Windows Robocopy Feature

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.