hanging up

I am running winxp pro sp3 (I know I’m behind) and created a batch file to back up certain folders with important info that I run on a daily basis. This file was created about 3 years ago and worked until the latest program update.

When I try run it, it starts and soon stall out - can’t end or quit it even with going to task manager, processes tab and right click on xcopy end process or end process tree. Using the normal shut down method doesn’t work - have to do a hardware reset.

I tried disabling all shields - still hangs.

Tried booting into safe mode - the batch file works - takes about 20 minutes to run (about 3 gig of data) to an external usb2 drive.

The file name: temp-bu.bat between “”

"rem remove any connected usb drives

rem plug in usb drive labelled media (s1 on drive)

rem close any open applications
pause

del j:\desktop*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\mike alterman\Desktop*.*” j:\desktop /v /y /s /e

del j:\my-docs*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\mike alterman\My Documents*.*” j:\my-docs /v /y /s /e

del j:\gnupg*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\mike alterman\Application Data\gnupg*.*” j:\gnupg /v /y /s /e

del j:\mozilla*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\mike alterman\Application Data\Mozilla*.*” j:\mozilla /v /y /s /e

del j:\tb*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\mike alterman\Application Data\Thunderbird*.*” j:\tb /v /y /s /e

del j:\phone*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BVRP Software*.*” j:\phone /v /y /s /e

del j:\email*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “E:\email*.*” j:\email /v /y /s /e

del j:\ins-docs*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “E:\ins-docs*.*” j:\ins-docs /v /y /s /e

del j:\places*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “E:\places*.*” j:\places /v /y /s /e

del j:\med*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “F:\medical*.*” j:\med /v /y /s /e

del j:\estate*.* /f /q /s

xcopy “g:\estate*.*” j:\estate /v /y /s /e
pause"
I pasted the file content since ataching a batch file is not allowed

Any thoughts , suggestions or ideas as to what to do would be appreciated.

As you can see from my signature I have XP on one of my systems (desktop), I use a batch file to backup my volatile data files (and I fire that off a few times a day) and no issues.

The little program called in this batch file is mirror.exe, that copies all new or modified files to a second hard drive, and my weekly backup image covers main drive and data backup location to an external drive.

I suspect that your issue may be the avast self-defence module, as some of your xcopy/delete commands could be touching avast locations.

In safe mode avast doesn’t run and that would include the self-defence module, try disabling the avastUI > Settings > Troubleshooting - ‘Enable Avast self-defence module’ before running your batch file.

Hi DavidR,

Thanks for reply. I found mirror.zip on the web, downloaded, followed instructions but it hangs up on source directory name - tried quotes’’ and double quotes “” and some other tricks - nogo.

To the Moderator(s), please pass along to developers that the latest update ‘broke’ the functioning of a basic function of XP.

I’m also submitting feedback by way of the link in about.

From my original use of mirror.exe I have found that there may also be other mirror.exe files around and I haven’t got a link for the original.

The command line is fairly straight forward or I found it so.

Extract of one of my backups
mirror “c:\quickenw” “f:\curbkup\quickenw”
mirror “c:\dmr” “f:\curbkup\dmr”
mirror “e:\downloads” “f:\curbkup\downloads”
mirror “e:\images” “f:\curbkup\images”
mirror “e:\data” “f:\curbkup\data”
mirror “e:\shortcuts” “f:\curbkup\shortcuts”
mirror “e:\utilities-non-registry” “f:\curbkup\util-non-reg”
REM
REM – .:|:. << end of Data Backup >> .:|:. –
REM
pause

The command mirror followed by a space then the “source” (in speech quotes) followed by a space and then the “destination” (in speech quotes). I always put the pause command in the last line, this allows you to examine what has been done and if there are any errors.

The Mirror.exe file is in the C:\ directory.
REM is just a blank line unless you want to display some text as I have.

Not to be augmentative, I think this problem has to do with having spaces in the path.

Well as you can see I don’t have spaces in the path as in my extract, the only space is between the source and target path and that works for me.

I also have a copy command at the start of my batch file to copy data before mirroring it, they have spaces in the path and they work.

copy “c:\Documents and Settings*\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book*.wab” “e:\data*.wab"
mirror "C:\Documents and Settings*
\Application Data\Thunderbird” “f:\curbkup\thunderbird”

I should have been more clear, I was referring to the path as used in mirrornt.

If had taken the time to fully read and understand my previous comments you would have gotten that. You seem to like to ‘run off at the mouth’ as evidenced by your frequent posts.

As you say you didn’t make it clear that you weren’t using mirror.exe and as I said there is more than one program using the name mirror.

As for running off at the mouth, that seems to be an issue you too could address. My sole intention is to try and help other avast users if I can.

I certainly won’t get in your way here.