By: Pawandeep Singh

Pawandeep Singh — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:59:49 +0000

Hi Everyone,
I have found that, if you are trying to copy a folder that has space in name (Example: Documents and Settings), then this script will not work.
To make it work:
You will have put quotation mark on both ends of folder’s address.
Example:
xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\*” “\\server\admin\Backup\Hp-Desktop\%date:~10,4%_%date:~4,2%_%date:~7,2%_backup\*” /Y /Q /S
This script working perfectly on my pc, and I hope it will work on your too.

By: san

san — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:15:18 +0000

This is not working @ time 12:00 AM

xcopy D:\xyz\* D:\Backup\%date:~10,4%-%date:~7,2%-%date:~4,2%_%time:~0,2%.%time:~3,2%\* /Y /Q /S

By: cicciux

cicciux — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:26:53 +0000

or, simply use ntbackup or any of the thousand backup tools out there.

nice post though.

By: Ben Kennedy

Ben Kennedy — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:15:43 +0000

Hi John,

Just wanted to let you know that you are on stumble upon.

I like your script!

A word to everyone who needs help making their own scripts: Please stop asking John to write a script for you, do it yourselves, it’s not hard. You can easily use any search engine to research the various commands in this script to find out how it works. Do your homework first, and then you won’t have to ask silly questions that aren’t worth the time to answer.

Anyway, Keep up the good work John.

-Ben

By: sanjay

sanjay — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:45:36 +0000

how to copy directory from one location to another location using xcopy in windows

By: Killer

Killer — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:52:11 +0000

Didn’t quite see the answer to the question regarding backups of “newest” files.

I want to create a copy of a music directory and then run your script nightly so that if there are new mp3 files added to the source directory it will only copy those files.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:01:27 +0000

Thanks for the help, really great guide you have going here.

By: mitch

mitch — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:47:57 +0000

what is backing up files good for and y do ppl do it??? plz hlp hehe