Copy to multipledrives at once

iceze

Hi

Looking for software or a method to copy files from one hdd to two or more hdd drives at the same time. Preferably to 3 destination drives. There is a lot of data, so to save time, it should read once and write the data to multiple drives/locations simultaneously.

A possible alternative that could be considered is network copying to other machines with 1 or more drives. But I need some way to synchronize this so the server isn't wasting time reading 1 file more than once.

Iceze

enigma52

I think synctoy from microsoft can be set up to do this, just google it

kwikbreaks

You need to look for a software raid supporting RAID 1 then split the raid array into seperate disks after the data is copied across. This is probably easier with Linux than Windows (at least there will be more freeware software around).

Stompa

Possibly?

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.04.utilityspotlight.aspx

iceze

Tried Synctoy but it seems to be 1:1 folder syncronisation aka automatic copy routine when the source folder is update. I have looked at some Richcopy screenshots and it looks to be copier program from 1 place to another.

The Raid1 option seems to be a good idea. Not the most direct method I would have liked but it is something to consider. As this information is for someone else, I will think about some options and let him know.

Thanks for the replies.

John_Gray

iceze wrote: »

Looking for software or a method to copy files from one hdd to two or more hdd drives at the same time. Preferably to 3 destination drives. There is a lot of data, so to save time, it should read once and write the data to multiple drives/locations simultaneously.

I'd be surprised (and interested!) if you could do this. Best I can suggest in the Multi-Threaded capability of ROBOCOPY in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Previous versions of ROBOCOPY do not have this switch, and you can't copy the new version onto XP (for example) and get it to work...
/MT[:n] :: Do multi-threaded copies with n threads (default 8).
n must be at least 1 and not greater than 128.

nickcardwell

dsyncronize can do this.

well sort of
http://dimio.!!!!!!/eng/

it monitors folders, and you can set it up to copy to a location.

you can create multiple entries to watch say my docs folder, as soon as anything is updated, the program copies it to the other location.

have set it up myself to monitor my docs,my music and my pics, all to go to an external hard drive for backup purposes.

BritRael

John_Gray wrote: »

I'd be surprised (and interested!) if you could do this......

Me too

You can of course multiple-copy with Windows Explorer (as I'm sure you already know ) by simply dragging and dropping as many times as you need.

However, this method will not save time and is much quicker to do one at a time.

Good luck.

DVardysShadow

iceze wrote: »

Hi

Looking for software or a method to copy files from one hdd to two or more hdd drives at the same time. Preferably to 3 destination drives. There is a lot of data, so to save time, it should read once and write the data to multiple drives/locations simultaneously.

A possible alternative that could be considered is network copying to other machines with 1 or more drives. But I need some way to synchronize this so the server isn't wasting time reading 1 file more than once.

Iceze

Why? Do you really want to copy files or do you want to copy disk images?

Stompa

PikyBasket will do it:

http://www.conceptworld.com/piky/piky_features.asp

(though not freeware).

iceze

@Stompa: Just tried PickyBasket but for destination theres only one folder to direct to. I think its only a time limited trial so the full version is mostlikely to be the same. I think by "Create Multiple Folders & sub-folders in one shot." the website means that it copys all the folder etc in that 1 destination drive or folder.

@DVardysShadow: Its a whole drive I believe and mbr shouldn't matter i think. So specifying folders is fine too.

@nickcardwell: screenshot looked promising but that too is 1:1 copier. Just tried it and if it has 2 destinations then I need 2 sources, AKA 2 operations.

Looks like the most viable way so far is kwickbreaks' and I'm am doubting there is any easier single program way. Doesn't seem too hard but just means a different OS.

iceze