Hey everyone! I'm in a bit of a bind here and could really use your help. My laptop recently crashed, and I couldn't get past the lock screen, ultimately facing a 'CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED' error. I attempted to back up my files onto an external drive using the command prompt with Robocopy, but I'm not entirely sure if I did it right. I used the command ```robocopy C: E:Backup /E /ZB``` initially, but it encountered some errors with certain directory names. I tweaked my command to ```robocopy C: E:Backup /E /ZB /r:2 /w:5``` and ran it overnight, but I'm suspicious about whether it actually worked. There's a new Backup folder on my drive now, but when I open it, the structure is confusing. Almost 1 TB of data was copied, which is about what I had on my laptop, but now I'm just trying to figure out if my commands were correct and what they actually did. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
Make sure to check the backup folder for your specific user files. They could be buried in those folders that Robocopy created. Sometimes it's easier just to iterate through the folders manually or use a search feature to locate your important documents if you have a ton of data on there. Just give it some time to sort through and don't stress too much if it looks messy; there might still be a lot of valuable stuff in that backup!
I agree with TechieTim88; trying to copy everything from C: isn't necessary. Instead, it’s better to target your user profile and specific directories where your data is stored. The `/XJ` option is something you should consider adding to your command to avoid issues with junctions, which can mess up your backup. Plus, if your external drive has become corrupted or has issues, the last thing you want is to keep using it for recovery. You might want to pull it and connect it to another computer to see what you can recover.
It sounds like you ran into some typical issues with Robocopy. Your initial commands were fine for copying files, but since you were trying to back up your entire C: drive while the system was potentially unstable, that may have caused problems. The `/ZB` switch is meant for copying files in backup mode, but if files are in use, it won't always work. Just so you know, Robocopy is not ideal for system files or applications that are running. Instead, consider focusing on specific folders like your user profile under C:Users, where most of your important data is likely stored. That way, you won't encounter as many issues during the copying process.
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