robocopy

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/robocopy

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. For additional information, see Remarks.
/lev:<N>	Copies only the top N levels of the source directory tree.
/z	Copies files in restartable mode.
/b	Copies files in Backup mode.
/zb	Uses restartable 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:<copyflags>	Defines what to copy for directories. Default is DA. Options are D = data, A = attributes, and T = timestamps.
/sec	Copies files with security (equivalent to /copy:DATS).
/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	Don't follow symbolic links and instead create a copy of the link.

 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.
/xc	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.

Exit (return) codes

Value	Description
0	No files were copied. No failure was encountered. No files were mismatched. The files already exist in the destination directory; therefore, the copy operation was skipped.
1	All files were copied successfully.
2	There are some additional files in the destination directory that are not present in the source directory. No files were copied.
3	Some files were copied. Additional files were present. No failure was encountered.
5	Some files were copied. Some files were mismatched. No failure was encountered.
6	Additional files and mismatched files exist. No files were copied and no failures were encountered. This means that the files already exist in the destination directory.
7	Files were copied, a file mismatch was present, and additional files were present.
8	Several files did not copy.

 Note

Any value greater than 8 indicates that there was at least one failure during the copy operation.

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.