Use RoboCopy for automatic daily or hourly backups of your Minecraft world.
Use RoboCopy for automatic daily or hourly backups of your Minecraft world.
Hello everyone, this is my initial attempt here. I’m not entirely clear on how these platforms operate, so please be patient if I made mistakes. Let’s focus on the main issue. I faced a challenge where I needed to back up game files, especially for Minecraft and Valheim. My Minecraft world would get corrupted, and any changes didn’t save. For Valheim, there was a sudden reset to an old save file. These issues kept recurring, and I needed a way to restore any save folder at any time.
My goals were:
- Set up a folder with a specific name and today’s date (e.g., "MRG 6-24-22") in a designated place.
- Copy the world folder into that same location automatically.
- Automate this process whenever possible, since I’m very efficient but also very lazy.
After researching, I found help on Reddit, but it seemed like someone else had already solved it. Then I discovered robocopy, which allows batch scripting and can be scheduled via Windows Task Scheduler. This was the solution I needed. However, I was confused about how to implement it properly.
I eventually spent a day experimenting with robocopy, trying to understand its capabilities. When I finally got it working, I realized the script was straightforward: copy files from a source folder to a destination with a date prefix. The command included parameters like `/MT:16` for multithreading and `/e` to include all files. I learned to format the date correctly and ensure paths handled spaces properly.
The script works by specifying where to copy, how to name the folder, and when to run it. I added notes on using quotes around paths with spaces and adjusting thread counts based on your system. For example, setting `MT` to 16 uses up to 18 threads if supported.
I also shared tips on organizing backups, like naming folders clearly and using a consistent structure. While the process is detailed, I hope this helps others who face similar problems. Let me know if you need further clarification!
I've heard positive feedback about a GUI tool for robocopy called ChoEasyCopy, seen on some technical forums you often visit. You might also want to explore apps such as Macrium Reflect or Aomei, which offer built-in backup features for scheduled files and folders.
I reviewed the entire content, but I only offered a few suggestions to simplify managing multiple switches and improve backup methods.
I won't go through the whole text, but there are mods available for Minecraft that focus on backups and managing how long backups are kept. On the Forge side, FTB backups exist (2) at the link provided. On Fabric, "textile backup" seems to be the most active project with a detailed page. It’s worth noting you don’t need to use external tools and you might run into issues if the game interacts unexpectedly with the backup software—just try the game itself first.
In an ideal scenario, a mechanism should exist in the Minecraft server to temporarily halt the game for a short duration, ensuring no data is written to files during the backup process. This helps prevent potential corruption of backups. Refer to the discussion here: https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questio...back-it-up. You might consider implementing a script that sends a message to all players asking them to wait a few seconds for scheduled backups. During this time, you can run the /save-off command to disable disk writes, initiate an external backup routine, and then send a confirmation message once the process is complete. For archiving, you could use 7zip to create a TAR file, maintaining consistent order inside. After creating the archive, store it in a compressed format—keeping recent backups (last 2-3 days) and older ones separately. Archive the latest TAR and its differences with a binary diff tool like xdelta, comparing it to the previous day's backup. This approach minimizes storage use while ensuring data integrity.