robocopy

Copies file data from one location to another.

Syntax

robocopy <source> <destination> [<file>[ ...]] [<options>]

For example, to copy a file named yearly-report.mov from c:\reports to a file share \\marketing\videos while enabling multi-threading for higher performance (with the /mt parameter) and the ability to restart the transfer in case it's interrupted (with the /z parameter), type:

robocopy c:\reports '\\marketing\videos' yearly-report.mov /mt /z

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. Wildcard characters (* or ?) are supported. If you don't specify this parameter, *.* is used as the default value.
<options> Specifies the options to use with the robocopy command, including copy, file, retry, logging, and job options.

Copy options

Option Description
/s Copies subdirectories. This option automatically excludes empty directories.
/e Copies subdirectories. This option automatically includes empty directories.
/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.
/j Copies using unbuffered I/O (recommended for large files).
/efsraw Copies all encrypted files in EFS RAW mode.
/copy:<copyflags> Specifies which file properties to copy. The valid values for this option are:
  • D - Data
  • A - Attributes
  • T - Time stamps
  • S - NTFS access control list (ACL)
  • O - Owner information
  • U - Auditing information
The default value for this option is DAT (data, attributes, and time stamps).
/dcopy:<copyflags> Specifies what to copy in directories. The valid values for this option are:
  • D - Data
  • A - Attributes
  • T - Time stamps
The default value for this option is DA (data and attributes).
/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. Using this option with the /e option and a destination directory, allows the destination directory security settings to not be overwritten.
/mir Mirrors a directory tree (equivalent to /e plus /purge). Using this option with the /e option and a destination directory, overwrites the destination directory security settings.
/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. The valid values for this option are:
  • R - Read only
  • A - Archive
  • S - System
  • H - Hidden
  • C - Compressed
  • N - Not content indexed
  • E - Encrypted
  • T - Temporary
/a-:[RASHCNET] Removes the specified attributes from copied files. The valid values for this option are:
  • R - Read only
  • A - Archive
  • S - System
  • H - Hidden
  • C - Compressed
  • N - Not content indexed
  • E - Encrypted
  • T - Temporary
/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 paths longer than 256 characters.
/mon:<n> Monitors the source, and runs again when more than n changes are detected.
/mot:<m> Monitors the 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. For better performance, redirect your output using /log option.

The /mt parameter can't be used with the /ipg and /efsraw parameters.
/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.
/nodcopy Copies no directory info (the default /dcopy:DA is done).
/nooffload Copies files without using the Windows Copy Offload mechanism.
/compress Requests network compression during file transfer, if applicable.

Important

When using the /secfix copy option, specify the type of security information you want to copy, 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. The valid values for this option are:
  • R - Read only
  • A - Archive
  • S - System
  • H - Hidden
  • C - Compressed
  • N - Not content indexed
  • E - Encrypted
  • T - Temporary
  • O - Offline
/xa:[RASHCNETO] Excludes files for which any of the specified attributes are set. The valid values for this option are:
  • R - Read only
  • A - Archive
  • S - System
  • H - Hidden
  • C - Compressed
  • N - Not content indexed
  • E - Encrypted
  • T - Temporary
  • O - Offline
/xf <filename>[ ...] Excludes files that match the specified names or paths. Wildcard characters (* and ?) are supported.
/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 modified 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.

Additional References