Automatic copying to flash drive. CopyToUSB is a small portable program for creating bootable USB drives

29.06.2021

You, like any user, would like to know that your information is safe and will not be harmed in any way. And considering that we are used to storing personal data on removable media, it is difficult to talk about security, since this is a whole thing! It follows from this that any decision you make for protection will be completely unnecessary...

As a whole, I suggest considering the possibility of automatically backing up data from removable media, such as USB flash drives. The ease of use is obvious: you insert the flash drive into the computer and first of all, it starts copying all the contents into a designated directory on the hard drive.

So, having come to understand the usefulness automatic copying, you should select a software tool for performing backups (from the English language “backup” - backup). I didn’t go too deep into searching for apps once I realized that most of them were paid and would be expensive for regular users to purchase. Therefore, catch the review of the utility " USBFlashCopy»…

Utility USBFlashCopy

The USBFlashCopy software product has several disadvantages, including an English-language control interface, as well as some limitations in free use. But you shouldn’t give up prematurely; you are probably familiar with the English terms and do not require frequent reference, and the restrictions are not so significant and do not relate to the main program activities. After launching it in two clicks, I was able to set the flash drive for copying.

Note! You can freely refuse to edit the parameters of the new profile and click the “OK” button (the utility will work in the “default” mode).

In addition, the program can work with files in three modes:

copying with further addition of new files.
Copying and replacing existing files.
Moving files from a flash drive to a computer.

Instead of an afterword

That's all, more fine settings You can produce on your own, even minor knowledge in English language will simplify the perception of the interface.

You can manually launch USBFlashCopy or go to the utility settings and set the appropriate value for automatic start along with Windows.

When the need arises to create an exact copy of a flash drive on another similar drive, simply copying the contents will not work. Files and folders will be copied, but the checksums will be different, and this will affect the performance of programs installed on the flash drive. For example, if you have a program for storing passwords on a flash card, copy the contents of the drive one to one without individual programs you won't succeed.

Copying a flash drive one to one

The first program that allows you to solve this problem is the USB Image Tool. Download it from the official website and unpack the archive (the program does not require installation). Insert the first flash drive and run the program. In the main window, select the desired drive and click the “Backup” button at the bottom right.

How to connect a flash drive, mouse or keyboard to your phone (instructions)

The flash drive in the radio plays all the songs in one song, what's the problem?

In the window that opens, select a location to save the files and wait for the copying process to complete. Insert a second flash drive, which will become an exact copy of the first, select it in the USB Image Tool and click the “Restore” button instead of the “Backup” button. An explorer window will open in which you need to find the previously saved file and open it. Confirm your actions in the dialog box that appears and wait for the process of writing data to the new flash drive to complete.

There is another program for creating an exact copy of a Flash drive. The software is paid, but there is a free trial version with limited functionality, which is enough to copy a flash drive one to one. You can download the program. Install it, run it and select “Disk Copy Wizard” from the “Wizard” menu at the top.

Select “Quick copy disk” in the window that opens and click “Next.” Select the flash drive you want to copy and “Next” again. Select the second flash drive to which the information will be copied and click “Next.” Place the marker next to the item “Fit partitions of the entire disk” and “Next” again, and in the next window click the “End” button.

You will be returned to the main window, where you must select “Apply” at the top left, after which a new “Pending Operations” window will open. Click “Go” and confirm the operation. Creating a copy will take some time, which depends on the type of files on the flash drive and their size. Wait for the operation to complete and click “OK.” Now you have two identical flash drives that can be used for their intended purpose.

Program type: Portable Supported OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, 7, Windows 8, 8.1, 10, Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016 R2 License: Free Interface language: English

There are more than enough programs for creating bootable USB drives. I’d like to introduce you to another one from the developer Ratiborus. The program does not require installation and no versions are needed for it to work NET Framework. With this software you can create a boot disk for installing an operating system, an emergency USB disk, etc. Various ISO image Discs: WinPE, Windows distributions, Office, etc.

It is advisable to run the program as an administrator. Otherwise it will not be possible to test the ISO boot menu and USB disk.

How to use the program:

1. Launch the program, select the USB drive on which you plan to burn the image and make it bootable. If you enable the checkbox under the disk selection menu (Show all drives (Caution!)), then all drives in the system will be shown, except for the C: drive. When enabling this option, be careful not to accidentally overwrite the partition hard drive! By default, only flash drives and memory cards are shown.;
2. Enable the second checkbox (Check disk) will turn on USB check after breaking it down and formatting it. This option will be useful for flash drives that have unstable sectors. During the scan, such sectors will be marked as unused operating system. Checking can be of two types: full — enabled checkbox and fast - enabled square;
3. Next you need to select a disk image that has ISO format. This can be done in two ways: 1) by selecting a disk image by clicking on the button ISO image opposite the Select ISO image field -> 2) by simply dragging the ISO image into the program window. In addition to the ISO image, you can drag and drop any other files or folders - all of them will be copied to the root of the USB drive. To remove all links to added files, click on "XXX Dragged files exist!!!"
4. To start the operation, you need to click on the button "Start". First, the ISO image will be unpacked, and then the files and folders that you dragged (if you added them) will be added.

You can change the disc label. To do this, erase the text opposite Label and enter yours.

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. By the same principle, you cannot copy the contents of one bootable flash drive to another. If not original ISO file, so that you can use it to create anytime and as many bootable flash drives as you like, you need to resort to the help of 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 just a matter of availability free space on a hard drive, then with multiboot flash drives for installing several systems, this is both a question of free space and a question of the process of creating them.

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 disk space managers for Windows. In particular, software assemblies from the developers Acronis, Paragon, AOMEI Technology provide functionality for backing up and restoring partitions and disks, which can be used to create backup copy 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 like a partition or an entire one can be cloned HDD with the operating system installed, the bootable flash drive will be cloned in 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 utility USB 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.

Backup to USB device is the use USB storage either as a data source for backup, or as a copy store. Handy Backup allows you to easily and conveniently backup flash drives (USB devices) via Computer plugin.

Basic functions of automatic backup to USB device

Backing up data to USB

The main function of a flash drive is data storage, so it is convenient to use a flash drive as a USB backup drive. Handy Backup allows you to use any USB storage device for backup as an external drive.

Backing up a USB device

On the contrary, sometimes you need to transfer a backup copy of data on a USB device to another location (for example, back up a flash drive to a computer). In this case, Handy Backup allows you to make a backup USB devices as a regular local data source.

A USB backup copy of your data only makes sense if it can be restored at any time. Handy Backup offers tools to automatically restore and even clone USB from backup, as well as manually copy unencrypted USB backups.

Backing up Windows 10 data to a USB flash drive

A problem different from all previous ones is solved by all professional versions of Handy Backup or the included HBDR utility, which allows you to create a backup of Windows 10 (Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Linux...) onto a flash drive as an image boot disk VHD.

To solve the problems described above, Handy Backup provides the user with a number of effective tools that allow you to conveniently and quickly organize automatic backups to USB flash drive and data recovery. Such tools include:

Schedule tasks, with a backup task to USB over time in the range from minutes to months.

How to backup a flash drive to a computer using Handy Backup?

The instructions below describe how to back up your data to USB. If you would like to learn more about how to make a backup copy of Windows to a flash drive, please refer to the relevant sections of the User Guide or the article on Windows backup.

Open Handy Backup. Create a new task using the button on the main panel.
In Step 1, select to create backup task data.
Go to Step 2 and select the necessary data for backup to a USB flash drive.

Make sure that your flash drive is inserted into a slot on your computer and is visible in the system.
In Step 3, select a plugin Computer by clicking on its name.
Find your USB backup device in the list of drives.

Mark it with a checkmark and click OK. Proceed to Step 4 and beyond.

On a note: Depending on the selected mode (simple or advanced), you can configure automatic start of backup when USB connection disk, incremental or differential copy, data encryption, launch external programs etc.

Finish creating the task. Everything is ready: Handy Backup will automatically start your task of backing up files to a USB device.

How to backup a flash drive to another location?

You can store USB disk backups in another place, for example, on the hard drive of your PC or laptop, on FTP server, V cloud storage(for example, saving a backup copy of the flash drive to Yandex.Disk, Dropbox or Google Drive), as well as in a special storage HBDrive.

To create a task to obtain a USB backup, open Handy Backup and run the New Task Wizard as described above.
In Step 2, open the list of data sources Local or Network Drive in the left panel and click on the plugin name Computer. Find your flash drive for backup in the plugin window.

Then in Step 3, select the USB backup storage and continue creating the task as described in the previous instructions.

Video tutorial: How to create an automatic backup when connecting a USB device

This video tutorial shows step-by-step instruction to create an automatic backup to a flash drive when you connect this USB device to a computer.

Attention: This video assumes that your machine already has Handy Backup installed. Otherwise, please download Handy Backup and install it on your computer.

Automatic backup to a USB flash drive with Handy Backup is a convenient, simple and reliable data storage tool. Try its power for yourself by downloading and installing a 30-day free version programs with a full set of functions and plugins!