Comments on: How-To: Synchronise two folders using xcopy. http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/ Get the most out of your gadgets! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:44:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Paul Sulwer http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-21515 Paul Sulwer Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:10:58 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-21515 Forgot to mention the details: I was using Xcopy to back up 20 GB from a local disk to a USB HD. It had been running for maybe 1/2 hour - 1 hour; I was checking something and somehow closed the DOS window! Only about 1/2 of the data was transferred and I sure didn't want to start over again, and it would have been a pain to try to figure out exactly where it left off then transfer the remaining data manually, so I'm glad I found this page. I ran xcopy again with the /D switch and it sort of sat there with no output for at least 10 minutes, during which time I assume it was checking which files needed to be transferred. It finally started copying the remaining files and looks ok so far. Would be nice if there were a faster way to accomplish this though. Forgot to mention the details: I was using Xcopy to back up 20 GB from a local disk to a USB HD. It had been running for maybe 1/2 hour – 1 hour; I was checking something and somehow closed the DOS window! Only about 1/2 of the data was transferred and I sure didn’t want to start over again, and it would have been a pain to try to figure out exactly where it left off then transfer the remaining data manually, so I’m glad I found this page.
I ran xcopy again with the /D switch and it sort of sat there with no output for at least 10 minutes, during which time I assume it was checking which files needed to be transferred. It finally started copying the remaining files and looks ok so far. Would be nice if there were a faster way to accomplish this though.

]]> By: Paul Sulwer http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-21513 Paul Sulwer Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:59:46 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-21513 Thanks for mentioning the /D switch; I didn't think there was a way to skip overwriting existing files (whether or not they were modified), but this works well. In the real world you would probably want to overwrite older files anyway. I think this is better than using /M to track changes via the archive attribute. Xcopy seems terribly slow however, when backing up a large amount of data to an external (USB2) hard drive, but it otherwise seems like the best way to automate an incremental backup. Thanks for mentioning the /D switch; I didn’t think there was a way to skip overwriting existing files (whether or not they were modified), but this works well. In the real world you would probably want to overwrite older files anyway. I think this is better than using /M to track changes via the archive attribute.
Xcopy seems terribly slow however, when backing up a large amount of data to an external (USB2) hard drive, but it otherwise seems like the best way to automate an incremental backup.

]]> By: Troy http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2956 Troy Wed, 03 Nov 2010 19:23:32 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2956 You need to use the /Y switch to prevent being prompted to confirm the overwriting of existing files. You need to use the /Y switch to prevent being prompted to confirm the overwriting of existing files.

]]> By: LM http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2939 LM Sat, 16 Oct 2010 03:39:54 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2939 I run the following command where d: is in my desktop computer and z: is a mapped network drive. xcopy d:\myWork z:\myWork /D /E When I run the above command for the first time it copied the source directory partially (703 files) and then stopped. To check the problem, I run the same command again and it kept asking whether to overwrite each of the file in the destination. Since no file was modified, I hoped that I would not get such prompt. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks I run the following command where d: is in my desktop computer and z: is a mapped network drive.
xcopy d:\myWork z:\myWork /D /E
When I run the above command for the first time it copied the source directory partially (703 files) and then stopped. To check the problem, I run the same command again and it kept asking whether to overwrite each of the file in the destination. Since no file was modified, I hoped that I would not get such prompt. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

]]> By: Chris Duckworth http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2684 Chris Duckworth Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:08:24 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2684 I think it may be to do with the location of the email file. It is in application data which is a secure place. If thunderbird allows you to change the location of the file, you coul dget around it that way, otherwise check the security settings of the folder. You may need to turn off read only. I think it may be to do with the location of the email file. It is in application data which is a secure place. If thunderbird allows you to change the location of the file, you coul dget around it that way, otherwise check the security settings of the folder. You may need to turn off read only.

]]> By: a http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2678 a Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:36:43 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2678 When I run the xcopy /D /E command to backup my email it keeps asking me if I want to Overwrite the file? Why? I thought it wouldn't do that as long as I used the /D command xcopy "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Thunderbird" Z:\EmailBackup\Thunderbird\ /D/E Z is a mapped network drive. Is that the problem? Thanks When I run the xcopy /D /E command to backup my email it keeps asking me if I want to Overwrite the file? Why? I thought it wouldn’t do that as long as I used the /D command

xcopy “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Thunderbird” Z:\EmailBackup\Thunderbird\ /D/E

Z is a mapped network drive. Is that the problem?

Thanks

]]> By: Chris Duckworth http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2630 Chris Duckworth Wed, 06 May 2009 00:11:59 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2630 It doesn't work for deleting files. You may do better using synctoy if you want deleted files to be synced. It doesn’t work for deleting files. You may do better using synctoy if you want deleted files to be synced.

]]> By: prasad http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2616 prasad Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:50:38 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2616 If some files are deleted from source folder is it possible to delete those from destination also? I have source folder synced with destination folder but after sometime some files are deleted from source folder now is it possible to keep the two folders in sync with xcopy? If some files are deleted from source folder is it possible to delete those from destination also? I have source folder synced with destination folder but after sometime some files are deleted from source folder now is it possible to keep the two folders in sync with xcopy?

]]> By: netclient http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2596 netclient Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:12:20 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2596 does xcopy commands consists in the robocopy UI? does xcopy commands consists in the robocopy UI?

]]> By: Chris Duckworth http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/comment-page-1/#comment-2375 Chris Duckworth Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:29:08 +0000 http://www.inspectmygadget.com/2007/09/21/how-to-synchronise-two-folders-on-a-single-machine-using-xcopy/#comment-2375 Hi Tom, you would need to put them in a batch file. Create a text document with a .cmd extension. Then in that file, put all your xcopy commands to run one after another. To sync over many destinations, you may need to run the script twice. Hi Tom, you would need to put them in a batch file. Create a text document with a .cmd extension. Then in that file, put all your xcopy commands to run one after another. To sync over many destinations, you may need to run the script twice.

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