Windows 10 Backup Command Line - How to Back Up Files Using the Windows 10 Command Prompt In Windows 10, you can create backups of files and systems using the Command Prompt (CMD). Here are some basic steps and commands to guide you through the process: 1. Open the Command Prompt: - Press `Win + X` and then choose "Command Prompt" or "Command Prompt (Admin)". - Alternatively, type "cmd" in the search bar, right-click "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator". 2. Backup a file or folder: - Use the `copy` command to copy a single file or multiple files. For instance, to copy "C:\Source Folder\example.txt" to "D:\Backup Location\", type: ``` copy C:\Source Folder\example.txt D:\Backup Location\ ``` - To copy an entire folder and its contents, use the `xcopy` command. To copy "C:\Source Folder\" and all its contents to "D:\Backup Location\", enter: ``` xcopy C:\Source Folder\ D:\Backup Location\ /E /I ``` Here, `/E` copies all subdirectories, including empty ones, and `/I` creates the destination folder if it doesn't exist. 3. Create a system image backup: - While you can't directly create a system image via the Command Prompt, you can use the "Create a system image" tool. Go to "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Backup", then click "More options" > "Create a system image" to proceed. 4. Create a system restore point: - In the Command Prompt, type the following command to create a system restore point: ``` rstrui.exe ``` This will open the "System Properties" dialog, where you can follow the wizard to create a new system restore point. Please note that paths and filenames in the Command Prompt should be adjusted according to your specific situation. Make sure you understand the purpose of any command before executing it to avoid unintended actions.

Guidance: Robocopy, Xcopy, and Notepad are command-line backup tools in Windows 10 that allow you to back up files via the Windows 10 Command Prompt. If you're looking for a versatile third-party backup and recovery software to back up your system (operating system), files, folders, disks, and partitions from the command prompt, consider using Todo Backup.

Yes, you can copy files for backup using the Command Prompt in Windows 10. The command you would typically use is `copy` or `xcopy`. Here's a simple example: 1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, right-click the Start button, and select "Command Prompt (Admin)". 2. Navigate to the source directory where your files are located using the `cd` command. For instance, if your files are in the "Documents" folder, you'd type: ``` cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents ``` 3. To copy a single file, use the `copy` command followed by the source file and the destination path. For example: ``` copy filename.txt C:\Backup\folder ``` 4. If you want to copy an entire folder, you can use `xcopy`. Here's an example: ``` xcopy C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents C:\Backup\Documents /E /I ``` Here, `/E` includes empty directories, and `/I` creates the destination directory if it doesn't exist. Remember to replace "YourUsername", "filename.txt", "Documents", "C:\Backup\folder", and "C:\Backup\Documents" with the actual paths and filenames relevant to your system. Always double-check your commands before executing them, as they can overwrite existing files if not used carefully.

Windows operating systems come with built-in backup and recovery tools. For instance, File History in Windows 10 backs up specific files and folders that change frequently, Backup and Restore in Windows 7 creates a complete system image, and you've got System Restore and the Fresh Start feature as well.

Are there any command prompt file and folder backup methods available in Windows 10? Users who are accustomed to backing up files from the command prompt in Windows, Linux, and Unix tend to stick with this habit even when they switch their OS to Windows. Besides, backing up via command prompt in Windows 10 allows you to back up data without booting Windows, especially when your OS fails to start. The most commonly used command lines include Robocopy, Xcopy, Notepad, as well as some commercial command line backup software. Here, we recommend the most advanced, fastest, and user-friendly solution, Todo Backup.

4 Ways to Backup Files via Command Prompt in Windows 10, 8, or 7

1. Robocopy Command Line Backup 2. Xcopy Command Line Backup 3. Notepad Command Prompt Backup 4. Tools Command Line Backup

To prevent data loss due to system crashes, file corruption, or virus infections, it's essential to back up your computer regularly. In Windows 10, you can easily copy files and folders from the source to a destination using Robocopy, Xcopy, or Notepad commands. However, if you want to back up partitions, disks, or the Windows system, you'll need a powerful backup tool to support you, such as Todo Backup.

Method 1: Backing Up Using the Robocopy Command Line in Windows 10

Robocopy, short for Robust File Copy, offers over 80 command-line options and switches for additional file copying and backup customization. This Windows 10 command-line scenario is typically used for replicating large file shares. Please refer to the detailed explanation below.

**Step 1.** Type `cmd` into the search box, or press `Windows key + R` (which opens the Run dialog), then type `cmd` to open the Command Prompt.

Step 2. Type the command `Robocopy` (Windows 8/7/XP users should use `xcopy`) in the format: `robocopy` followed by a space, the path of the source folder, and the path of the destination folder. Use this example to create your own command.

Robocopy "D:\test" "F:\test1" (This is the simplest usage of Robocopy to copy the contents of D:\test to F:\test1.)

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3. Click "OK," and all target folders will be backed up to any location you choose, including an external USB drive.

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Method 2: Perform an Xcopy backup using the Windows 10 Command Prompt.

The Windows command line allows you to use the xcopy command to back up files and folders. Xcopy has different switches that we can use to specify conditions for the files to be copied. You can use a USB drive or an external hard disk as your backup location. Let's learn how to use the xcopy command line to back up files to an external hard drive.

The parameters for the `xcopy` command are explained as follows: - `/M`: If the destination folder does not exist, attempt to create it. - `/E`: Copy the contents of the source directory and all its subdirectories, not just the current directory. - `/G`: Ignore read-only attributes, attempting to copy files or folders even if they are read-only on the target. - `/H`: Preserve the timestamp of the source files (last accessed, modified, and created times). - `/Y`: Do not prompt the user when overwriting files; instead, replace them directly. In summary, this command is used to recursively copy the source directory (source) to the destination directory (destination), replacing any files with the same name in the target, while preserving the time attributes of the source files.

Note: The /M option clears the archive attribute of the files after they are copied to the destination. The attribute is enabled only if changes are made to the file later.

If we want to use a timestamp with the date for our backup, we would run:

The `xcopy` command parameters are explained as follows: - `source`: The source directory or file, which is the original location to be copied. - `destination`: The target directory or file, where the copy will be placed. - `/E`: Recursively copy, including subdirectories and their contents. - `/G`: Ignore errors and continue copying even if errors occur during the process. - `/H`: Copy hidden and system files. - `/Y`: Suppress confirmation prompt when overwriting existing target files, eliminating the need for interactive questioning. - `/D:mm-dd-yy`: Only copy files that were created after the specified date in the target. The format is month-day-year (e.g., 01-31-2022). This command is used to copy all contents from the source directory (including subdirectories and hidden files) to the destination directory. It prompts for confirmation before overwriting existing files, copies only those created after the specified date in the source, and ignores errors.

Method 3: Backing up files using Notepad in Windows 10 CMD

For those unfamiliar with the Windows 10 Command Prompt, know that you can launch a graphical user interface you're more comfortable with, like Notepad. If your computer won't start and you need to copy files for backup, get to a Command Prompt using your installation media.

**Step 1.** Open the Command Prompt, type Notepad.exe and press Enter to launch the Notepad application. After launching the program, click on "File" then "Save As" to open the "Save As" dialog box.

Step 2: Find the files you want to back up.

Step 3: Insert your USB or external storage device

Step 4: Right-click on the files and/or folders you want to back up, and select "Send to" your USB drive.

Method 4: Back Up Everything with a Command-Line Utility

The above three methods only apply to backing up files, folders, and directories. If you need to back up partitions, hard drives, or systems, the first three commands won't meet your needs. In this case, you can try using the ETB command-line backup tool, which allows you to back up files, folders, partitions/hard drives, and systems directly from the Windows Command Prompt by executing the etbcmd command. You can schedule differential, full, or incremental backups as needed.

In addition to command-line backups, Todo Backup offers a GUI that can clone multiple partitions to a new disk (HDD/SSD) simultaneously or clone Windows to an SSD without a reinstall.

1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator, and then type etbcmd to start EasyUS Todo Backup.

Step 2. All the commands and arguments for this tool are shown below.

Step 3. We'll use creating a backup task as an example. Before you start creating the task, it's best to confirm which partition you want to back up. To do this, first list all the partitions and hard drives on your computer.

**Step 4.** If you want to back up the system, use the parameter "/s system". Todo Backup will automatically select the system partition and boot partition for backup. You can also manually select partitions. In the above list, Partition 1 and Partition 3 are the partitions to be backed up.

5. Back up to a network drive, located at:

What is the best backup solution for Windows 10?

This article covers almost all the command-line backup methods for users and administrators to back up files in Windows 10 from the Command Prompt. Indeed, the command line has always been the go-to choice for advanced computer users, and the number of people sticking to it is dwindling as computer backup gets smarter, easier, and faster.

While Todo Backup does offer command-line options for backing up your computer to a local drive, external hard drive, USB drive, network drive, or even cloud storage, this is not the reason why customers prefer it. It's the automatic backup options for files, folders, system, disks, and partitions that make it a favorite.

Just select the backup mode, and the software will guide you through the entire process. No additional computer skills are needed. Get more info from the video introduction of Todo Backup below.