How many times we’ve heard and seen that word,
“backup”?
We see it in every software package we buy. We hear it every time
we talk to the local computer technician (or should).
How many times have we
heeded that advice? Probably not often enough, and we’ve all lost something
important.
Backing up your precious programs that you’ve paid money for
should be the first thing you do.
Backing up all the other stuff
you’ve collected, and would hate to lose, can be a daunting task. Things are
spread all over, and you don’t really need to back up your whole
hard drive, do you? What if Windows crashes unexpectedly? What if your hard
drive ups and dies with no warning? What if lightening strikes?
Are you
ready?

OK, the problem is; You have stuff you want to keep
spread all over the place. How to back up what you want, and leave the
rest.
The solution may be this little .bat file. It’s fairly comprehensive,
but MUST be edited to include everything you want to keep.
I’ve included
backing up your Internet Explorer Favorites, Netscape bookmarks, the complete My
Documents folder, and just for good measure, the two files that make up your
Windows registry, system.dat and user.dat.
If you’ve got MS Office, you’ll
want to include a path to it’s folder(s), if you’ve got more than one browser,
you’ll want to keep track of all your bookmarks and favorites. Just include a
directory in the “Making backup folders” section below, and don’t forget to also
include the path to back it up further down.

Once you’ve run this program, you probably want to
know how to restore those backups. Below this, I have included a restore.bat
file. Copy and paste it into notepad, and save it as restore.bat by enclosing it
in quotes thus “restore.bat”

These programs can be run right from within Windows.
No need to restart in DOS mode, or true DOS.

Copy and paste this into notepad, and make sure you
save it as backups.bat by enclosing it in quotes thus: “backups.bat”.

rem {begin cut
here}————————————————————————–

@echo off
cls
echo Jim (reboot)
Delong’s backup.bat, a Win9x/ME backup tool.
echo
———————————————————
echo Copyright (c)
2000 Jim Delong
echo http://members.cnx.net/reboot
echo version 1.2
October 4/2000
rem Version 1.2 Now backs up Netscape bookmarks
echo
———————————————————
cls
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo
Important!!!!!!!!!
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo You MUST run this from
the root directory of your
echo hard drive. If this file is NOT saved in root
C:\
echo you MUST hit ctrl-c now and save it there!
echo DO NOT run this
from any other folder or the desktop,
echo it will not work
correctly!
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo.
echo If you have
NOT saved this file in the root C:\ folder,
echo hit ctrl-c now,
otherwise
pause
echo Use Notepad to view file contents before
running!
echo Only you can determine if the file contents and
echo
structure are OK to run on *your specific* setup.
echo ———–
:: This
file is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind.
:: This file may
redistributed as long as all header information
:: is retained in the final
file.
echo This file assumes your Windows folder is at c:\Windows
echo If
it isn’t, you must change the path below to your Windows folder.
echo This
file backs up the c:\windows\favorites folder, the
echo c:\my documents
folder, Netscape bookmarks, and the two
echo files that make up the Windows
registry.
echo (user.dat and system.dat)
echo.
echo Bonus! You may now
run this file within windows!
echo No need to restart in DOS mode.
echo
———————————————————
echo Hit ctrl-c to
abort or
pause
cls
echo.
echo Making a backup folder. This folder is
called “backups”.
echo Please stop now and edit this .bat file
echo if you
wish to change the path or name.
echo Hit ctrl-c to abort or
pause
rem
——————————————–
echo Making backup
folders
echo.
rem ——————————————–
md
backups
cd backups
md faves
md mydocs
md registry
rem add any
other subdirectories here.
rem Be sure to use the correct syntax, eg. md
foldername
rem ———————————————
echo Add as
many subdirectories as you like above.
echo This file only makes backups of
your favorites folder
echo your My Documents folder, and the two registry
files.
echo.
rem
———————————————
cd\
echo.
echo Now
backing up your favorites and other folders.
echo.
rem
————————————————–
echo This only backs up IE
favorites. If you use Netscape or any other browser
echo you must edit this
file and specify the path to the bookmarks below.
echo.
pause
rem
—————————————————————————-
rem
If you added more folders above, you MUST add the appropriate path below.
rem
—————————————————————————-
rem
Add any subsequent backup pathnames here. Be sure to use the syntax:
rem echo
Backing up Favorites.
rem xcopy32 /y c:folderpath\foldername\*.*
c:\backups\foldername /y /s
rem echo.
rem echo Successfully backed up your
Favorites folder.
rem
———————————————————————————
echo
Backing up Favorites.
xcopy32 /y c:windows\favori~1\*.* c:\backups\faves /y
/s
echo If you do not have Internet Explorer this may give an error. Ignore
it.
echo.
echo Successfully backed up your Favorites
folder.
echo.
echo Now backing up Netscape bookmarks.
echo If you don’t
have Netscape, this will give an error. Ignore it.
xcopy32
C:\Progra~1\Netscape\Commun~1\Program\defaults\bookmark.htm c:\backups\faves /y
/s
echo Successfully backed up your Netscape bookmarks.
echo.
echo I
will now back up your My Documents folder.
echo Hit ctrl-c if you wish to
quit now, otherwise
pause
echo Backing up My Documents
If exist
c:\mydocu~1\*.* xcopy32 /y c:\mydocu~1\*.* c:\backups\mydocs /y
/s
echo.
echo Successfully backed up your My Documents folder.
echo I
will now backup your registry files.
echo Hit ctrl-c if you wish to quit now,
otherwise
pause
echo.
echo Backing up the registry.
cd
windows
attrib -h -r -s -a user.dat
attrib -h -r -s -a
system.dat
xcopy32 /y c:\windows\user.dat c:\backups\registry /y
/s
xcopy32 /y c:\windows\system.dat c:\backups\registry /y
/s
echo.
echo Successfully backed up your Registry.
rem Don’t worry
about resetting the attributes of the registry files.
rem Windows will do
that automatically upon your next restart.
pause
echo.
echo Successful
backup!
echo.
echo It is recommended you copy the contents of the
c:\backups folder somewhere
echo for safe keeping.
echo You may close this
window now.

rem {end cut
here}———————————————————————-

Below is the restore.bat
file.

rem {begin cut
here}——————————————————————–

@echo off
cls
echo Jim (reboot)
Delong’s restore.bat, a Win9x/ME restore tool.
echo
———————————————————
echo Copyright (c)
2000 Jim Delong
echo http://members.cnx.net/reboot
echo version 1.2
October 5/2000
echo V1.2 now restores the registry files.
echo
———————————————————
pause
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo
Important!!!!!!!!!
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo This program ONLY
restores the backups made with my
echo backups.bat program.
echo You MUST
have all your backups, made with my backups.bat
echo in c:\backups\ on your
hard drive. If the c:\backups\ folder
echo does not exist, has been renamed
or moved this will NOT work!
echo you MUST hit ctrl-c now and save it
there!
echo The path and filenames used are the defaults for
echo Windows
and Netscape. If you have changed the path(s),
echo to anything else, you
must edit this file, and replace
echo the path(s) with your own.
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pause
echo Use Notepad to
view file contents before running!
echo Only you can determine if the file
contents and
echo structure are OK to run on *your specific* setup.
echo
————————————————
:: This file is offered
as-is and without warranty of any kind.
:: This file may redistributed as
long as all header information
:: is retained in the final file.
echo
This file assumes your Windows folder is at c:\Windows
echo If it isn’t, you
must change the path below to your Windows folder.
echo This file restores
ONLY the backups you made with my
echo backups.bat file.
echo The last
option is to restore the Windows registry files!
echo (user.dat and
system.dat)
echo.
echo Bonus! You may now run this file within
windows!
echo No need to restart in DOS mode.
echo
———————————————————
echo.
echo Now
restoring the My Documents folder and contents.
echo This portion restores
the contents of the
echo My documents folder, and adds your backups.
echo
It does NOT delete anything.
echo Hit ctrl-c if you wish to quit now,
otherwise
pause
xcopy32 /y c:\backups\mydocs\*.* c:\mydocu~1\*.* /y
/s
echo.
echo My Documents folder successfully restored.
rem
———————————————-
echo.
echo Now restoring
Windows Favorites.
echo This portions restores the contents of the
echo
c:\windows\favorites folder (IE Favorites)
echo It does NOT delete
anything.
echo Hit ctrl-c if you wish to quit now,
otherwise
pause
xcopy32 /y c:\backups\faves\*.* c:\windows\favori~1\*.* /y
/s
echo.
echo Windows Favorites successfully restored.
rem
———————————————-
echo.
echo Now restoring
Netscape bookmarks.
echo This portion restores the bookmark.htm file used
by
echo Netscape to contain it’s bookmarks.
echo Your current bookmark.htm
file WILL be backed up,
echo as oldbmarks.htm in the
echo root C:\
folder.
echo You must manually merge the two files to retain all
bookmarks.
echo Don’t blame me, it’s the way Netscape does
things.
echo.
echo Hit ctrl-c if you wish to quit now,
otherwise
pause
xcopy32 /y
C:\Progra~1\Netscape\Commun~1\Program\defaults\bookmark.htm c:\ /y /s
ren
bookmark.htm oldbmarks.htm
xcopy32 C:\backups\faves\bookmark.htm /y
C:\Progra~1\Netscape\Commun~1\Program\defaults\ /y /s
echo.
echo
Successfully restored Netscape bookmarks.
echo.
echo I will now restore
your Windows registry.
echo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo
This portion will reset your system to the
echo way it was the last time you
ran backups.bat
echo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo
Caution!!!! If you have made significant changes to
echo your system since
you last ran backups.bat,
echo this may cause a severe Windows
crash,
echo and you may NOT be able to start your computer
echo in
windows.
echo This is NOT recommended, unless you KNOW you want to
echo
restore the system registry.
echo This will not harm your hardware in any
way, but
echo could cause your system to stop responding.
echo Proceed at
your own risk!
echo
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
echo.
echo To bypass this step,
hit ctrl-c NOW, otherwise
pause
cd windows
attrib -h -r -s -a
user.dat
attrib -h -r -s -a system.dat
del system.dat
del
user.dat
xcopy32 c:\backups\registry\*.* c:\windows /y /s
echo.
echo
Successful restore!
echo.
echo It is recommended you rerun the backups.bat
file to
echo backup your current configuration after testing
echo to see
if all backups were correctly restored,
echo and that windows will boot (if
you restored the registry).
echo.
echo It is also recommended you run the
backups.bat file
echo any time you make a major change to your system
echo
or software.
echo.
echo Done!
echo.
echo You may close this window
now.

rem {end cut
here}—————————————————————————

Enjoy, and please share this with your
friends.