[SOLVED] Backup sorted directory and autosort files intead of copy

Apr 12, 2021
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Hello. I have about 150gb images/videos on HDD. Want to backup on USB disc.
Files are sorted like this
Year d:\photos\2021\Holiday\1111.jpg
Year d:\photos\2012\Birthday\2222.jpg
Video: moved to d:\Videos\year\

On external HDD I have some files sorted only by year (e:\photos:\20XX\xxx.jpg)
Videos (over 100GB) are unsorted and all files after 2017 are unsorted.

Do You know any program (preferably free) which make backup, but:
1. sort files in destination di rolder to match source dir
(for example: e:\photos\1111.jpg will be moved to e:\photos\2021\Holiday\1111.jpg instead of copying from d:\)
  1. copy all other files
  2. verify all files
(I have some time ago files that not copy correctly through USB so it it also is important)

Auto sort files based on first directory tree without copying files that exists on external hdd?
Tried FreeFileSync but probably it can't do that.
 
Solution
Seems you are making things a bit too complicated, if one is the backup of the other, why not simply over-write whichever way you want to keep them sorted and then do the backup normally one to one instead of moving them around? If one place has the wrong directory names, you need to take some time to make it how you want it, then do a backup from that.

There is no way a backup program will know to move things unless you write a script and manually point each directory to copy to the one you want it in.
Seems you are making things a bit too complicated, if one is the backup of the other, why not simply over-write whichever way you want to keep them sorted and then do the backup normally one to one instead of moving them around? If one place has the wrong directory names, you need to take some time to make it how you want it, then do a backup from that.

There is no way a backup program will know to move things unless you write a script and manually point each directory to copy to the one you want it in.
 
Solution
Apr 12, 2021
4
0
10
You're probably right. I was just trying to avoid unnecessary copying through USB (cutting on the same partition is a lot faster than copy from another) and avoid sorting this files manually again. And I discovered new more complicated problem :)
 
You're probably right. I was just trying to avoid unnecessary copying through USB (cutting on the same partition is a lot faster than copy from another) and avoid sorting this files manually again. And I discovered new more complicated problem :)

If you are copying between partitions on the same drive, that is not a backup.

Setup one correct folder structure, then you will have it all setup for a backup to another disk with a simply copy and paste or with a backup program.
 
Not between the same drive. Between HDD partition and USB external HDD.

And I asked also on FFS forum ( https://freefilesync.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8369&sid=3036070c6c1e180ebf2ee09b4159946d )
The suggested to use "mirror" method with "detect moved/renamed files" checked .
But it will probably work only on updates. First time I need to copy all again or move individual files manually :)

Yes doing a mirror with incremental updates will work for backups but it won't be renaming and moving folders for you like you wanted to.