Using Robocopy to Copy Data Robustly

The copy command is a great tool in Windows command-line, but it does not have all the bells and whistles. In order to get a robust copy tool, you will need to go toMicrosoft and download roboycopy. Robocopy is apart of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools. Below is the link to download this tool:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&displaylang=en

In order to make robocopy executable in all directories, copy robocopy to c:\Windows.

Using Robocopy

The command works like copy.

Robocopy

Batch File with Robocopy

I like running batch files to do my backups with Robocopy.

!! Start Batch file

@echo off

!! BY : Marcus L. Beach

!! Backup Dee drive

robocopy d: f:/backup /veb

!!End Batch File

End

If you save this file as a backup.cmd, you can click and backup.

Robocopy Parameters and Flags

You can find a list of parameters and flags at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145.aspx

Syntax
ROBOCOPY source_folder destination_folder [file(s)_to_copy] [options]

Key
file(s)_to_copy : A list of files or a wildcard.
(defaults to copying *.*)

Source options
/S : Copy Subfolders
/E : Copy Subfolders, including Empty Subfolders.
/COPY:copyflag[s] : What to COPY (default is /COPY:DAT).
(copyflags : D=Data, A=Attributes, T=Timestamps).
(S=Security=NTFS ACLs, O=Owner info, U=aUditing info).
/SEC : Copy files with SECurity (equivalent to /COPY:DATS).
/DCOPY:T : Copy Directory Timestamps. ##
/COPYALL : Copy ALL file info (equivalent to /COPY:DATSOU).
/NOCOPY : Copy NO file info (useful with /PURGE).

/A : Copy only files with the Archive attribute set.
/M : like /A, but remove Archive attribute from source files.
/LEV:n : Only copy the top n LEVels of the source tree.

/MAXAGE:n : MAXimum file AGE - exclude files older than n days/date.
/MINAGE:n : MINimum file AGE - exclude files newer than n days/date.
(If n < 1900 then n = no of days, else n = YYYYMMDD date).

/FFT : Assume FAT File Times (2-second date/time granularity).
/256 : Turn off very long path (> 256 characters) support.

Copy options
/L : List only - don't copy, timestamp or delete any files.
/MOV : MOVe files (delete from source after copying).
/MOVE : Move files and dirs (delete from source after copying).

/Z : Copy files in restartable mode (survive network glitch).
/B : Copy files in Backup mode.
/ZB : Use restartable mode; if access denied use Backup mode.
/IPG:n : Inter-Packet Gap (ms), to free bandwidth on slow lines.

/R:n : Number of Retries on failed copies - default is 1 million.
/W:n : Wait time between retries - default is 30 seconds.
/REG : Save /R:n and /W:n in the Registry as default settings.
/TBD : Wait for sharenames To Be Defined (retry error 67).

Destination options

/A+:[RASHCNET] : Set file Attribute(s) on destination files + add.
/A-:[RASHCNET] : UnSet file Attribute(s) on destination files - remove.
/FAT : Create destination files using 8.3 FAT file names only.

/CREATE : CREATE directory tree structure + zero-length files only.
/DST : Compensate for one-hour DST time differences ##
/PURGE : Delete dest files/folders that no longer exist in source.
/MIR : MIRror a directory tree - equivalent to /PURGE plus all subfolders (/E)

Logging options
/L : List only - don't copy, timestamp or delete any files.
/NP : No Progress - don't display % copied.
/LOG:file : Output status to LOG file (overwrite existing log).
/LOG+:file : Output status to LOG file (append to existing log).
UNILOG and UNILOG+ will output to a unicode logfile ##
/TS : Include Source file Time Stamps in the output.
/FP : Include Full Pathname of files in the output.
/NS : No Size - don't log file sizes.
/NC : No Class - don't log file classes.
/NFL : No File List - don't log file names.
/NDL : No Directory List - don't log directory names.
/TEE : Output to console window, as well as the log file.
/NJH : No Job Header.
/NJS : No Job Summary.

Repeated Copy Options
/MON:n : MONitor source; run again when more than n changes seen.
/MOT:m : MOnitor source; run again in m minutes Time, if changed.

/RH:hhmm-hhmm : Run Hours - times when new copies may be started.
/PF : Check run hours on a Per File (not per pass) basis.

Job Options
/JOB:jobname : Take parameters from the named JOB file.
/SAVE:jobname : SAVE parameters to the named job file
/QUIT : QUIT after processing command line (to view parameters). 
/NOSD : NO Source Directory is specified.
/NODD : NO Destination Directory is specified.
/IF : Include the following Files.

Advanced options you'll probably never use
/EFSRAW : Copy any encrypted files using EFS RAW mode.##
/SECFIX : FIX file SECurity on all files, even skipped files.
/TIMFIX : FIX file TIMes on all files, even skipped files.

/XO : eXclude Older - if destination file exists and is the same date
or newer than the source - don't bother to overwrite it.
/XC | /XN : eXclude Changed | Newer files
/XX | /XL : eXclude eXtra | Lonely files and dirs. 
An "extra" file is present in destination but not source, 
excluding extras will delete from destination. 
A "lonely" file is present in source but not destination
excluding lonely will prevent any new files being added to the destination.

/XF file [file]... : eXclude Files matching given names/paths/wildcards.
/XD dirs [dirs]... : eXclude Directories matching given names/paths.
XF and XD can be used in combination e.g.
ROBOCOPY c:\source d:\dest /XF *.doc *.xls /XD c:\unwanted /S 

/IA:[RASHCNETO] : Include files with any of the given Attributes
/XA:[RASHCNETO] : eXclude files with any of the given Attributes
/IS : Include Same, overwrite files even if they are already the same.
/IT : Include Tweaked files.
/XJ : eXclude Junction points. (normally included by default).

/MAX:n : MAXimum file size - exclude files bigger than n bytes.
/MIN:n : MINimum file size - exclude files smaller than n bytes.
/MAXLAD:n : MAXimum Last Access Date - exclude files unused since n.
/MINLAD:n : MINimum Last Access Date - exclude files used since n.
(If n < 1900 then n = n days, else n = YYYYMMDD date).

/BYTES : Print sizes as bytes.
/X : Report all eXtra files, not just those selected & copied.
/V : Produce Verbose output log, showing skipped files.
/ETA : Show Estimated Time of Arrival of copied files.