Can I easily copy my 9 Gig folder to a new memory stick?

Hello,

I have a new 32G memory stick. I'd like to know how to copy a 9 Gig World folder (Trainz 2004,SP4 2370) to this stick. Is it preferable to use just copy and paste? (Windows XP).

My computer has only 1G of memory. But I have copied this World folder before (years ago) to a second hard drive on the same computer.

Would you think that it will be safe to my existing World folder to do this? Naturally, I think it should be safe. I just don't know about the interaction between the hard drive and a memory stick.

Also, could this take a very long time? It is a 7200 rpm hard drive.

Thanks for any opinions! Bob P.
 
I'd zip it with 7-zip first then copy it. The only reason is that way it has a check digit on the file so you can check to see it copied it entirely. www.7-zip.org if you use .7z format it should compress it down a bit first. If copying time is a concern before now I have just started something like this at bed time and let it run.

The limiting factor will be the write time to the USB stick.

Cheerio John
 
Thanks John, for the hint about 7-zip. I'll learn the instructions for it on their website. I presume it won't do anything to the original World folder.

I seem to remember that I tried writing something fairly large to a memory stick (years ago), (maybe the folder with my downloaded CDP files) and it was taking a very long time... I gave up. But like you say, Be prepared for a long time, maybe while I sleep.

By the way, I enjoy using a good variety of UK routes, along with British locos and rolling stock, including yours!

Thanks, and best wishes! Bob P.
 
I'd first run a speed test on transfers to/from your new 32G memstick. Some memsticks take forever to copy/paste even short files. I have one whose throughput can be measured around 250 BYTES per second according to Windows 7. It's all in the design of the memstick (and the company producing it). Why not buy a smaller USB drive and backup to it? This drive can be used to backup many more things as well.

Bill
 
I'd be inclined that way as well. WD are fairly reliable and a 4 Tb external usb3 is $105 on newegg.com with free shipping I think. To back up with windows backup it needs to be greater than 1 Tb drive so go 2 Tb min to be on the safe side.

Cheerio John
 
Careful here what you recommend, he's using Windows XP. May not be able to read a 4TB External as XP doesn't have GPT support and will only read 2GB, the MBR limit, unless the External drive has a GPT loader solution, Paragon had one a long while back, to enable it to be fully read which these days is probably unlikely as not needed with a modern OS. Unlikely to need even 1TB as a backup for XP.
 
Careful here what you recommend, he's using Windows XP. May not be able to read a 4TB External as XP doesn't have GPT support and will only read 2GB, the MBR limit, unless the External drive has a GPT loader solution, Paragon had one a long while back, to enable it to be fully read which these days is probably unlikely as not needed with a modern OS. Unlikely to need even 1TB as a backup for XP.

Why would anyone still be using XP? Yes I agree I missed that. 2 Gig it is then but using XP these days on the internet really is not safe.

Cheerio John
 
How is that done? Is there some kind of speed test command or utility in Win 10 or is it just a matter of doing a copy/paste while watching it with some part of Task Manager?

In windows 10, the transfer process opens a dialog box that shows transfer rates and number of files copied per second. If you select some overly long files (videos, say) and copy them to the external memsitck while watching the transfer graph, you can see how fast/slow it is. Windows 7 and below you have to click the "more details" link to see progress speed.

Note also that Windows 7 is about to become a fatality to "onward and upward" progress (not necessarily better).

Bill
 
Hello People,

This conversation has me thinking about how I used to go about backing up my Trainz Local and World folders.

I used to backup the folders using a program named Solway Simple Backup, to a second hard drive in my computer. The backups are still there. but not updated since 2016. But I also used to plug in an old hard drive and copy and paste the original folders directly to that.

I went looking for it, and I still have the hard drive. It used to take maybe 3/4 of an hour to manually copy the 2004, 2006 and TC folders.

Somewhere along the line, I forgot about doing this. I'm sure it was because I had to replace my primary hard drive and forgot to install the Solway backup program to it. Which I did install last night.

I saw this SanDisk Cruzer Glade for practically nothing and thought that it would be a great way to backup everything. Forgetting about the extreme slowness of the older USB Flash drive.

Yes, I still use the old Windows XP. My Trainz computer is not connected to the internet. And my internet computer is still running XP. My email is still luckilly working. Websites load fairly quickly.

Of course, this is on dialup at 52k bits per second. Viruses don't seem to happen (knock on wood) many years.
 
Instead of a complete backup every time. I'd suggest downloading and using a free Microsoft utility called "SyncToy2.1". It is on the MS site here: Synctoy2.1

This will run on XP through Windows 10 (I have used it for ages). It operatoes on the concept of "folder pairs" called "left" and "right". Your "left" folder would be the normal one on your game machine. The "right" would be the removable drive you choose. You can choose three options:

Synchronize:
  • New and updated files are copied both ways. Renames and deletes on either side are repeated on the other.

Echo:
  • New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames and deletes on the left are repeated on the right.

Contribute:
  • New and updated files are copied left to right. Renames on the left are repeated on the right. No deletions.

Of the three, I use Echo and Synchronize as they keep both folders exactly the same. Contribute will eventually make your "right" folder a little larger as there are no deletions.

For all three methods, if you didn't modify a file on the "left" itiisn't transferred to the "right". Once you make a complete backup, simple maintenance will take minutes instead of hours. It can also be set up to work unattended while you sleep--starting, running, and completing ona schedule you set up with the computer's scheduler running a command line version (supplied) of the tool.

The Help file that comes with Synctoy is very helpful. Give it a try.

Bill
 
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Hello,

(I've been busy trying to line up a repair on my automobile).

I'd like to thank everyone for this conversation about the USB Flash Drive idea. But generally I'm feeling that it would not work well.

It could be extremely slow and from what was said here, there would be a problem with Windows XP doing the writing to the drive. (besides that,my XP uses FAT32).

However, it does write the big folders to a separate hard drive with no problems.

Thanks Bill, I did download SynchToy and might eventually try it out. It has many more features than I need though. I have that Solway program I mentioned, which has only one option (to copy files only if they are newer).


Thanks for all the good information and Best Wishes. Bob P.
 
I dug out an old notebook which was loaded with XP, and while it will work with USB2, it refuses to see a USB3 flash drive. I am guessing that the larger USBs today will be USB3. In addition it seems incapable of seeing or using any USB plugin that relies on USB power.

It may be possible that XP in a PC will do these things especially if the power source is separate, but I have no intention of putting XP on a PC to check this out.

Peter
 
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