copying folders when files DON'T have the same name

[Matt]

Especially when backing up folders, I often want to
simply drag a folder from my c: disk to my backup disk
(that already has a folder of that name) so that only the
NEW files in that folder get written. But of course I
get the Windows message "...already contains a folder of
that name. If the files in the existing folder have the
same name as the files in the folder you are copying they
will be replaced. Do you still want to copy?" I feel
like screaming "I only want to copy those files that
DON'T have the same name!" In other words, ignore the
files that have the same name and only copy over new
files.

Is there any way to do this???

Thanks for any help!

 

[David Candy]

From Tweakui's tips.
If you hold down the shift key while clicking "No" in a Confirm File Operation dialog, the response will be interpreted as "No to All".

 

[Matt]

Thanks, but the "No" in this case is a response to "Do
you still want to copy the folder?" so this doesn't help.

In other words I only have two choices:
1. I either have to overwrite the files with the same
names or
2. I have to quit.

There's no option to not overwrite the files but continue
with the copy operation (for the other files).

-----Original Message-----
From Tweakui's tips.
If you hold down the shift key while clicking "No" in a

Confirm File Operation dialog, the response will be
interpreted as "No to All".

 

[David Candy]

Select the contents and copy the contents for the No To All to work. Else use XCopy (type it in help).

 

[Netuser 58]

Especially when backing up folders, I often want to
simply drag a folder from my c: disk to my backup disk
(that already has a folder of that name) so that only the
NEW files in that folder get written. But of course I
get the Windows message "...already contains a folder of
that name. If the files in the existing folder have the
same name as the files in the folder you are copying they
will be replaced. Do you still want to copy?" I feel
like screaming "I only want to copy those files that
DON'T have the same name!" In other words, ignore the
files that have the same name and only copy over new
files.

Is there any way to do this???

Yes - I do it all the time.
1) Open the folder that has the files you want to copy.
2) Highlight all the files in that folder.
3) Under Edit select copy.
4) Go to the backup copy of that folder and highlight
it.
5) Under Edit select paste.
6) Now you will get a prompt for each file that has the same name -
"Do you want to replace xxx file with this one?" If it's the same
file, answer NO. (Be sure that you have not updated any file that
you already have - there will be a date difference. In that case
you may want to answer YES.)
All the new files will be copied automatically without a prompt.

NOTE: Using this method allows you to have many new files without
having to keep track of them all the time. They will copy to the
new location automatically this way.

Netuser 58

 

[Guest]

Thanks to all who have responded. I have talked to several other people in person, also. I am concluding that there is no way to do what I really want to do. I appreciate the helpful tips about first opening the folder I want to copy and selecting all the files and then doing a copy and then reply "No" or "No to All" (using the shift key). But I am trying to copy (to backup drive) a folder with many subfolders and sub-sub-folders. I don't want to have to open each subfolder and select all files. I thought there would be a way to simply drag the parent folder over to the backup drive and have only the new files be added

I.e.

On host drive
\Mat
\Document
\Joes' doc
\Pete's doc
... (many more subfolders
\Zoe's doc

On backup drive
\Backup of Mat
\Document
\Joes' doc
\Pete's doc
... (many more subfolders
\Zoe's doc

I simply want to drag the "documents" folder on the host to the "Backup of Matt" folder on the backup drive. I would like to get an option "If there are files of the same name, do you want to overwrite?" I'd like to respond "No to all" and have the copy operation proceed for all the new files. That doesn't happen. I either have to overwrite, or quit the copy operation