Create a Backup Copy of a File using Python

To create a backup copy of a file using Python, you can use the shutil module, which provides functions to copy files and directories. The most commonly used method is shutil.copy(), which allows copying a file to a specified backup location.

Examples to Create a Backup Copy of a File

1. Copy a File Using shutil.copy()

In this example, we will use the shutil.copy() method to create a backup copy of a file. The function takes two arguments: the source file path and the destination file path.

We shall take backup of the file data.txt and store it as backup_data.txt.

main.py

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import shutil

# Source file path
source_file = "data.txt"

# Destination file path (Backup copy)
backup_file = "backup_data.txt"

# Copying the file
shutil.copy(source_file, backup_file)

print("Backup created successfully.")

Explanation:

  1. We import the shutil module, which contains file copy functions.
  2. Define source_file as the original file that we want to back up.
  3. Specify backup_file as the new file where the backup copy will be saved.
  4. Use shutil.copy(source_file, backup_file) to copy the contents of the source file to the backup file.
  5. Print a message to confirm that the backup was created successfully.

Output:

Backup created successfully.

2. Copy a File with Metadata Using shutil.copy2()

Sometimes, you might want to copy a file along with its metadata, such as timestamps. In this case, we use shutil.copy2(), which preserves file metadata.

main.py

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import shutil

# Source file path
source_file = "report.pdf"

# Destination file path (Backup copy)
backup_file = "backup_report.pdf"

# Copying the file with metadata
shutil.copy2(source_file, backup_file)

print("Backup with metadata created successfully.")

Explanation:

  1. Import the shutil module.
  2. Define source_file as the file to be backed up.
  3. Specify backup_file as the new file that will store the backup.
  4. Use shutil.copy2(source_file, backup_file) to copy the file along with its metadata.
  5. Print a success message indicating the backup was created.

Output:

Backup with metadata created successfully.

3. Backup a File with a Timestamp in the Filename

In this example, we create a backup copy of a file and append a timestamp to the filename to prevent overwriting previous backups.

main.py

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import shutil
import datetime

# Source file path
source_file = "database.db"

# Generate timestamp
timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")

# Destination file path with timestamp
backup_file = f"backup_database_{timestamp}.db"

# Copying the file
shutil.copy(source_file, backup_file)

print(f"Backup created: {backup_file}")

Explanation:

  1. Import shutil for copying files and datetime for generating timestamps.
  2. Set source_file to the original file.
  3. Generate a timestamp using datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S").
  4. Use f-string formatting to create a new filename with the timestamp.
  5. Copy the file using shutil.copy() and print the new backup filename.

Output:

Backup created: backup_database_20250213_121530.db

4. Backup a File to a Different Directory

We can specify a different directory for storing the backup file instead of the current working directory.

main.py

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import shutil
import os

# Source file path
source_file = "notes.txt"

# Backup directory
backup_dir = "backup_folder"

# Ensure the backup directory exists
os.makedirs(backup_dir, exist_ok=True)

# Destination file path
backup_file = os.path.join(backup_dir, "notes_backup.txt")

# Copy the file
shutil.copy(source_file, backup_file)

print(f"Backup created at: {backup_file}")

Explanation:

  1. Import shutil for file operations and os to handle directories.
  2. Define source_file as the file to back up.
  3. Specify backup_dir as the directory where backups will be stored.
  4. Use os.makedirs(backup_dir, exist_ok=True) to create the backup directory if it doesn’t exist.
  5. Define backup_file as the new file path inside the backup directory.
  6. Copy the file using shutil.copy() and print the backup location.

Output:

Backup created at: backup_folder/notes_backup.txt

Conclusion

We explored different methods to create a backup copy of a file using Python. The most common approaches include:

  • Using shutil.copy() for simple file copies.
  • Using shutil.copy2() to preserve metadata.
  • Appending a timestamp to avoid overwriting previous backups.
  • Saving backup files in a different directory.