Question

I have a small SQL database that is on my development PC only. I’d like to make frequent backup copies of it to a thumb drive. If I could have it do it automatically on a schedule when the thumb drive is detected, that’d be even better. What’s a good way to do this?

Answer 1

This is what I did to get the database and other folders to automatically sync to my USB drive every time I plug it in:

1. Install SyncToy made by Microsoft.
   • Add a folder pair to copy from the DB folder to the USB drive.
   • Filter files to only the files you want to copy.
2. Create a batch program with the content below called SyncMe.bat and save it on your USB drive
3. Open Event Viewer from the Control Panel.
4. Navigate to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows DriverFrameworks-UserMode > Operational
5. Clear the log to make it easier to find the right events.
6. Plug in the USB drive.
7. Refresh the log, find the latest event that is specific to that USB drive, right-click, and Attach Task To This Event.
8. Add an action that runs the SyncMe.bat program you created

SyncMe.bat contents (update to reflect your paths and file names):

@echo off

if exist "G:\SyncMe.bat" goto fileexists

goto nofile

:fileexists
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\OSQL.EXE" -S computername\instancename -E -n -Q "master..sp_detach_db 'DatabaseName'"
"C:\Program Files\SyncToy 2.1\SyncToyCmd.exe" -R
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\OSQL.EXE" -S computername\instancename -E -n -Q "master..sp_attach_db 'DatabaseName', 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.InstanceName\MSSQL\DATA\DatabaseName.mdf','C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.InstanceName\MSSQL\DATA\LogName_log.ldf'"
goto end

:nofile
echo SyncMe.bat not found on G:\
goto end

:end