Bees - DOS Backup

[Bees Knees]

My IT guy has been telling me to shorten file names. But, I have folders and subfolders and subsub... that add to the file name itself, right? I will spend some time shortening file names.

I don't think the subfolders upon subfolders will cause you a problem. If you have a folder structure plus file name like:

c:\Data\Tax Folder\Client Letters\John Doe\Letter to John Doe.doc

Then it is still only 65 characters with spaces. 254 characters gives you plenty of room to have numerous subfolders plus a long name. It is when you have a ridiculous file name that is 100s of characters in length where you run into problems.

[Lion]

Thanx, Bees! That helps me feel better about my whole world today!

[Rapid Robert]

Just FYI, there is a DOS command from Microsoft "robocopy" (Robust File Copy for Windows) that has been around for many years, it does everything XCOPY does but with some additional powerful options. You might want to check it out. Yes, you might have to learn a few different option flags, but probably worth it. I haven't run into any file name truncation problems, not sure that I've had such a long pathname however. Being as how it is a newer command than XCOPY, I suspect it supports more of the modern features of Windows such as long names.

For the syntax, just type: robocopy /?

As for a backup method, I agree with the comment above about simply duplicating a folder and its subfolders on to a different drive. I have a notebook that has all the same software apps as my desktop, and I keep it in sync over my local network by running robocopy from a batch file (I have several source directories for my personal files, tax client files, images, music downloads, etc). I can take my notebook out of the office and do everything I do locally (drives are encrypted with Bitlocker so I'm not worried about theft), and then when I'm back I run robocopy in the other direction to bring my desktop back up to date.

[Rapid Robert]

Yes, Robocopy works with long file names!

Just for fun, I created a file with 236 characters in the name (before the .TXT suffix), located in a folder with a 30 character name.

Robocopy was able to copy it, no problem.

Here is the source file list:

Directory of d:\tmp

2025-04-17 17:23 <DIR> 123456789012345678901234567890
0 File(s) 0 bytes

Directory of d:\tmp\123456789012345678901234567890

2025-04-17 17:17 0 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890123456.txt
1 File(s) 0 bytes

Here is the robocopy command output:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robust File Copy for Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Started : Thursday, April 17, 2025 17:34:03
Source : d:\tmp\
Dest : c:\tmp\

Files : 12345*

Options : /S /E /DCOPYA /COPYAT /XX /R:1000000 /W:30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0 d:\tmp\
New Dir 1 d:\tmp\123456789012345678901234567890\
New File 0 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234567890123456.txt

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Copied Skipped Mismatch FAILED Extras
Dirs : 4 1 3 0 0 85
Files : 1 1 0 0 0 1
Bytes : 0 0 0 0 0 0
Times : 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00
Ended : Thursday, April 17, 2025 17:34:03



Note: the emojis in the "Options" line are being inserted by this web site, which interprets "" as a request for an emoji.

[Twin Turbo Z]

How I miss the old DOS days. Setting DMA's and IRQ's, adding math coprocessors, adding Voodoo cards to your existing video card so Doom and Quake would it 24fps. Installing Diamond Dual Modem cards and utilizing two phone lines for fast dial up !!! Bulletin boards !!! The list goes on !!!

[Bees Knees]

How I miss the old DOS days. Setting DMA's and IRQ's, adding math coprocessors, adding Voodoo cards to your existing video card so Doom and Quake would it 24fps. Installing Diamond Dual Modem cards and utilizing two phone lines for fast dial up !!! Bulletin boards !!! The list goes on !!!

I still remember when I got my fist PC in 1988 my boss saying he could do a tax return by hand faster than I could do it on the computer.

[FEDUKE404]

I still remember when I got my fist PC in 1988 my boss saying he could do a tax return by hand faster than I could do it on the computer.

I can top that. Years ago when computers were a lot less complex, I wrote a ~simple software program to calculate Sch G (income averaging for the young folks) for the HRB *CHECKERS* to use. (The infamous "check tape" could not handle such multiple calculations.) Input filing status, four or five numbers, and then the entire Sch G was calculated with each line entry shown. Yes, the checkers loved it!

Well, the Block manager (bless her heart) went into an absolute tirade and stated that NO computers would be allowed in any of her (franchise) offices. Break out the "adding machines." A few of us had our own Texas Instruments simple calculators (click keys, red display. co$tly) ), and those were tolerated. (Just to be clear, there was no internet so no possible issues with viruses etc.)

For a variety of reasons, a handful of long-term HRB folks finally had their fill of her and we exited / started our own tax prep business. . .WITH computers, of course! The Block folks raised a ruckus about anti-compete rules, and the owner said to bring it on (they never did). We would not contact a prior Block client, but relied on advertising and word-of-mouth.

I often wonder whatever happened to that Bostonian. . .but not really!

FE

[Bees Knees]

It amazes me how the accounting and tax industry was so reluctant back in those days to make the switch to using computers. Ironically, the word computer originally was used to describe someone who performed mathematical computations. The movie "Hidden Figures" is one of my all time favorites.