USB drive number is changing, how to keep destination fixed?

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jacobsee
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2019 7:55 pm

USB drive number is changing, how to keep destination fixed?

Post by jacobsee »

I have IFW set to backup image daily via Windows 10 task scheduler. In Disk Management, my C: drive is drive #0, and my external USB backup drive is drive #1 (with drive letter D:). Here is my command line:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\imagew64.exe" /wait /simple /b /logfile:%backupLog% /uy /mi:5 /d:w0 /f:w1@0x1:\ /vb

Works great most of the time, but occasionally, the computer reboots with another usb flash drive attached, and the numbering switches. So the new drive becomes #1, and the intended backup drive becomes #2. So the backup goes to the new flash drive (E:) instead of the intended drive D:. Note that the drive letters don't change, just the drive index/number.

Is there a way to tie the destination drive to the same USB drive, even if other drives are occasionally attached? I didn't find a command line to use drive letter which seems to be more stable.

thanks!
Eric
TeraByte Support
Posts: 3598
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 10:37 pm

Re: USB drive number is changing, how to keep destination fixed?

Post by TeraByte Support »

Use the disk signature instead. Enable "Output Disk ID to Command
Line", then go through the UI and click show command to see how it's
used with /d and the value needed (or read the manual on the /d option).

On 11/27/2019 5:12 PM, jacobsee wrote:
> I have IFW set to backup image daily via Windows 10 task scheduler. In Disk Management, my C: drive is drive #0, and my external USB backup drive is drive #1 (with drive letter D:). Here is my command line:
>
> "C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\imagew64.exe" /wait /simple /b /logfile:%backupLog% /uy /mi:5 /d:w0 /f:w1@0x1:\ /vb
>
> Works great most of the time, but occasionally, the computer reboots with another usb flash drive attached, and the numbering switches. So the new drive becomes #1, and the intended backup drive becomes #2. So the backup goes to the new flash drive (E:) instead of the intended drive D:. Note that the drive letters don't change, just the drive index/number.
>
> Is there a way to tie the destination drive to the same USB drive, even if other drives are occasionally attached? I didn't find a command line to use drive letter which seems to be more stable.
>
> thanks!
> Eric
>
>


Bob Coleman
Posts: 785
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:58 pm

Re: USB drive number is changing, how to keep destination fi

Post by Bob Coleman »

To jacobsee:

Here is a command line that I use:

C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\imagew64.exe /v /uy /f:H:\Full5

and here is another one:

imagew64.exe /b /uy /base:"G:\FULL5" /f:"G:\2019-11-25 07-55-42" /hash /del

From those and your statement that your disk is always dirve letter D, I deduce that you could probably use:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\imagew64.exe" /wait /simple /b /logfile:%backupLog% /uy /mi:5 /d:w0 /f:D:\ /vb
jacobsee
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2019 7:55 pm

Re: USB drive number is changing, how to keep destination fi

Post by jacobsee »

Thanks for both suggestions, I will try them out and let you know how it goes!
jacobsee
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2019 7:55 pm

Re: USB drive number is changing, how to keep destination fi

Post by jacobsee »

I'm now using /d and /f with disk id or guid and it is working great. for reference, here is my full cmd script for doing a simple-mode backup of my win10 C: drive to a local backup hard drive, along with instructions for finding the source and backup drive id:

-----

rem To find drive IDs, run Image for windows > Backup > Full > Next > Click Drive > Information
rem Ctrl-C to copy info into text file > Use Device ID prefixed with #0x or Device GUID in curly braces
set source=#0xSOURCE_DEVICE_ID
set backup=#0XBACKUP_DEVICE_ID
set backupPart=0x1

set backupLog="C:\Data\Log\%date:~10,4%%date:~4,2%_ImageBackupLog.txt"

echo. >> %backupLog%
echo -------------------------------------------------- >> %backupLog%
date /t >> %backupLog%
time /t >> %backupLog%
echo Starting Image Backup >> %backupLog%
echo. >> %backupLog%

"C:\Program Files (x86)\TeraByte Drive Image Backup and Restore Suite\imagew64.exe" /wait /simple /b /logfile:%backupLog% /uy /mi:5 /max:4GiB /odid /d:%source% /f:%backup%@%backupPart%:\ /vb
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