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How do I keep Windows "copy files" from dying on an error?


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Guest George Adams
Posted

I'm trying to backup my hard drive by dragging/dropping certain big

folders from my main PC (running XP Pro) to my external backup drive.

 

Often I'll drag a huge folder with thousands of files to the backup

drive. Many times I'll have a situation where several hundred files are

copied over the course maybe 30 minutes, when suddenly I get an error

such as:

 

Error Copying File or Folder

Access denied

The source file may be in use.

 

Now, often it's a file that I don't really care about, so I'd be happy

if Windows just ignored it and kept going with the copy. Instead, the

entire copy operating grinds to a halt, and there's no easy way for me

to resume where it left off, since I can't be sure which files have been

copied and which haven't. All I can do is restart the copy operation

with that file unselected, have it start ALL OVER again, and hope that

it doesn't happen again in 30 minutes on a different file.

 

Is there a way to tell Windows how to resume a copy operation after an

error has occurred?

 

Barring that, is there a 3rd-party freeware app that will do it?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help!

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Guest Bob I
Posted

Re: How do I keep Windows "copy files" from dying on an error?

 

learn to use Xcopy, instead of drag and drop. See Windows Help and

Support for instructions on usage.

 

George Adams wrote:

> I'm trying to backup my hard drive by dragging/dropping certain big

> folders from my main PC (running XP Pro) to my external backup drive.

>

> Often I'll drag a huge folder with thousands of files to the backup

> drive. Many times I'll have a situation where several hundred files are

> copied over the course maybe 30 minutes, when suddenly I get an error

> such as:

>

> Error Copying File or Folder

> Access denied

> The source file may be in use.

>

> Now, often it's a file that I don't really care about, so I'd be happy

> if Windows just ignored it and kept going with the copy. Instead, the

> entire copy operating grinds to a halt, and there's no easy way for me

> to resume where it left off, since I can't be sure which files have been

> copied and which haven't. All I can do is restart the copy operation

> with that file unselected, have it start ALL OVER again, and hope that

> it doesn't happen again in 30 minutes on a different file.

>

> Is there a way to tell Windows how to resume a copy operation after an

> error has occurred?

>

> Barring that, is there a 3rd-party freeware app that will do it?

>

> Thanks to anyone who can help!

Guest RalfG
Posted

Re: How do I keep Windows "copy files" from dying on an error?

 

Try MS SyncToy for copying the remainder of the files. Or all of the files.

It's a free program you can find at the MS Download Center.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e0fc1154-c975-4814-9649-cce41af06eb7&DisplayLang=en

 

 

 

 

"George Adams" <g_adams27@hotmail.SPAMBGONE.com> wrote in message

news:eurbsJG0HHA.5152@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> I'm trying to backup my hard drive by dragging/dropping certain big

> folders from my main PC (running XP Pro) to my external backup drive.

>

> Often I'll drag a huge folder with thousands of files to the backup drive.

> Many times I'll have a situation where several hundred files are copied

> over the course maybe 30 minutes, when suddenly I get an error such as:

>

> Error Copying File or Folder

> Access denied

> The source file may be in use.

>

> Now, often it's a file that I don't really care about, so I'd be happy if

> Windows just ignored it and kept going with the copy. Instead, the entire

> copy operating grinds to a halt, and there's no easy way for me to resume

> where it left off, since I can't be sure which files have been copied and

> which haven't. All I can do is restart the copy operation with that file

> unselected, have it start ALL OVER again, and hope that it doesn't happen

> again in 30 minutes on a different file.

>

> Is there a way to tell Windows how to resume a copy operation after an

> error has occurred?

>

> Barring that, is there a 3rd-party freeware app that will do it?

>

> Thanks to anyone who can help!


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