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Can I just use Copy and Paste to backup a drive?

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  • 01-09-2020 12:07pm
    #1
    Aodhan5000
    Registered Users Posts: 602 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,
    The father is moving to a new laptop but isn't sure what files he'll need from the old one (he's an accountant so there's a lot of spreadsheets on there).

    I'll be using an external hard drive to back it up so is it possible for me to literally just copy the C Drive and then paste it to the external hard drive and rinse and repeat with the D drive? It's not to copy the OS over or anything its just so that if there's any files such as spreadsheets/photos etc on his old laptop that he'll need, he'll then have them.

    I've heard about cloning apps but does that require use of the whole hard drive (eg do I've to delete everything currently on the external hard drive currently) or can I just clone it to a file. Thanks!


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    #2
    Atlantic Dawn
    Registered Users Posts: 82,594 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    M


    Yes you can just backup all the files in a copy and paste operation. In your case with the new laptop it may already have the same or newer versions of the applications on it that he uses so the best course of action may be to just copy and paste the C and D drives over rather than cloning from the older laptop. Then when copied over tidy up the files by deleting what you don't need.

    Cloning the hard drive is another option, this will preserve the applications and operating system from the C Drive to the new laptop. Unless he has specific applications he wants to preserve I'd just copy and paste. I'd recommend this for cloning...https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree


  • Options
    #3
    pah
    Registered Users Posts: 3,518 ✭✭✭pah


    Synctoy is a decent tool from Microsoft you can use to backup your data.

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155


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    #4
    ressem
    Registered Users Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    If he's an accountant, he may use accountancy programs that need to be backed up and restored using that application's tools. Also there may be digital certificates for revenue, banking and other services that might have to be imported.

    There are hidden folders such as C:\ Users \yourdadsname\Appdata that should be backed up also.

    In short, don't go giving away or wiping the old laptop yet, until he has confidence that all's as he wants it, after a few months.


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