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We are using XP as an operating system in our office; all the files on every pc are place on the network drives (about 6 or 8 network drives). How can I backup or sync all network drives on an external drive which is on the server? What softwares can I use for this task? I need something that works on by schedule. The computers are Pentium 4 with at least 2 GB ram, so they are far outdated and that is one of my problems. I’m using a “WD MY BOOK ESSENTIAL 3.0”, wherein if I place that in the computers they usually hang, that are why the only way to use the external is to place it in the server for continuous backup or syncing…

I really need your help please, if you can guide me or show me any sites to study about this…

Thank you so much by just reading this and it will be a big help if you can help me out…

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As described, the cleanest, most reliable approach is a server‑side scheduled backup: keep the WD My Book attached to the server and have the server copy the network shares to that disk on a schedule. That centralizes restores and avoids attaching the external to multiple old clients. As noted, the built‑in Windows backup tools (wbadmin / Windows Server Backup) can do scheduled image/file backups — be aware that adding a local disk as a backup target can cause the OS to prepare/format it for backup use. (learn.microsoft.com)

If users may have files open during business hours, use a backup method that takes Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) snapshots so open/locked files are captured consistently. Windows Server Backup and most commercial server backup products rely on VSS for consistent backups of files in use. Simple file copies without VSS can miss or corrupt open files. (learn.microsoft.com)

For a lightweight, low‑cost workflow: mirror server shares to the attached drive with Robocopy and run the job from Task Scheduler after hours. Robocopy is robust for file-level mirroring, and Task Scheduler can run the job automatically. Note Robocopy does not handle locked/open files (so use it only when files are idle, or pair it with a VSS‑aware backup). Example command to mirror and log (run as a scheduled task): 

robocopy "\\Server\Share" "E:\Backups\Share" /MIR /R:3 /W:5 /LOG:"E:\Backups\robocopy.log"

See the Robocopy reference and Task Scheduler docs for options and scheduling. (learn.microsoft.com)

If a GUI or versioned backups are preferred, consider FreeFileSync (versioning) or SyncBack (free/pro tiers); both can be automated via scheduled tasks and offer safer versioning rather than pure mirroring. Format the external drive NTFS so permissions and large files are supported. Keep at least one offline or offsite copy (3‑2‑1 rule) and run periodic restore tests — mirroring alone is not a substitute for versioned, tested backups. (documentation.help)

Short checklist: attach the drive only to the server, format NTFS, pick either WSB/wbadmin (VSS) or Robocopy+TaskScheduler (for simple mirroring), schedule after hours, keep an offsite copy, and verify restores regularly.

Member Avatar for JorgeM

You can use the Windows backup utility on the server, but you may consider looking at 3rd party products. I recommend Backup Exec by Symantec.

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