Many of us use USB flash drives in our daily lives to transfer and store files. Flash is convenient for editing documents directly from it, both at work and at home, and generally wherever you are, since all the necessary work files are always with you.

A flash drive is usually used in various weather conditions: rain, dampness, frost, is subject to mechanical damage, electromagnetic waves, can be lost or stolen, etc. The only reliable way to save your data is to back up your flash drive daily to HDD PC or laptop.

Flash drive backup options. Which to choose?

If you are not already using Exiland Backup and you have lost a file from your flash drive, go here.

Fulfill backup flash drive files possible on various media:

• hard or solid state drive computer (HDD, SSD)
• external USB disk(replaceable HDD)
• network drive, NAS server in local network
• to the cloud Yandex.Disk or Google Drive
• remote server via FTP, SFTP (SSH)

Let's look at an example of how to organize automatic backup of USB disk (flash drive) to the PC hard drive every 3 hours.

To create backup flash drives, you can develop bat files or copy files manually, but this is the worst option, since you can forget to create a backup in time, and you often have to be distracted by creating backup copies.

Let’s not “reinvent the wheel”, since people have already invented and developed automatic backup programs, but let’s consider one of them, namely, the easy-to-use, reliable Exiland Backup utility, which creates backup copies of specified files and folders from one medium at a specified frequency on another and does it almost imperceptibly, without interfering with the work of other programs.

Moreover, Exiland Backup has the ability to run a task to create a backup copy of the flash drive immediately after connecting it to the USB port of your PC. This is very convenient - I plugged the flash drive into the PC, and within a few seconds a backup copy was created.

Let's see how Exiland Backup can easily and just set up a backup flash drive to the PC hard drive.

How to backup a flash drive. Setting up Exiland Backup

The Exiland Backup program has special “tricks” for working with flash drives.

In the Selected Folder Options window, you can specify Extra options folders: file masks, attributes, as well as excluding subfolders, for example, everything except the "Temp" and "_old" folders.

A great feature of this program is support for paths by volume name, for example, the source folder can be specified as :\Source\Folder, where FLESHKA is the name of the flash drive volume. This solves the problem when a flash drive in Windows is connected under different drive letters. Thus, if the replacement disk is connected under a different drive letter, you will not have to reconfigure anything in the program. It is very comfortable.

At the 4th step (ZIP compression options) you can leave the default settings and click "Next"

Exiland Backup allows you to compress source files and folders into one ZIP archive with a specified compression ratio and selected encryption (setting a password for the ZIP archive).

In step 5, tell the program where to save backups

Click "Add - Local/Network Folder". A window will appear in which you should specify the path to the folder on the hard drive of your PC or laptop, for example “D:\Backups”.

This can be done through the folder selection dialog (from the same dialog you can create the “Backups” or “Backups” folder).

As in the case of selecting source data, here the program also supports ability to specify path by volume name. This is especially useful when saving backups to removable disks, because... Windows OS can assign different letters to the disk each time you connect a removable HDD or flash drive.

In step 6, specify the schedule for running the backup

Recommended frequency Reserve copy depends on how often you work with flash media. Typically, a normal backup frequency is once every 4 hours. Creating several backups during the working day is usually sufficient.

Moreover, if the data on the flash has not changed at all, Exiland Backup will not create backup copy , but will simply write about it in the log (magazine). If, when starting the backup, the flash drive was not connected to USB port your PC - nothing bad will happen, Exiland Backup will simply skip the task. You can also tell the Exiland Backup program to “start backing up the flash drive when it is connected to the USB port of your PC,” which is undoubtedly another advantage of the program.

So, toggle the checkbox (*) Run according to schedule, select the "daily" schedule type, click the "Edit" button. To add a start time, click the "Add" button and select "Periodically", select "Every 4 hours" and click OK. The selected value appears in the list.

Click the "Add" button again and select "When connecting a removable device (flash drive, removable HDD, etc.)", tell the program whether to backup files every time you connect a USB device or only the first time you connect it during the current day, then Click "OK" and "OK" again to return to the "Schedule" step and click "Next".

Step 7: Notification

Here click "Done". Although, the program allows you to send notifications about backup results in various cases (in case of errors, in case of warnings, in any case), but in this case ( backup flash drive), That is unnecessary.

The flash drive backup task has been created! When the launch schedule occurs or when a flash drive is connected, the backup will begin. Also, nothing prevents you from starting the task manually by clicking on the “Run” button on the top panel.

Other features of the Exiland Backup utility

Exiland Backup differs from analogues in its clear Russian-language interface and combines good opportunities and flexibility of settings.

Typically, the volume of these flash drives is small: 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 GB. Exiland Backup also does a great job with backup of large amounts of data 1-2 terabytes, is characterized by high copying speed, thanks to copying in several threads, it can do not only Full backup(full backup), but also create incremental backups, differential backups, and also synchronize folders over a local network, FTP, SFTP (SSH). Therefore, the utility can make a site backup via FTP, made on any CMS, for example, WordPress.

WITH automatic program With Exiland Backup you will once and for all protect your files from damage by a virus, failure of your flash device, etc.

The backup utility Exiland Backup is quite universal and is perfect for backing up home files - photos, videos, documents, and for use in organizations (copying documents, accounting databases, etc.). The program can be used by both novice PC users and more experienced professionals ( system administrators and programmers).

A test drive of a flash drive backup showed good results.

Mikhail, Exiland Backup developer

We recently received the following question:

“Hello, Maxim! Actually the question is this. A friend of mine has a bootable flash drive, how can I make an image of his flash drive and write it to mine?”

I decided to write a short note on how this can be done.

Here I will describe one of the methods that I tested.

First, I downloaded a program (link to the version with a Russian-language interface), which allows you to create and burn disk images.

For the option of copying a flash drive once, even a trial version is suitable.

Download the program, install it, run it with administrator rights. In the welcome window, select the button "Trial period", and we see this window:

1 – this is the folder list area of ​​the new image project, the default project name is set from current date and time. The project can be renamed using the context menu command.

2 – This is the content area of ​​the new project folders.

3 – PC disk list area.

4 – area of ​​the contents of PC disks.

The original flash drive is drive S, it is written on it boot image Ubuntu OS.

Move the mouse pointer to drive S, and drag it to area 2.

A confirmation window for transferring the list of files appears. The program interface is not translated entirely correctly, but this is not critical.

If it is not necessary to rewrite the entire source disk, then the necessary files for the image are simply selected.

This results in a new image project:

If you need to configure any other project properties, they can be found through the menu “File” - “Properties”.

A standard file saving window appears, where you can also select the image file type. Then the file is saved:

After this, the resulting file can be transferred to another PC or recorded later on another medium.

To record the image, insert a new flash drive. If the image was created earlier, then it is necessary through the menu “File” - “Open” select the image file and open it.

In the new window you can immediately see that some inscriptions are not translated at all.

Near the inscription « Disk Drive» There is a drop-down list from which you need to select the desired flash drive.

I choose drive R– this is my new flash drive.

In line "Image file" You can check again that you have selected for recording required file. Recording method - I chose "USB-HDD", and for a flash drive there are options “USB-HDD+” and “USB-HDD+ v2”.

I tried all the options, but didn't see any difference. The built-in help in the program, judging by the copyright, was last updated in 2009, and about recording on flash drives or external HDDs there is nothing there. Perhaps these settings are needed for some specific image options, and information about them can be found on the software developers forum.

If necessary, the flash drive can be formatted immediately before recording - there is a button for this "Format".

When everything has been selected, press the button "Record".

A warning window appears indicating that all data will be erased so the user can double-check that they are recording the image to the correct media.

Click "Yes" and watch the recording process:

When the message appears “Recording complete!”, you can close all windows and check the flash drive to see if it is possible to start the PC from it.

This is how you can copy a bootable USB flash drive, and also make another similar flash drive later, or optical disk, or even external hard disk.

This program also allows you to record images created in other programs.

How to save content bootable flash drive, if there is no original image, but the carrier itself is needed temporarily for other purposes? Or does the flash drive need to be recreated exactly with the structure of the boot partition on another USB drive? In this case, you need to resort to backup programs; they completely copy the structure of the storage media, along with the status and attributes of the partitions. One of these is .

This is a simple backup with basic capabilities, paid, but you can use it for free for an entire month in unlimited trial-versions.

How can I use R-Drive Image to create a backup of a bootable flash drive and then restore the whole thing?

1. Backup bootable UEFI flash drives

Before we begin to consider the essence of the issue, it is important to distinguish between the concepts of bootable flash drives - regular and UEFI. The first ones are created to run on computers with regular BIOS (Legacy). The second ones are recorded, accordingly, only for devices with BIOS UEFI. Both the first and second can be launched in BIOS UEFI, provided that the compatibility mode is set in the settings (CSM). From regular flash drives UEFI They are distinguished by their unpretentiousness in creation. To create them, you need to format the media.

In this case, select file system FAT32 .

The bootable distribution itself can simply be copied onto formatted media. To do this we connect ISO -image.

Note: in the environment Windows 7 To do this you will need to install a mounting program virtual drives type Daemon Tools , Alcohol, Virtual CloneDrive.

Open the connected ISO -image, press Ctrl + A and copy the contents of the image to the empty one flush-carrier.

That's all, actually. To create bootable flash drives you do not need any special programs type Rufus or WinSetupFromUSB. Therefore, if not ISO -source, but needs to be used temporarily flush-device for other purposes, simply select all its contents using the Ctrl + A keys and copy it to your hard drive or send it to an archive.

And then copy everything back or unpack the archive. But if the flash drive is not UEFI, and its partition in disk managers is listed as primary and active,

then, of course, simply copying files is not enough.

2. Creating a backup flash drive

Download the program on her website:

Click.

Backup source selection stage: Use the mouse pointer to click on the flash drive in the disk table. Click on the icon on the left, where the media size is displayed, so that the entire disk is highlighted with a red line at the bottom.

Stage of choosing a storage location for the backup file: in Explorer we indicate the location on the hard drive where the backup file will be saved ".rdr". If necessary, in the column "File name" we can ask backup a name different from the automatically generated one.

Stage of setting backup parameters: here we can compress the file to the limit so that it takes up less disk space.

And we begin.

We wait for some time. Eventually: the image was created, everything went well.

3. Restoring a flash drive from a backup

When you need to recreate the structure and contents of the bootable flash drive, run . Click.

In Explorer, select the previously created file backup ".rdr" .

Stage of selecting backup contents and destination media: in the column "Image" Click on the disk icon on the left, i.e. select the entire image structure to restore. In the column "Receiver", click, again, on the disk icon on the left, i.e. select the entire flash drive.

We agree that during the recovery process, all contents flush-The device will be overwritten.

Parameter setting stage: we indicate that we need to copy the image structure without changing it.

Begin.

Ideally, the restore operation should be successful.

Hello admin! My friend has a cool one 16 GB multiboot flash drive USB interface 2.0 with five operating systems, several useful LiveCDs and a bunch more useful programs, and I have a blank 32 GB USB 3.0 flash drive. The question is, how can I transfer all the information from his 16 GB bootable flash drive to my 32 GB flash drive and so that my flash drive automatically becomes bootable? That is, I want to make an exact copy of his flash drive on my own, but I have no idea how this can be done.

Cloning a bootable USB flash drive

Hello friends! The situation is basically clear. In simple words, our reader has a bootable flash drive of 16 GB in size, on which there are operating systems and some kind of useful software and he wants to make an exact copy of this flash drive on another a larger flash drive, for example 32 GB. And in clever words, we need to produce flash drive cloning.

• Note: The same is possible.

So, we connect two flash drives to our computer.

The first flash drive is 16 GB, it is bootable and contains several operating systems, plus a LiveCD, user files and program installers.

The second 32 GB flash drive is clean.

Disk management.

Let's launch free program.

Choose Master-->Disc Copy Wizard.

Select the source flash drive - the bootable flash drive from which we want to copy the contents.

Left-click on the selected flash drive and click “Next”.

We select the target flash drive, that is, the one to which we want to copy the contents of the bootable flash drive.

This window shows what the flash drive will look like after cloning. We don’t need two partitions on the bootable flash drive, so check the “Fit partitions of the entire disk” checkbox

"End"

"Apply"

"Go"

The process of cloning the flash drive begins.

Unlike regular data stored on USB flash drives, bootable USB flash drive data cannot be placed on another USB flash drive by simply copying or cutting and pasting files. If, for example, you have a bootable USB flash drive with an operating system installation disk, but the original ISO file is lost, you won’t be able to release the flash drive temporarily by temporarily moving the data to your computer. After moving back to the flash drive, it will not become bootable. Using the same principle, you cannot copy the contents of one bootable flash drive to another. If there is no source ISO file, so that you can use it to create anytime and as many bootable flash drives as you want, you need to resort to using a special software. It’s easier, of course, to store the original ISO file somewhere and burn it, if necessary, to any USB media. But if with installation disks operating systems and Live disks for their resuscitation is only a matter of free space on the hard drive, then with multiboot flash drives for installing several systems it is both a question of free space and a question of the process of their creation.

Below we will consider the simplest way, how in Windows system clone the bootable USB flash drive to another empty flash drive if there is no original ISO file. This method is also suitable for the case when there is only one flash drive available, and it needs to be freed from data for a while, and then returned to the initial state.

For these purposes, you can use the capabilities of backup programs or managers disk space for Windows. In particular, software assemblies from the developers of Acronis, Paragon, AOMEI Technology provide functionality for backing up and restoring partitions and disks, which can be used to create a backup copy of a bootable flash drive. The created backup copy can later be restored either to the same flash drive or to another. The mentioned programs also provide functionality for directly transferring the contents of a bootable flash drive to another USB drive - this is functionality. Just as a partition or an entire hard drive with installed operating system, the bootable flash drive will be cloned in exactly the same way.

In our case, as mentioned, the simplest way to solve the problem will be considered. To transfer the contents of a bootable USB flash drive, we will use a small free USB utility Image Tool. It can be downloaded from the developer's website.

USB Image Tool is a portable program that does not require installation on the system. Simply unpack the downloaded archive and run the application file.

The utility is intended only for working with USB media. It works on the principle of creating a backup image of a bootable USB flash drive. The created image in IMG format is subsequently used to restore the contents of the bootable flash drive, either on the original or on any other USB drive.

After launching the USB Image Tool, on the left side of the window we will see a list of all connected USB drives. If there are several devices, select the one you need and click on it. In the right part of the window at the bottom, click the “Backup” button.

We indicate the location on the computer where the bootable flash drive image will be stored. Click “Save”.

We are waiting for the backup process to complete.

Once the image is created, we can restore it to another flash drive. Click on the desired flash drive in the utility window on the left, and at the bottom of the window click the “Restore” button.

We indicate the previously saved IMG image. Click “Open”.

We confirm the actions.

The last stage is to wait for the process to complete.

Have a great day!