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I just recently bought an external HDD. I have GIGs!!!!!! of MP3s that i have bought off of iTunes, pictures, and many other items of personal value and I want them off my Desktop and on that external HDD. but for this to happen i have to sit for hours in front of the computer and select files to transfer over manually. a few at a time so i dont lock up the computer. i dont have the time to do this nor the patience. Is there a program i download that will do this automatically for me? Just one program to securly copy or even move from PC to Hard drive by telling it to move or copy these certain directories to this ext HDD one by one without me being there.

P.S. It getting closer to winter time so its the perfect temperature set that sucker next to an open window on the second story of my apartment to prevent from over heating while it does this it over night. -

ummmm... i've never heard of a program that will copy things for you, im not even sure what it would do.

I think you should just select all the files you want to copy and then leave it over night, thats what I just did with my crap.

BurstCopy is a small but simple program. looking for something with a little more reliability as in been around longer/higher version number for dependability.

shell script works fine:

sample
dir _junk_1
10/07/2008 09:18 AM 6,430 dir_list.txt
1 File(s) 6,430 bytes
2 Dir(s) 8,543,711,232 bytes free
dir _junk_2
10/07/2008 09:18 AM <DIR> .
10/07/2008 09:18 AM <DIR> ..
0 File(s) 0 bytes
2 Dir(s) 8,543,711,232 bytes free

move _junk_1\* _junk_2\

dir _junk_2
10/07/2008 09:18 AM 6,430 dir_list.txt
1 File(s) 6,430 bytes
2 Dir(s) 8,543,711,232 bytes free

if you need better selectivity that moving EVERYTHING in the source directory,
then just use move _junk_1\*.mp3 _junk_2\

As you will have different drives and need <dla>path names, the last tweek becomes

move _junk_1\* X:\somewhere\_junk_2\
where X is the drive letter you chose

Just highlight all the folders you wish to transfer and drag them over the ext HDD, I don't see any reason your computer should lock up.

I'd agree with king, if your system locks up trying to move something like that there is a more serious issue, your drives need cooling.

Actually, there's a Preparing to Copy ... alter that occurs when the whole job can not be done in memory.
Spooling the list of directories to HD then adds to the pain by reducing freespace.

LOCK up should not occur, but it frequently does

This post makes suggestions for PowerDesk Pro and XXcopy

Definitely "copy".
Do not use "move" -- Any glitch can screw up things - loss of source files.

Many conditions abort "copy" under Windows Explorer. One glitch is easy to overcome. Multiple problems drives you nuts.

PowerDesk gives side-by-side views that help overcome glitches.

XXcopy has a recursive feature that often better identifies copy failures. Very few conditions abort the copy. Errors are the count of failures to copy files. Customizing cmd window captures more output from the program. Command syntax can be a challenge.

I use teracopy (freeware) there is also the one you pay for also. The freeware version replaces XP/Vista Copy which allows you to use part of your RAM as a file buffer (256KB) to help speed-up file transfers. (30MB/s) I use this on MP3 to SD flash cards, USB jump drives, USB HDDs, GIG network, Fast network 100mb/s and wireless G at 54mb/s daily. Without it I would have to wait. On the GIG prior timing I am getting a few 2 minutes less on larger files. Still everything helps. The program will not work on Server OS only Client OS.

Strongly agree

Nothing beats Robocopy for this sort of thing.

im looking to avoid the "glitches" you meantioned here as in failing to copy for some reason or even holding up the process by asking to copy the read only file or any other windows alert that may come up.

JEEZE i used TeraCopy. nothing better! It uses RAM to move files. It also has a nice little buffer feature to adjust how much RAM you want to use, up to 20MB! Transfered(COPIED) 12.5 gigs of Music in 23 minutes.Also has a shell extension feature in the right click menu to make ease of use, also a delete original files option! This program has to be the greatest! I got the pro version and found a serial for it after using the freeware version.

Lock up rarely do occur but when transfering large amount of file it can cause windows to fail also, but what doesnt?

xxcopy is very much like a Unix command - if that has any meaning to you. The command switches lets you anticipate those annoying pop up messages that suspend the copy. Proper settings avoid those challenges.

The clone is easiest to use when your source specification is a directory and all its subdirectories and the destination is another directory. Clone challenges at the very beginning so you see the location (path) of source and destination, as well as, the challenge to create the new directory for the destination. After that it just keeps on chunking through the files & directories.

If the destination is a freshly formatted drive & the source is a complete drive, Temporary Internet Files can cause problems since Content.ie5 among others collects files with more than 255 character filenames. I forget how the secret-hidden system restore points are handled. Of course they are useless. If the source is the Window OS drive, then certain files currently opened by the OS don't copy.

Cntl-C and the ESC key are used to abort commands.

if ur trying to copy a large file but ur pc is to slow or poor memory try to copy 1 by 1.

i've had this problem before where you copy loads and bugger off to bed. Then come to the pc in the morning and it hung up the 2nd file cos it asks me a question about this that and the other.
So i just do multiple batches, that way something should at least transfer without issue.

jobeard et all, can you not create a script and use it as a sheduled task?

I have/had over 5,276 mp3s and over 600 pictures, copying one by one would be too astringent for what i need/needed to move.

Just use TeraCopy also has a shell take over feature for your windows copy. great program. i tried XXCopy and Robocopy. still TeraCopy toppled them over.

I used teracopy in Win XP as well - though it's really not necessary in Vista anymore. I never found anything better for XP though.