EECSbackup

EECSbackup scripts are currently being provided as a “public beta” release; feedback to help@eecs is welcome.

The Windows version of the EECSbackup script utilizes a Microsoft tool called Robocopy. If you are off-campus, access to your EECS home directory from Windows will require using the Campus VPN service.

How do I install the EECS backup script?

Navigate into the EECSbackup folder on winsww, and double-click on SETUP.bat to install. This will copy the EECS backup script to your local drive as C:\EECSbackup\EECSbackup.cmd, and create a scheduled task to run it daily.

If your local user name doesn’t match your EECS account name, you will need to edit C:\EECSbackup\EECSbackup.cmd, by right-clicking it and selecting Edit. Look for the line:

SET _user=%USERNAME%

and change it accordingly (e.g. SET _user=larsrohr).

How do I test it, once it’s installed?

We recommend that you do your first run of EECSbackup.cmd manually, while on a fast EECS network (e.g. wired connection or EECS-secure wireless), rather than from off-campus or outside of EECS. You can navigate to your C:\EECSbackup directory, and double-click on EECSbackup.cmd; a command window should show the process in action, or display errors. You can also check your EECS home directory, under your EECSbackup folder, to see whether files are being copied to a subfolder named after your machine’s hostname.

How do I remove the EECS backup script?

You can delete the scheduled task from a Windows command prompt, or using Start -> Run…, by simply entering:

schtasks /delete /tn “EECS Backup”

What gets copied? What gets excluded?

The default EECSbackup script will copy your local user profile (which includes your Desktop and My Documents folders) to the EECSbackup folder in your EECS home directory. Files that are currently in use will not be copied.

EECSbackup is configured to “mirror” your profile. I.e., files deleted from your local user profile will be deleted from your EECSbackup folder in your EECS home directory. Your EECS home directory is protected by nightly backups and routine snapshots, so unintentionally deleted files may be recoverable.

Files that match the following patterns will be excluded from backup:

*.mp3 *.mp4 *.mpg *.avi *.mpeg *.wma *.wmv *.wav *.m4a *.m4p *.m4v *.iso ntuser.dat* Cache.db thumbcache_1024.db thumbcache_256.db

Directories with the following names will also be excluded from backup:

%TMP% Temp “Temporary Internet Files” Cache

How do I change what gets backed up?

You may edit C:\EECSbackup\EECSbackup.cmd by right-clicking it, and selecting Edit.

To change the backup source directory (e.g. to just backup your My Documents folder), look for the line:

SET _source=”%USERPROFILE%”

and change it accordingly (e.g. to SET _source=”%USERPROFILE%\My Documents”)

To change the exclusion patterns, look for and edit the lines beginning:

SET _excludefiles=/XF SET _excludedirs=/XD

How can I adjust the backup schedule?

Initially, the scheduled task will be configured to run EECSbackup.cmd daily at the same time that you first installed it. You can edit your own scheduled task settings if you want this changed:

Open Task Scheduler. Scroll the middle pane down to Active Tasks; scroll the Active Tasks to find EECS Backup; double-click EECS Backup. Clicking on “Properties” in the right pane will let you edit the task’s configuration.

What about when my machine is offline/asleep/hibernating?

The backup can only run when the machine can successfully access your EECS home directory. Offline, powered-off, or sleeping machines will not perform backups. Depending on your machine’s configuration, it may be able to wake from sleep mode to perform a backup — edit the scheduled task and check “Wake the computer to run this task”.

My EECSbackup seems to just hang after starting.

This has been noticed sometimes when using the /MIR (Mirror) switch to Robocopy. You may need to edit C:\EECSbackup\EECSbackup.cmd by right-clicking it, selecting Edit, and removing the /MIR option.

What if I have problems with EECSbackup?

Please email help@eecs, detailing the problems you are having, as well as what OS version you are using, and what your local user name is.