| Implement your own Backup System: | | | | "%drive%My Documents" |
| Backing up computer data has become an imperative | | | | Echo 2. Backing up Favorites... |
| job for Windows users. This occurs because data | | | | %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%Favorites" |
| safety is very critical and every user must be aware | | | | "%drive%Favorites" |
| that unpredictable events can happen and that could | | | | Echo 3. Backing up email and address book (Outlook |
| destroy important data on their PC's or Mac's. | | | | Express)... |
| Learning how to perform backups is a really 'an | | | | %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%Application |
| absolute must'. Any user, no matter how confident | | | | DataMicrosoftAddress Book" "%drive%Address |
| he or she is about their computer, need undertake | | | | Book" |
| actions to prevent losing data (images, music, | | | | %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%Local |
| documents, work, email, etc). Hard disks crash, | | | | SettingsApplication DataIdentities" "%drive%Outlook |
| power blackouts occur, accidental deleting of files | | | | Express" |
| DOES occur. Viruses or other unplanned events can | | | | Echo 4. Backing up email and contacts (MS Outlook)... |
| destroy your work in a split second, but, don't blame | | | | %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%Local |
| these events; blame yourself for not learning | | | | SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook" |
| backing-up! Now read on - to learn how. | | | | "%drive%Outlook" |
| A basic Introduction: Performing a Basic Backup - for | | | | Echo 5. Backing up email and contacts (Incredimail)... |
| those just getting started! | | | | %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%Local |
| What and How to Backup? | | | | SettingsApplication DataIMIdentities" |
| If you were a System Administrator responsible for | | | | "%drive%Incredimail" |
| maintaining critical Network Servers, the answer | | | | Echo 6. Backing up email and contacts (Mozilla)... |
| would be EVERYTHING! However, this would make | | | | %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%Application |
| for some extra hard work and a deep understanding | | | | DataMozillaProfiles" "%drive%Mozilla" |
| of how computers work. What I outline here is a | | | | Echo 7. Backing up the Windows Registry... |
| simple basic backup method. Attempting to backup | | | | If not exist ";%drive%Registry" mkdir |
| everything is a very hard challenge for modern | | | | "%drive%Registry" |
| Windows. Why? Since Windows 2000 release, | | | | If exist "%drive%Registryregbackup.reg" del |
| Windows (2000, XP, and Vista) has become a true | | | | "%drive%Registryregbackup.reg" |
| multi-tasking operating system. This means there are | | | | Regedit /e "%drive%Registryregbackup.reg" |
| some System Files that CANNOT be 'easily' | | | | Echo Backup Complete! ... Hit any key ... |
| backed-up - or restored. It is like trying to lift | | | | @Pause |
| yourself out of bed - by your own feet! | | | | The above Batch Script performs the following: |
| Complete software backups are possible with multiple | | | | - Backs up My Documents (all your documents, |
| operating systems and more than one hard drive! | | | | pictures, music, etc) |
| To dual boot means that you have more than one | | | | - Backs up Favourites (the website addresses you |
| operating system installed on the hard drive and that | | | | have saved) |
| you can decide between the two when you start | | | | - Backs up Outlook Express email and address book |
| your computer. | | | | for the current user |
| Instead of backing up everything, I will advise you on | | | | - Backs up Outlook email and contacts for the |
| my own simple back-up method. This involves only | | | | current user (if found.) |
| those things that are irreplaceable, and that means | | | | - Backs up Incredimail email and address book for the |
| critical data and personal files. All other things | | | | current user (if found.) |
| (Operating System and Programs) can be replaced | | | | - Backs up Mozilla email and address book for the |
| by a clean install. Let us look at each software | | | | current user (if found) |
| component in order: | | | | - Backs up the Windows Registry data for the |
| - Operating System - If your hard drive fails, you | | | | current user |
| may need to buy a new unit and start with a clean | | | | This script copies the files to the directory defined in |
| install. Step one is installing the Operating System. | | | | the %drive% variable (E:Backup in the above script). |
| You will need two things to do this, the installation | | | | After the first run, the script will incrementally add |
| media (CD-ROM), and its associated Product Key. | | | | (over-write) any files that are found to be new - or |
| - Program Software (Office, etc) - This will come | | | | have been changed. This backup script will copy |
| with its own CD-ROM, and it's associated registration | | | | system and hidden files found. |
| codes. Make sure you know where they are when it | | | | Understanding the Backup script: |
| comes time to reinstall. | | | | - Lines that begin with "::" are simply script comments |
| - Downloadable software (Skype, Firefox, etc) - Go | | | | - The "set drive=" is used to indicate your backup |
| to the respective Website, and print out the details | | | | Drive and any file path |
| for the products download page. If you need to | | | | - The "set BackUpCmd=" is used for the Xcopy |
| reinstall, this will tell you where to go for the | | | | command switches |
| download. | | | | - Lines beginning with "echo " are used to output |
| - Shareware - Print out the registration code, along | | | | text progress messages |
| with the Web home page (if applicable) and store it. | | | | Notes: |
| Now, if you do some analysis of your own hard | | | | - You can cancel this running script by a CTRL%2BC |
| drive, you will find that at least 70%, and probably | | | | or CTRL%2BBreak |
| more, of what is on your hard drive falls in one of | | | | - The Registry backup in the above example saves |
| the above categories. With just a little preparation, | | | | the current 'User Profile' registry profile state. Saving |
| you can reinstall all of this above software - if you | | | | the entire Windows System Hive Registry is not part |
| really need to do so. | | | | of this simplistic and 'essential files' backup approach. |
| - Documents: This folder is the main area for your | | | | Easily Backup And Search Your Email |
| personal data. Normally, all your saved work, pictures, | | | | A great program that allows you to easily backup |
| and music are placed in a folder in this directory. This | | | | many popular Windows email programs, is MailStore |
| makes it a very easy to do a backup on this section. | | | | Home. This is a free software tool will allow you to |
| - Address book: Whatever e-mail client you use, you | | | | backup and archive email from the following email |
| have an address book containing a list of those | | | | based programs: |
| people you have contacted. | | | | - Microsoft Outlook |
| - Bookmarks and Favorites: You will have saved the | | | | - Microsoft Outlook Express |
| addresses of some great Web sites. Netscape saves | | | | - Microsoft Windows Mail |
| them as a single file, Internet Explorer uses a single | | | | - Microsoft Exchange Server Mailboxes |
| directory containing individual links to each site. | | | | - Mozilla Thunderbird |
| - E-mail files: All those special messages you sent and | | | | - Mozilla SeaMonkey |
| received can be backed up. | | | | - Webmailer |
| - Other: You may have MYOB or QuickBooks that | | | | - POP3 and IMAP |
| has critical data that cannot be replaced easily. | | | | - File Import |
| Create your own Backup with a Batch File: Step one | | | | MailStore Home allows you to backup your email's |
| is purchase an external USB hard drive kit. Once | | | | messages from many common applications into one |
| installed correctly, a new drive will be shown in "My | | | | accessible archive store. MailStore will import your |
| Computer". Make a note of the drive letter that is | | | | existing email from Outlook, Windows Mail, Outlook |
| allocated to it -eg; E: or F: or G:, etc... | | | | Express, Thunderbird, Exchange. Once MailStore has |
| The key to your own automated backup is the use | | | | archived your email, you can use this software to |
| of a batch file. This is a text file (or script file) that | | | | easily search through all your messages by keyword. |
| contains commands that are executed whenever the | | | | Optionally, you can quickly create a backup CD or |
| file is run. Creating a batch file is quite easy. In | | | | DVD within this program. CD and DVD burning is fully |
| Windows, you can create one using Notepad. The | | | | integrated within MailStore Home. Archived email |
| thing to remember is that it must be a pure ASCII | | | | messages are stored in a easy MIME-compatible |
| text file. Using a Word Processor, even WordPad, will | | | | format, and can be easily recovered at any time. |
| not produce a pure text. I recommend using | | | | A better tool than using xcopy = RoboCopy: |
| Notepad. | | | | Robocopy, or "Robust File Copy", is a command-line |
| It is often easier to copy your existing work | | | | folder replication tool. It has been freely available as |
| directories to separate hard disk (or a network | | | | part of the Windows Resource Kit (outside this site), |
| resource) rather than using other complicated backup | | | | and has now been introduced as a standard |
| software. Several directories can be backed up easily | | | | component of Windows Vista. |
| by simply creating a simple a batch file (termed .CMD | | | | Robocopy is noted for its capabilities above and |
| file in Windows 2000, XP and Vista). This 'backup' file | | | | beyond the built-in Windows COPY and XCOPY |
| can be saved and you may either: | | | | (outside this site) commands, including the following: |
| - Run it manually from your Windows Desktop - or | | | | - Ability to tolerate outages and resume copying |
| - Add a 'short-cut' to this file into the Windows | | | | where it previously left off |
| [Startup] folder | | | | - Ability to correctly copy attributes, owner |
| - It can be added to the Windows [Scheduled Tasks] | | | | information, alternate data streams, auditing |
| folder | | | | information, and timestamp's by default |
| Windows Batch files have many other uses - just like | | | | - Ability to correctly copy NTFS ACL's, (when |
| this working example. Copy the text box below, and | | | | COPYALL provided) |
| paste it into Notepad. Save the file with a name like | | | | - Persistence by default, with a programmable |
| 'MyBackup.cmd, and be sure to add the cmd | | | | number of automatic retries if a file cannot be |
| extension, and not the default txt. | | | | opened |
| This can be used as a working template of your own | | | | - A "mirror" mode, which keeps folder contents in |
| automatic backup script! Modify it to suit your own | | | | sync by optionally deleting files out of the destination |
| needs: | | | | that are no longer present in the source |
| Notes: substitute the 'set drive=E:Backup' for the | | | | - Ability to copy a very large numbers of files that |
| drive letter of your 2nd hard drive (or other network | | | | would otherwise exceed the resources of the built-in |
| path). | | | | utility |
| Copy and Paste this 'Backup Script' to Notepad: (then | | | | - A progress indicator on the command line that |
| save as MyBackup.cmd) | | | | updates continuously |
| @Echo off | | | | Robocopy will not copy open files that are found to |
| :: variables | | | | be 'in use' by other users or applications. The |
| Set drive=E:Backup | | | | Windows Volume Shadow Copy service is the only |
| Set BackUpCmd=xcopy /s /e /h /c /d /i /r /k /y | | | | Windows sub-system that can open files while they |
| Echo 1. Backing up My Documents... | | | | are in use. Robocopy does not implement accessing |
| %BackUpCmd% "%USERPROFILE%My Documents" | | | | the Volume Shadow Copy service. |