Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

I messed up and need HELP!

Apr 8, 2017 7:30PM PDT

So I messed up my computer. I copied stuff from C to D and then tried to put it back. Unfortunately, now that I need to back up all my files and everything... it won't work. I've tried 5 times now to backup my system and it keeps FAILING.

I have a lot of pictures and files I want to save... so...

What can I do?

In the end I would like to build up from scratch with my new hard drive, but I would also like to keep everything that is on my computer now.

Please help!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
take the easy route
Apr 9, 2017 5:27PM PDT

Since you are getting a new hard drive,remove the old hard drive and put into a generic USB drive case. Put the new hard drive in and reload your operating system. You can then plug in the USB drive and copy off files you want to save.

- Collapse -
That would be my last resort.
Apr 10, 2017 8:39AM PDT

However, like I said I don't know where anything is on my system since I copied stuff from C to D and back. Pictures and Videos don't say that they are the Pictures and Videos folders... they both show D:\ as the folder name.

- Collapse -
so run a search....
Apr 10, 2017 11:37AM PDT

....for files with picture file endings like jpg jpeg png tiff img and so on .

- Collapse -
Answer
There Are Lots Of Ways to Backup Pictures And Files
Apr 9, 2017 10:50AM PDT

If nothing else, be sure to plug in a flash drive, DVD, or USB external hard drive and simply copy the files, with their folders from the computer to the backup drive. In fact, here that's my primary way of backing up pictures, files, etc. As to backing up the entire computer, I make a disk image. I don't use the tradition Windows Backup routine. It usually fails on reinstall anyway. There's really no reason for not making copies of those important files to a removable drive or disk.

As to reinstalling everything from scratch, that should be a problem either as long as you have the operating system installers, plus all program installers. It depends on whether you have a custom built computer or a brand name computer. With the brand name versions, it's easy. Almost all have either a recovery partition, or a recovery disk which is made by you with the manufacturer's instructions, and you can reinstall everything on the computer back to its factory state. And if the computer is custom built machine, once again, you should have the operating system and all program installers in your possession.

If you've got important files, documents, pics, etc. copied to a separate drive or disk, you're fine for the rebuild.

Hope this helps.

Grif

- Collapse -
Backup
Apr 9, 2017 11:12AM PDT

I was hoping to do a full backup since the drive they are on is dying anyways.

I have no idea where anything is anyways since what I did (The moving from C to D and back) left the pics, docs, etc. folders showing D:\ instead of their default folder names.

I have an external USB plugged in, but since straight backing up seems to fail, I wanted to ask if there was a way around the failures that isn't time consuming.

So what do you do since you don't use the Windows Backup option?
Or is that what you do just copying to an external Drive?

- Collapse -
I'll nod to
Apr 9, 2017 11:14AM PDT

Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier. It's what I use when the drive is flaking out and we need to get what we can off the drive.

Remember, backup means more than one copy on more than one device. I hope you know this.

- Collapse -
"backup means more than one copy on more than one device"
Apr 9, 2017 1:57PM PDT

Actually, I'm not the one doing this since there are issues... it's my dad.
He knows, but we only have 2 1tb drives empty at the moment.
Sadly, the windows backup through the control panel (not the Win 10 settings) has failed mulitple times.

I'm wondering if it's best to just tear down without formatting the current drive.
I mean taking it out and accessing what I need through an external drive dock.

I contacting Microsoft about it and there suggestion is running an SFC and DISM through running the CMD in Admin mode... if that would help what's going on.

- Collapse -
That is your choice.
Apr 9, 2017 2:00PM PDT

If folk don't backup today, their choice. I have not used Microsoft backup software in decades now. It's been too unreliable or there's something broken about restoring and so on.

Roadkil, other apps and a Linux boot disc/stick replace all that. It's not as if this is hard or a new idea.

Read http://tips.oncomputers.info/archives2004/0401/2004-Jan-11.htm

- Collapse -
It's not hard or new...
Apr 9, 2017 2:37PM PDT

It's not hard for someone who has done this before.
For me... I've been inquiring about it for some time, but only got the new hard drive a few days ago.

For me this is my first time, every other time it's been done by my dad.
Now that he wants me to do it myself, there's problems.

Explain to me what you mean by Roadkil, other apps, and a Linux Boot Disc/Stick...
Also what you meant by sending me that article.

- Collapse -
Roadkil is an app.
Apr 9, 2017 2:42PM PDT

When folk tell you of an app, it's something we expect you to research and see if you like it.

I know there are new folk everyday and they need more direct links. Here's how I find Roadkil's Unstoppable Copier.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Roadkil's+Unstoppable+Copier.

First link here is their site.

As to the Linux boot disc or stick, start with http://tips.oncomputers.info/archives2004/0401/2004-Jan-11.htm and then try it with this search.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Howto+create+a+bootable+Linux+stick

I take it you are just starting out so I'll share how I find things and tutorials.

- Collapse -
Just starting out
Apr 9, 2017 4:02PM PDT

Yes... I am just starting out...
I know nothing about this kind of stuff...
Hence my mistake with copying from c drive to d drive and back when c drive was full...

My Drive is Partitioned as Such:
Recovery (800MB)
EFI System (260MB)
C Drive (149.22GB)
Recovery (451MB)
Recovery (350MB)
D Drive (759.33GB)
Recovery (21.02GB)

Which if added together is a total of 931.431GB... so pretty much a 1Tb although not quite.

- Collapse -
Perfect time to dig into a boot disk.
Apr 9, 2017 5:05PM PDT
- Collapse -
Hmm...
Apr 10, 2017 10:48AM PDT

Long story short, the page the link goes to talks about getting stuff of a dead drive, right?

The drive isn't dead, I would just prefer not to go through everything to find what I want since that is time consuming.

However, it looks like I'll have to do that anyways. I mean get the 4tb in my computer and working and use the 1tb as an external to find what I want to keep.

- Collapse -
Hummmmm....
Apr 10, 2017 10:56AM PDT

When I found my stuff in a mess I didn't take time to sort it out all in a day. I set a goal to clean up as I go. Eventually over the next year I got it all tidy.

No app will do this for us.

- Collapse -
Yep, No Way Around It. It's Time Consuming
Apr 10, 2017 4:17PM PDT

N/T

- Collapse -
If I'm Getting Ready to Reinstall/Re-setUp the Computer
Apr 9, 2017 11:33AM PDT

I do both. Primarily because after I set up the new install, the various Folders and Directories may be somewhere else than they were on the previous system. As such, it's easier for me to copy and paste from the removable drives to the new locations. And I always have reinstall disks/files of the operating system and all programs so I can re-install the operating system back to a basic state.

But, I still want a mirror copy of the exact same computer where they resided before. I might need it. I've used a couple different imaging programs such as Acronis, EaseUS Todo, and even the Windows 7 and later version of Create System Disk which resides in the Control Panel-File History-System Image Backup link. Bob mentions a tool of his choice below. Take your pick.

Hope this helps.

Grif