From 97b138f489e94b98a41682d30321f19813946d6a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Arian Milicija <arianmilicija@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2026 23:43:38 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Add Windows rsync documentation

---
 transfer_data.md | 146 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 145 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/transfer_data.md b/transfer_data.md
index a15c076..62fd355 100644
--- a/transfer_data.md
+++ b/transfer_data.md
@@ -45,6 +45,150 @@ rsync -vhatP your-username@easley.alliance.unm.edu:your-file /target-directory/
 
 The `-vhatP` flags instruct rsync to print the progress of the transfer verbosely and in a human-readable format.
 
+##### Using rsync on Windows
+
+Windows does not include `rsync` by default. Two commonly used options are **MobaXterm** and **MSYS2**. Both provide a Unix-like command-line environment that allows you to run the same `rsync` commands shown above.
+
+---
+
+###### Option 1: MobaXterm
+
+MobaXterm already includes `rsync`, so no additional installation is required.
+
+##### Step 1: Download MobaXterm
+
+Download the Home Edition from the MobaXterm website. Extract the downloaded ZIP file and launch MobaXterm.
+
+##### Step 2: Configure your home directory
+
+By default, MobaXterm stores its home directory in an internal location that is difficult to access from Windows Explorer. Configuring a persistent home directory allows you to work directly from a folder such as **Documents**.
+
+1. Open **Settings → Configuration → General**.
+2. Next to **Persistent home directory**, click the yellow folder icon.
+3. Browse to a folder you want to use, for example:
+
+```
+C:\Users\yourname\Documents
+```
+
+4. Click **OK** and restart MobaXterm.
+
+After restarting, `~` refers to the folder you selected.
+
+##### Step 3: Open a local terminal
+
+Click **Start local terminal**. All `rsync` commands should be entered into this terminal.
+
+##### Step 4: Transfer files
+
+Transfer from your local computer to CARC:
+
+```bash
+rsync -vhatP ~/your-folder/ your-username@easley.alliance.unm.edu:target-directory/
+```
+
+Transfer from CARC to your local computer:
+
+```bash
+rsync -vhatP your-username@easley.alliance.unm.edu:your-folder/ ~/local-folder/
+```
+
+---
+
+###### Option 2: MSYS2
+
+MSYS2 provides a Unix-like command-line environment for Windows and allows `rsync` to be installed using its package manager.
+
+##### Step 1: Install MSYS2
+
+Download MSYS2 and install it using the default installation settings (`C:\msys64`). When installation finishes, the MSYS2 terminal will open automatically.
+
+##### Step 2: Update MSYS2
+
+Run:
+
+```bash
+pacman -Syu
+```
+
+If the terminal closes after the update, reopen **MSYS2 UCRT64** from the Start Menu and run the command again.
+
+##### Step 3: Install rsync
+
+Run:
+
+```bash
+pacman -S rsync
+```
+
+Type **Y** when prompted to install the required packages.
+
+##### Step 4: Understanding Windows paths
+
+MSYS2 uses Linux-style paths.
+
+For example:
+
+```
+C:\Users\yourname\Documents
+```
+
+becomes
+
+```
+/c/Users/yourname/Documents
+```
+
+Use this format whenever specifying local files in an `rsync` command.
+
+##### Step 5: Transfer files
+
+Transfer from your local computer to CARC:
+
+```bash
+rsync -vhatP /c/Users/yourname/your-folder/ your-username@easley.alliance.unm.edu:target-directory/
+```
+
+Transfer from CARC to your local computer:
+
+```bash
+rsync -vhatP your-username@easley.alliance.unm.edu:your-folder/ /c/Users/yourname/local-folder/
+```
+
+---
+
+##### Additional rsync tips
+
+The following options are commonly used with `rsync`:
+
+* `-v` displays the names of files as they are transferred.
+* `-h` displays file sizes in a human-readable format.
+* `-a` enables archive mode and preserves directory structure and file attributes.
+* `-t` preserves file modification times.
+* `-z` compresses data during transfer, which can improve performance.
+* `-P` displays transfer progress and allows interrupted transfers to be resumed.
+
+If a transfer is interrupted, simply run the same command again. `rsync` skips files that have already been transferred and resumes where it left off.
+
+To exclude files from a transfer, use the `--exclude` option:
+
+```bash
+rsync -vhatP --exclude="*.tmp" ~/your-folder/ your-username@easley.alliance.unm.edu:target-directory/
+```
+
+When copying directories, note the difference a trailing slash makes:
+
+```bash
+# Copies the contents of my-folder into target-directory/
+rsync -vhatP ~/my-folder/ user@server:target-directory/
+
+# Copies my-folder itself into target-directory/
+rsync -vhatP ~/my-folder user@server:target-directory/
+```
+
+Whether you are using MobaXterm or MSYS2, always use forward slashes (`/`) when specifying file paths in `rsync` commands.
+
+
 As you can see, the syntax for these two programs is very similar; however, the options for advanced usage are unique to each one. The examples above cover only basic data transfers — refer to the links provided, or use `man programname` for the CLI options, to optimize each tool for maximum data transfer efficiency and speed.
 
-*This quickbyte was validated on 6/22/2026*
+*This quickbyte was validated on 6/28/2026*