Backing up a project can be a
simple matter of copying directories or can involve some additional steps. This
depends on how your project directories are structured and whether the project
uses files from outside its own directory tree.
The project directory isn’t
encoded into the project file. The project file does, however, record the
location of all the other files in the project. If these files reside in
subdirectories of the main project directory, all path information is relative,
which makes backup easy. You could back up such a project by copying (not
moving) the directory tree to another location. If you open the project at the
backup location, all the project files that reside within that structure are
present, and the project will compile.
If this project uses files that reside outside the project directory tree, the project might or might not compile at the backup location. Check the Project Manager's file list to see if these outside files are accessible from the backup location. If they are, the project will compile. If other backup processes already preserve these outside files, then there is probably no need to make separate copies of them in the backup project directory.