Robocopy
Copies file data.
Syntax:
Copy
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. For additional information, see Remarks.
/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. For additional information, see Remarks.
/mir
Mirrors a directory tree (equivalent to /e
plus /purge). For additional information, see Remarks.
/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.
/MT[:N]
Creates multi-threaded copies with N
threads. N must be an integer between 1 and 128. The default value for N is 8.
The /MT parameter cannot be used with the
/IPG and /EFSRAW parameters.
Redirect output using /LOG option for
better performance.
Note
The /MT parameter applies to Windows Server
2008 R2 and Windows 7.
/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
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
Indicates that no source directory is
specified.
/nodd
Indicates that no destination directory is
specified.
/if
Includes the specified files.
Remarks:
•The /mir option is equivalent to the /e plus /purge options with one small difference in behavior:
◦With the /e plus /purge options, if the
destination directory exists, the destination directory security settings are
not overwritten.
◦With the /mir option, if the destination
directory exists, the destination directory security settings are overwritten.
