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.
ImportantImportant
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

Tags :


Community Content

dotnetter3.5
Dynamically change /IPG: parameter while robocopy is running

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.

Tags :

BriarLapin
How to hold the Data Modified with file folder

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

Tags :

bcmobile
Issue with /SECFIX in Win2008 x64 version of Robocopy
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.
Tags : 2008 64 secfix

FD1
ROBOCOPY Crash server

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.

Tags : crash robocopr

Jason Andersen
ROBOCOPY /SD command does not work

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.

Tags : bug robocopy

Olivier Faucheux
Format of filename in the /XF tag
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.

Tags : contentbug

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

Paul_Hossler
Use Environment Variables
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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