Command Line Tool to Backup In use Folders and Files?

[zonetrooperex]

Hey, does anyone know of a command line tool to backup in use/locked folders and files? Using VSS/Shadows or similar?

 

I've only found some that haven't been updated since 2014.

 

I'm trying to create a PowerShell script to make backups of all the user files on a PC.

[Bitter]

Not sure you can read files and folders which are locked/in use. If you want a copy of the whole drive why not just make a mountable image of it then copy the mounted image out into a directory on another PC?

[zonetrooperex]

42 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Not sure you can read files and folders which are locked/in use. If you want a copy of the whole drive why not just make a mountable image of it then copy the mounted image out into a directory on another PC?

I'm trying to do it in a way that only backups the user files not the OS itself, for reasons of backup speed and less disk space being needed.

[Bitter]

1 hour ago, zonetrooperex said:

I'm trying to do it in a way that only backups the user files not the OS itself, for reasons of backup speed and less disk space being needed.

In Windows I assume?

[GoodBytes]

On 4/19/2020 at 6:57 PM, zonetrooperex said:

Hey, does anyone know of a command line tool to backup in use/locked folders and files? Using VSS/Shadows or similar?

 

I've only found some that haven't been updated since 2014.

 

I'm trying to create a PowerShell script to make backups of all the user files on a PC.

Why not just use Windows File History for your backup needs? (avail starting with Windows 7 Pro (iirc)).

 

How it works: 

 - It copies all your files in your personal folders (skipping defined excluded folders, and including any additional included folders) to a network drive or USB drive.

 - Then periodically (every 10min to Daily - configurable) copies the bits that differs between each file and the backup.

 - Data is stored under: \<user account>\<System Name>\Data\<Drive Letter>\

 

This not only give you a backup (which you can access the latest version of your files on any machine, from any OS that support your drive format, like you are browsing any file), but also allows you go back in time on a file or folder.

[amckern]

42 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

Windows File History

Good idea, but ransom ware will still block access to that folder.

 

If you looking at a command line tool you can run robocopy or xcopy, its prety powerful, its not a delta back up tool, so you will be moving entire files in your back up, but its built into every version of windows (it also looks ugly).

 

robocopy C:\source M:\destination /MIR /FFT /R:3 /W:10 /Z /NP /NDL

 

Robocopy has a few more switches but XP / ME have the same core functions built into them with xcopy.

[GoodBytes]

39 minutes ago, amckern said:

Good idea, but ransom ware will still block access to that folder.

I am not following. If a ransomeware encrypts your files, you can go back in time and get the version before it was encrypted.

 

If randsomeware is a concern, then enable "Ransomeware protection under Windows Security (aka: Windows Defender)

 

You can add folders to protect, and you can add apps to the allow list.

 

But I do understand in having an offline backup (example: USB HDD which is unplugged and stored in a safe place, and only connected to do a backup)

[amckern]

Thanks for clearing up my mistake.