Robocopy

Robocopy

Robocopy

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Copies file data.

Syntax

robocopy <Source> <Destination> [<File>[ ...]] [<Options>]

Parameters

Parameter	Description
<Source>	Specifies the path to the source directory.
<Destination>	Specifies the path to the destination directory.
<File>	Specifies the file or files to be copied. You can use wildcard characters (* or ?), if you want. If the File parameter is not specified, *.* is used as the default value.
<Options>	Specifies options to be used with the robocopy command.

Copy options

Option	Description
/s	Copies subdirectories. Note that this option excludes empty directories.
/e	Copies subdirectories. Note that this option includes empty directories.
/lev:<N>	Copies only the top N levels of the source directory tree.
/z	Copies files in Restart mode.
/b	Copies files in Backup mode.
/zb	Uses Restart mode. If access is denied, this option uses Backup mode.
/efsraw	Copies all encrypted files in EFS RAW mode.
/copy:<CopyFlags>	Specifies the file properties to be copied. The following are the valid values for this option: D Data A Attributes T Time stamps S NTFS access control list (ACL) O Owner information U Auditing information The default value for CopyFlags is DAT (data, attributes, and time stamps).
/dcopy:T	Copies directory time stamps.
/sec	Copies files with security (equivalent to /copy:DAT).
/copyall	Copies all file information (equivalent to /copy:DATSOU).
/nocopy	Copies no file information (useful with /purge).
/secfix	Fixes file security on all files, even skipped ones.
/timfix	Fixes file times on all files, even skipped ones.
/purge	Deletes destination files and directories that no longer exist in the source.
/mir	Mirrors a directory tree (equivalent to /e plus /purge).
/mov	Moves files, and deletes them from the source after they are copied.
/move	Moves files and directories, and deletes them from the source after they are copied.
/a+:[RASHCNET]	Adds the specified attributes to copied files.
/a-:[RASHCNET]	Removes the specified attributes from copied files.
/create	Creates a directory tree and zero-length files only.
/fat	Creates destination files by using 8.3 character-length FAT file names only.
/256	Turns off support for very long paths (longer than 256 characters).
/mon:<N>	Monitors the source, and runs again when more than N changes are detected.
/mot:<M>	Monitors source, and runs again in M minutes if changes are detected.
/rh:hhmm-hhmm	Specifies run times when new copies may be started.
/pf	Checks run times on a per-file (not per-pass) basis.
/ipg:n	Specifies the inter-packet gap to free bandwidth on slow lines.
/sl	Copies the symbolic link instead of the target.

Important
When using the /SECFIX copy option, specify the type of security information you want to copy by also using one of these additional copy options: /COPYALL /COPY:O /COPY:S /COPY:U /SEC

Important

When using the /SECFIX copy option, specify the type of security information you want to copy by also using one of these additional copy options:

/COPYALL
/COPY:O
/COPY:S
/COPY:U
/SEC

File selection options

Option	Description
/a	Copies only files for which the Archive attribute is set.
/m	Copies only files for which the Archive attribute is set, and resets the Archive attribute.
/ia:[RASHCNETO]	Includes only files for which any of the specified attributes are set.
/xa:[RASHCNETO]	Excludes files for which any of the specified attributes are set.
/xf <FileName>[ ...]	Excludes files that match the specified names or paths. Note that FileName can include wildcard characters (* and ?).
/xd <Directory>[ ...]	Excludes directories that match the specified names and paths.
/xct	Excludes changed files.
/xn	Excludes newer files.
/xo	Excludes older files.
/xx	Excludes extra files and directories.
/xl	Excludes "lonely" files and directories.
/is	Includes the same files.
/it	Includes "tweaked" files.
/max:<N>	Specifies the maximum file size (to exclude files bigger than N bytes).
/min:<N>	Specifies the minimum file size (to exclude files smaller than N bytes).
/maxage:<N>	Specifies the maximum file age (to exclude files older than N days or date).
/minage:<N>	Specifies the minimum file age (exclude files newer than N days or date).
/maxlad:<N>	Specifies the maximum last access date (excludes files unused since N).
/minlad:<N>	Specifies the minimum last access date (excludes files used since N) If N is less than 1900, N specifies the number of days. Otherwise, N specifies a date in the format YYYYMMDD.
/xj	Excludes junction points, which are normally included by default.
/fft	Assumes FAT file times (two-second precision).
/dst	Compensates for one-hour DST time differences.
/xjd	Excludes junction points for directories.
/xjf	Excludes junction points for files.

Retry options

Option	Description
/r:<N>	Specifies the number of retries on failed copies. The default value of N is 1,000,000 (one million retries).
/w:<N>	Specifies the wait time between retries, in seconds. The default value of N is 30 (wait time 30 seconds).
/reg	Saves the values specified in the /r and /w options as default settings in the registry.
/tbd	Specifies that the system will wait for share names to be defined (retry error 67).

Logging options

Option	Description
/l	Specifies that files are to be listed only (and not copied, deleted, or time stamped).
/x	Reports all extra files, not just those that are selected.
/v	Produces verbose output, and shows all skipped files.
/ts	Includes source file time stamps in the output.
/fp	Includes the full path names of the files in the output.
/bytes	Prints sizes, as bytes.
/ns	Specifies that file sizes are not to be logged.
/nc	Specifies that file classes are not to be logged.
/nfl	Specifies that file names are not to be logged.
/ndl	Specifies that directory names are not to be logged.
/np	Specifies that the progress of the copying operation (the number of files or directories copied so far) will not be displayed.
/eta	Shows the estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the copied files.
/log:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file (overwrites the existing log file).
/log+:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file (appends the output to the existing log file).
/unicode	Displays the status output as Unicode text.
/unilog:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file as Unicode text (overwrites the existing log file).
/unilog+:<LogFile>	Writes the status output to the log file as Unicode text (appends the output to the existing log file).
/tee	Writes the status output to the console window, as well as to the log file.
/njh	Specifies that there is no job header.
/njs	Specifies that there is no job summary.

Job options

Option	Description
/job:<JobName>	Specifies that parameters are to be derived from the named job file.
/save:<JobName>	Specifies that parameters are to be saved to the named job file.
/quit	Quits after processing command line (to view parameters)./nosd:
/nodd	Indicates that no destination directory is specified.
/if	Includes the specified files.

Additional references

Command-Line Syntax Key

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Dynamically change /IPG: parameter while robocopy is running

dotnetter3.5 | Edit | Show History

How can you change the /IPG:n parameter while robocopy is running? If this is possible, one can dynamically change the bandwidth use when also using the options /mir /mon:1. This way one can claim more WAN bandwidth in the night and throttle it during the day without interrupting the synchronisation process.

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How to hold the Data Modified with file folder

leo_yuanyang ... BriarLapin | Edit | Show History

I used robocopy to copy date from E driver to C driver. But I found I just can hold the "Date Modified" with file（display the old date), all the "Date Modified" with File Folder have been changed(display the new date). The command is ： robocopy e:\ c:\ /e /copy: DATSOU ,anybody have idea to help me? Thanks!

Use the /dcopy:T switch to copy directory time stamps

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Issue with /SECFIX in Win2008 x64 version of Robocopy

bcmobile | Edit | Show History

Although support for the /secfix switch was removed from earlier versions, the W2k8 x64 (SP2) version of robocopy produces the following error:
ERROR: /SECFIX specified, without specifying WHICH security info to copy.

I can't find any information on parameters for the /SECFIX switch.

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ROBOCOPY Crash server

FD1 | Edit | Show History

After using ROBOCOPY with MIR option SBS server 2008 64bit crash and create a zip folder in the destination, but zip could not be open or view. I lost all previous file in destination.

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ROBOCOPY /SD command does not work

Jason Andersen | Edit | Show History

When I add the /SD command, ROBOCOPY seems to interpret it the same as the /S command. It certainly isn't creating junctions for me instead of copying their contents.

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Format of filename in the /XF tag

Olivier Faucheux | Edit | Show History

The XF tag enable to "excludes files that match the specified names or paths". But how to enter the filename with it path?
Should I enter the path of the source, or the one of the destination? A little test with:
robocopy C:\src C:\dest
and /XF C:\src\dir\test.txt
or /XF C:\dest\dir\test.txt
give the following table:

   		 src present	dest present	both present
src excluded	 nochange	deleted		nochange
dest excluded	 copied		nochange	overwritten
none excluded	 copied		deleted		overwritten

This means that you should exclude the destination path for avoiding change if the file exists in the destination and not in the source.

If the src is present, you should however include the source path: include only the destination path will not work!

I wish Microsoft give some more information about the working algorythm of the /XF and /XD parameters.

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/xa:hs seems to work for files, not folders

Paul_Hossler | Edit | Show History

There are a number of sub-sub-...-folders that are either Hidden or System or both, but the files within are not.

Suggest that /xa: be extended to folders and ALL of their lower level content,

e.g. /xfa:hs would exclude any folder and lower level content that had either Hidden or System attributes, so robocopy "...\AppRoaming\Microsoft\Windows" would not copy Cookies (HS set)

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Use Environment Variables

Paul_Hossler | Edit | Show History

Suggest that environement variables be allowed on the command line and in job files. Should include system set variables (e.g. %APPDATA%) but user created.

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Older versions corrupt destination file when file is 2gb (exactly)

Niall Baird | Edit | Show History

Copying files that are 2,147,483,648 bytes produces no error in the log, however it appears to corrupt the destination file. This was in a 1997 copy (v 1.71). Upgrading to Version XP026 seemed to allow the files to copy correctly and not be corrupted.

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XP027 Robocopy.doc ?

Drewfus | Edit | Show History

Robocopy version XP010 download comes with a thorough refererence document.

Could this document please receive an update for version XP027 ?

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