hi, i`m looking for a safe way to regularly copy some 200 GB from my online pc to offline music pc / archiving, while preserving the time created and time modified attributes for files and folders.
obviously not an easy task with windows.
i read up on robocopy and its gui variants, also on using zip/unzip, and the send to method. all have their flaws though.
so if you have used teracopy or have other suggestions, please let me know

 

Have you considered normal or compressed ISO?

Normal ISO files opened or mounted natively in Windows Explorer. Third party file managers like Total Commander require you to mount the image.

The image can always be modified/added to using ISO creation software such as UltraISO with Add/Delete/Save functions. Compressed ISOs usually have to be opened with the program that created it.

 

https://fastcopy.jp/ I use Fastcopy here; super minimal little program that has proven to be very reliable and, as the name would suggest, fast.

I’ve used it while migrating multiple terabytes of data to new drives, and it has never failed or thrown an error.

 

No experience with tera, but have used Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier \ https://www.roadkil.net/ on Windows 10 to move over 1TB of files unattended and worked great. You can control many parameters - what to do if error is encountered.

 

I've been a long-time Teracopy user and can vouch for it. It's very flexible. And yes, it can preserve timestamps, as well as attributes, streams, ACL, Owner, Audit info (the security info on NTFS). Files can be verified after transfer. File lists can be exported to CSV which I find handy for archiving.

How are you getting the data to the offline computer? Personally if they are physically close enough I would use a crossover cable to temporarily connect them and do it over that since you can leave it unattended. Or use a small (250gb) SSD in an enclosure and sneakernet it, but your attention is needed twice (to copy to and then to copy from).

 

Syncback https://www.2brightsparks.com

and they offer a free version
https://www.2brightsparks.com/freeware/index.html

 

yes i use an external 2,5" hd, most convenient for me.
i`ll try tera because it integrates in the context menu and replaces the ms copy service, so i can copy from 1 explorer window to another like before

 

Teracopy is my go-to copy software (it replaces the Windows offering on my machines) but for the kind of thing you're talking about here, I use FreeFileSync. It's as good as all the paid for offerings -- much better than the free version of Syncback

 

It's an amazing tool and I used it for years. But after v2.27 or similar started to have serious issues.
So I'm also curious to see what experiences others here have.

 

should i be looking for v2.27 then?
my pending task is copying 2x 4TB to a 8TB hd as a backup. just too much important stuff being released lately...
the date and time is already compromized somewhat, but i want to preserve that as is...

 

Syncback or Gs Richcopy 360 should have all the requirements for a successful backup process and also an effective feature to copy folders/files with its timestamps and permissions.

 

Wow, testing this at the moment. The beta of this is so good that I'm tempted to actually buy the full version.

 

I don't remember ever being as enthusiastic about backup software as I am about this. I've just backed up the %user folder on my c: drive to another internal hardware drive. It was so damn fast. And the reporting is so damned accurate.

It's kind of expensive though. If it was £20 for the pro version, I'd be all over it. But they want $50 a year, which seems somewhat excessive. I guess they know their market, but at that price it isn't me.

There's an interesting discussion of licensing/pricing on his website in which he says he's going to offer a legit free licence on the beta. So, it seems kosher to keep using it and I think it does everything that I need from it.

 

interesting, what issues did you have?

so from what i understand, the interesting thing about teracopy is that it can verify your copied files after copying or moving them. windows copy doesn't ever do that

 

so i`ve been using tera copy for a while now, and it does what it promises. i found out the hard way how usb doesnt have hardly any error correction, not sure how many TB are compromized with checksum errors.
one quirk with tera copy though: lets say i have a folder called beginner with 6 rar files in it, and another folder called beginner already on the destination HD with 5 rar files.
tera copy will skip the 1st 5 files but copy the 6th. it should skip the whole folder if exists, but skips files only. requires manual intervention every time, otherwise great..

 

You know, The best tool for your needs will depend on your specific requirements and preferences. You may want to try out a few different options and see which one works best for you. It's also important to make sure that you have a reliable backup strategy in place to protect your data in case of any issues or accidents.
I will list you two best :
Syncback: it is a backup and synchronization software that allows you to copy files and folders between different locations, including online and offline computers. It offers a variety of features, including the ability to preserve file attributes and timestamps, schedule backups, and encrypt data. Users generally find it to be reliable and easy to use, although some have reported issues with the user interface and occasional crashes.
Gs Richcopy 360: is another backup and synchronization tool that offers similar features to Syncback, including the ability to copy files while preserving attributes and timestamps. It also includes features like multi-threading, bandwidth throttling, and email notifications. Some users have reported that it is faster than Syncback, but others have complained about bugs and crashes.
Both also will solve all Teracopy limitations!