I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing is, I
don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file with the same
name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we move on to the next
file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?

Robert

Use Robocopy, it's available at the Microsoft site.

John

Robert wrote:
> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing is, I
> don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file with the same
> name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we move on to the next
> file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?
>
> Robert
>
>

Robert wrote:
> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing
> is, I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file
> with the same name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we
> move on to the next file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?
>
> Robert

If you know DOS at all, XXCopy.exe at xxcopy.com will do that and a lot
more for you. Batch capable, of course. I use it for certain important
backups I don't want to wait for nightly incrementals to back up. Can
really make DOS dance. Look at the Tech Bulletins listed for using
XXCopy; it has hundreds of switches available to do things.
Also uses all xcopy commands. In fact, it's a super-set of xcopy, just
a lot more capable.

HTH,

Twayne

Thank you. I looked at xxcopy.com and they don't mention anything about
skipping existing files. What is a Tech Bulletin?

"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Robert wrote:
>> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing
>> is, I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file
>> with the same name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we
>> move on to the next file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?
>>
>> Robert
>
> If you know DOS at all, XXCopy.exe at xxcopy.com will do that and a lot
> more for you. Batch capable, of course. I use it for certain important
> backups I don't want to wait for nightly incrementals to back up. Can
> really make DOS dance. Look at the Tech Bulletins listed for using
> XXCopy; it has hundreds of switches available to do things.
> Also uses all xcopy commands. In fact, it's a super-set of xcopy, just a
> lot more capable.
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne
>
>
>

Thank you. No. I will not modify my source disk.

"Don Schmidt" <Don (E-Mail Removed)red_1987> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> To review the dos commands do a
>
> Start
> Run
>
> type cmd
> OK
>
> This brings up the dos prompt.
>
> type help copy
>
> This brings up the various Copy switches.
>
> ==============
>
> This may solve you task:
>
> Create a couple of test folders with files just to get familiar with the
> task.
>
> Folder apple and folder baker both containing files; a few like files in
> both folders.
>
> Your goal is to copy the files in baker into apple, except like named
> files.
>
> Instead of copying the files in baker into apple, copy the apple files
> into baker and let the replacing occur. Then delete apple; recreate apple
> and move the baker files into apple.
>
> Note the Y switch to make the copying uninterruptible.
>
> Ugly, but does it accomplish your goal?
>
>
> --
> Don - Windows XP Pro® SP 3
> Vancouver, USA
>
>
>
> "Robert" <cpq1bcle[REMOVE]@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:49f02a77$0$5458$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing is,
>>I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file with the
>>same name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we move on to
>>the next file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?
>>
>> Robert
>>
>
>

Thank you. Does this work on Windows XP Home?

"John John - MVP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Use Robocopy, it's available at the Microsoft site.
>
> John
>
> Robert wrote:
>> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing is,
>> I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file with the
>> same name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we move on to
>> the next file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?
>>
>> Robert

I haven't specifically tried it on XP Home but I can't see why it
wouldn't work.

John

Robert wrote:
> Thank you. Does this work on Windows XP Home?
>
> "John John - MVP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Use Robocopy, it's available at the Microsoft site.
>>
>> John
>>
>> Robert wrote:
>>> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The thing is,
>>> I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a file with the
>>> same name on the target disk, there should be no copy and we move on to
>>> the next file. How can I do this? Some dos code, maybe?
>>>
>>> Robert
>
>

Robert wrote:
> Thank you. I looked at xxcopy.com and they don't mention anything
> about skipping existing files. What is a Tech Bulletin?

It's a strange naming convention, but they're explanation of each set of
switches for xxcopy use.

You can skip files in a couple different ways: See Excluding or
Exclusion if you're searching for the switches. You can use wild
cards, tell it not to copy if the file already exists, a file of names
not to copy, several don't copy if ... possibilities.
Here's an excerpt from tech bulletin 5:
----------
Some examples of the /X switch

The exclusion parameter must be specified immedately after /X
(without a space).

/Xc:\mydir\myfile.txt // specifies just a single file
/X*.tmp // all files that end with ".tmp"
/Xabc* // all files that start with "abc"

To improve readability, we suggest inserting a colon after X.
Here are more examples:

/X:mydir\ // the entire directory, "mydir" in the source
/X:mydir\*\* // same as /Xmydir\ which is a shortcut
/X:mydir\*\*.tmp // inside mydir, all files matching "*.tmp"
/X:my*xyz\*\abc*.c // in directories that match my*xyz, all
"abc*.c"
/X:*\cache\ // multiple-level subdirectories
/X:*\cache\*\* // same as above with a trailing backslash
/X:*\cach?\*\* // multiple-level subdir spec may have
wildcards
/X:"\Program Files\" // use quotes (") with a pattern with a space


------------

Those are just the switch parts, mind you. There are others for working
from files and so on in other bulletins.

I've used it for a long time and haven't found anything yet directory
or file-wise that it can't do. I use it to add dates to some of my
backup files for a poor man's versioning system and several other
things. You can put together some really complex commands with it once
you get used to it. It's also recursive-safe: if for instance you saved
a backup to the same drive you want to backup, it'll automacally know to
skip over the backup it just created somehow. I don't do that so it's
not of much interest to me; have only read about it.

HTH,

Twayne



>
> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Robert wrote:
>>> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The
>>> thing is, I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a
>>> file with the same name on the target disk, there should be no copy
>>> and we move on to the next file. How can I do this? Some dos
>>> code, maybe? Robert
>>
>> If you know DOS at all, XXCopy.exe at xxcopy.com will do that and a
>> lot more for you. Batch capable, of course. I use it for certain
>> important backups I don't want to wait for nightly incrementals to
>> back up. Can really make DOS dance. Look at the Tech Bulletins
>> listed for using XXCopy; it has hundreds of switches available to do
>> things. Also uses all xcopy commands. In fact, it's a super-set of
>> xcopy, just a lot more capable.
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> Twayne

Robert wrote:
> Thank you. Does this work on Windows XP Home?

Yes, it will. It's a bit easier to use than XXCopy with a few less
controls but might work for you. I haven't used it in years now.
Twayne


>
> "John John - MVP" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Use Robocopy, it's available at the Microsoft site.
>>
>> John
>>
>> Robert wrote:
>>> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The
>>> thing is, I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a
>>> file with the same name on the target disk, there should be no copy
>>> and we move on to the next file. How can I do this? Some dos
>>> code, maybe? Robert

Thank you.
"Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Robert wrote:
>> Thank you. I looked at xxcopy.com and they don't mention anything
>> about skipping existing files. What is a Tech Bulletin?
>
> It's a strange naming convention, but they're explanation of each set of
> switches for xxcopy use.
>
> You can skip files in a couple different ways: See Excluding or
> Exclusion if you're searching for the switches. You can use wild
> cards, tell it not to copy if the file already exists, a file of names not
> to copy, several don't copy if ... possibilities.
> Here's an excerpt from tech bulletin 5:
> ----------
> Some examples of the /X switch
>
> The exclusion parameter must be specified immedately after /X
> (without a space).
>
> /Xc:\mydir\myfile.txt // specifies just a single file
> /X*.tmp // all files that end with ".tmp"
> /Xabc* // all files that start with "abc"
>
> To improve readability, we suggest inserting a colon after X.
> Here are more examples:
>
> /X:mydir\ // the entire directory, "mydir" in the source
> /X:mydir\*\* // same as /Xmydir\ which is a shortcut
> /X:mydir\*\*.tmp // inside mydir, all files matching "*.tmp"
> /X:my*xyz\*\abc*.c // in directories that match my*xyz, all "abc*.c"
> /X:*\cache\ // multiple-level subdirectories
> /X:*\cache\*\* // same as above with a trailing backslash
> /X:*\cach?\*\* // multiple-level subdir spec may have wildcards
> /X:"\Program Files\" // use quotes (") with a pattern with a space
>
>
> ------------
>
> Those are just the switch parts, mind you. There are others for working
> from files and so on in other bulletins.
>
> I've used it for a long time and haven't found anything yet directory or
> file-wise that it can't do. I use it to add dates to some of my backup
> files for a poor man's versioning system and several other things. You can
> put together some really complex commands with it once you get used to it.
> It's also recursive-safe: if for instance you saved a backup to the same
> drive you want to backup, it'll automacally know to skip over the backup
> it just created somehow. I don't do that so it's not of much interest to
> me; have only read about it.
>
> HTH,
>
> Twayne
>
>
>
>>
>> "Twayne" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Robert wrote:
>>>> I would like to copy files from one hard drive to another. The
>>>> thing is, I don't want to replace any files. If there is already a
>>>> file with the same name on the target disk, there should be no copy
>>>> and we move on to the next file. How can I do this? Some dos
>>>> code, maybe? Robert
>>>
>>> If you know DOS at all, XXCopy.exe at xxcopy.com will do that and a
>>> lot more for you. Batch capable, of course. I use it for certain
>>> important backups I don't want to wait for nightly incrementals to
>>> back up. Can really make DOS dance. Look at the Tech Bulletins
>>> listed for using XXCopy; it has hundreds of switches available to do
>>> things. Also uses all xcopy commands. In fact, it's a super-set of
>>> xcopy, just a lot more capable.
>>>
>>> HTH,
>>>
>>> Twayne
>
>
>