problem with copying files in batch file....

thebourke

I want to create a batch file that will allow me to copy from a local hard drive (f:\data) to a local usb hard drive (d:data) that i have attached to my PC

here is the syntax of the batch file....

"
cmd

f:

cd data

xcopy *.* /s /d /Y d:\data"


Howver when i run this batchfile it just opens the command prompt...
it wont browse to the f drive which is the second line of the batch file etc..
what am i doing wrong?

unseenfootage

All you need is this line :

xcopy /s c:\source d:\target

GreenWolfe

If you want to suppress the prompt, add "@echo off" (without the quotes) to the top of the batch file.

Fysh

You don't need the "cmd" at the start and I think your syntax is wrong. Unseenfootage's post gives you the basic command you need, but the Microsoft documentation page for the xcopy command (see here) has the following as an example of an xcopy command that uses if switches to handle error codes:

@echo off 
rem COPYIT.BAT transfers all files in all subdirectories of
rem the source drive or directory (%1) to the destination rem drive or directory (%2) 

xcopy %1 %2 /s /e 

if errorlevel 4 goto lowmemory 
if errorlevel 2 goto abort 
if errorlevel 0 goto exit 

:lowmemory 
echo Insufficient memory to copy files or 
echo invalid drive or command-line syntax. 
goto exit 

:abort 
echo You pressed CTRL+C to end the copy operation. 
goto exit 

:exit

Capt'n Midnight

TBH have a look at robocopy instead

xcopy just isn't up to copying large numbers of files , fine for a small folder

Fysh

Or you could script up synctoy and invoke the script via task scheduler - see here.

Bosh

This is the syntax I use to run a a backup every time the PC shuts down: (one line of it obviously )

XCOPY "C:\Users\Office\Desktop\*.*" "K:\Backup\Admin\Desktop" /d/s/e/y

Yours would be along the lines of:

XCOPY "F:\Data\*.*" "D:\Data" /d/s/e/y

The switches are as explained in the link in Fysh's post.

HTH

Capt'n Midnight

mozy backup free version also makes backups to local drives too