This document provides a comprehensive feature comparison between XXCOPY and ROBOCOPY—two advanced file copy utilities derived from Microsoft’s XCOPY. Both tools target enterprise file management, backup operations, and directory synchronization tasks.
Key Takeaway: XXCOPY maintains closer compatibility with XCOPY syntax while offering broader functionality (77 total features vs ROBOCOPY’s 44). ROBOCOPY provides robust retry mechanisms and is bundled with Windows Resource Kits.
Tool Supported Platforms ROBOCOPY Windows NT/2000/XP and later (NT-based only) XXCOPY Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP + DOS (XXCOPY16.EXE)
Note: As of 2026, ROBOCOPY is now built into modern Windows versions (Windows 7+) and supports current OS releases.
Feature ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Notes Recursive subdirectory copy /S/SIdentical behavior Include empty directories /E/EBoth support full tree replication Directory depth limiting /LEV:<n>/DL<n>Control recursion depth Move operation (copy + delete) /MOV (files)<br>/MOVE (all)/RC<br>/RC/EXXCOPY uses combined switches Mirror/sync operation /MIR/CLONEFull directory tree mirroring Purge orphaned files /PURGE/ZRemove dst files absent in src
Feature ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Implementation Difference Source directory srcdirsrcspecXXCOPY accepts wildcards anywhere Destination directory dstdirdstdirStandard directory path Filename patterns file file...srcspec or /IN<file>XXCOPY uses XCOPY-compatible syntax Multiple patterns Multiple args /IN<pattern>ROBOCOPY: direct args; XXCOPY: /IN switch
Example Comparison:
# ROBOCOPY syntax
robocopy c:\mydir *.doc *.xls *.mp3 d:\dest /s
# XXCOPY equivalent (Method 1 - XCOPY-style)
xxcopy c:\mydir\*.doc /in*.xls /in*.mp3 d:\dest\ /s
# XXCOPY equivalent (Method 2 - when single pattern)
xxcopy c:\mydir\*.doc d:\dest /s
Criteria ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Notes Maximum file age /MAXAGE:<n>/DA#<n>Exclude files older than n days Minimum file age /MINAGE:<n>/DB#<n>Exclude files newer than n days Time precision Days only Days/Hours/Minutes/Seconds XXCOPY offers finer granularity
Criteria ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Notes Maximum size /MAX:<n>/SZ:-<n>Exclude files larger than n bytes Minimum size /MIN:<n>/SZ:<n>-Exclude files smaller than n bytes Size ranges Not supported /SZ!<n>-<m>XXCOPY exclusive: Range exclusion
Criteria ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Implementation Archive bit only /A/ACopy files with A-bit set Archive + clear /M/MCopy and remove A-bit from source Include by attribute mask /IA:<mask>/AT<mask>Include files with specified attributes Exclude by attribute mask /XA:<mask>/AX<mask>Exclude files with specified attributes Set attributes on copy /A+:<mask>Not supported ROBOCOPY can modify attributes Clear attributes on copy /A-:<mask>Not supported Preserve attributes Default /KS/KD/KNXXCOPY offers granular control
Operation ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Use Case Exclude changed files /XC/BSBackup only unchanged files Exclude newer files /XN/BOBackup only older files Exclude older files /XO/BNBackup only newer files Exclude extra files /XX/ZSkip files not in source Update existing only /XL/UDon’t create new files in dst Include identical files /IS/BI0Force copy even if same Size-based conditions Not supported /BZL/BZS/BZE/BZXXXCOPY exclusive: Compare by size
Feature Switch Description Value for IT Operations Restartable mode /ZCheckpoint large file copies for resume on failure Critical for unreliable networks Timestamp fix /TIMFIXFix timestamps without copying Useful for metadata corrections Registry defaults /REGSave retry settings to registry Standardize behavior across systems Share wait /TBDWait for network shares to become available Handles error 67 gracefully ETA display /ETAShow estimated completion time Progress tracking for long jobs Retry mechanism /R:<n><br>/W:<n>Configurable retry count and wait time Production-grade fault tolerance
Feature Switch Description Wildcard flexibility WildWildSrcWildcards at any directory level, unlimited Directory deletion /RS/RD/RXDelete files/directories (not just copy) Flatten tree /SXCopy all files to single directory Gather files /SGCollect files from tree into one location Cyclic copy handling /CCYHandle recursive directory structures
Feature Switch Description 8.3 preservation /NXPreserve short filenames LFN restoration /NLRestore long filenames after SFN copy SFN restoration /NSRestore short filenames Matching algorithm /NW/NDChoose Win32 vs DOS matching Precise matching /NPDisable alias matching
Feature Switch Description Wildcard exclusion /X*\dir*\Exclude directories at any level with wildcards Exclusion file /EX<file>Load exclusion patterns from text file Command file /CFBypass command-line length limits
Feature Switch Description Timezone offset /TS+/TS-/TD+/TD-Inter-timezone synchronization Time format /FL/FUUse LocalTime or UTC Time attribute /FW/FA/FCUse Last-Write, Last-Access, or Create time Fuzzy matching /FFAdjustable margin for time comparison
Feature Switch Description Partial copy /TR<n>Copy only first n bytes (testing) Multi-volume spanning /SPSplit backup across multiple volumes (floppy/CD) Space checking /CK/CK0Enable/disable pre-copy space verification Conditional execution /IA/IPTerminate if destination absent/present CPU throttling /NI<n>Lower priority to reduce system load Byte verification /V2Byte-by-byte comparison after copy
Feature Switch Description Custom list format /LxxxCustomizable display during /L (list mode) Progress bars /PB<n>Job-level and per-file progress (adjustable cutoff) Prompt control /WS/WE/P/PD/PW/YY/PCGranular control over user prompts Smart help /xxxx/?Contextual help for specific switches Exclusion report /oXOutput optimized exclusion list
Feature ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Notes Overwrite log /LOG:<file>/ON<file>Create new log file Append log /LOG+:<file>/OA<file>Append to existing log Verbosity /V, /NP/Q<n>XXCOPY offers multiple quiet levels List mode (dry-run) /L/LPreview without executing Statistics detail Comprehensive Standard ROBOCOPY provides more detailed statistics Progress display Per-file percentage Job + file progress bars Different approaches to progress
Feature ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Notes Copy security /SEC/SCCopy NTFS ACLs Fix security /SECFIX/SFUpdate ACLs without copying
ROBOCOPY: Terminates immediately with no statistics displayXXCOPY: Completes current file copy, then displays statistics before exit
ROBOCOPY: Built-in retry mechanism (/R:<n>, /W:<n>) with registry persistenceXXCOPY: Retry with configurable interval (/CR<n>) but no built-in persistence
ROBOCOPY: Bitmask exit codes (0=no files, 1=files copied, 2=extra files, etc.)XXCOPY: XCOPY-compatible exit codes with /ER switch
Aspect ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Documentation size ~41,000 characters >450,000 characters (10x more) Official docs Microsoft TechNet/Learn Pixelab website (xxcopy.com) User community General Windows forums Dedicated discussion group Tech support Microsoft support channels Pixelab customer support (licensed users)
ROBOCOPY: /Z (restartable mode) adds overhead but enables resumeXXCOPY: /V2 (byte verification) adds overhead for integrity checks
ROBOCOPY: Optimized for unreliable networks with retry logicXXCOPY: Better for complex selection criteria and local operations
ROBOCOPY: Fixed priorityXXCOPY: /NI<n> allows CPU throttling for background operations
Category ROBOCOPY XXCOPY Common features 39 39 Unique features 5 38 Total feature set 44 77
License: Included with Windows Resource Kits (legacy), built into Windows 7+ (current)Cost: Free (part of OS)Current status: Native Windows utility
License: Freeware for personal use; commercial licenses required for business useVendor: PixelabCurrent status: Last updated 2016 (v3.33.3) – verify current availability
# Mirror operation
robocopy C:\source D:\dest /MIR
xxcopy C:\source\*.* D:\dest\ /CLONE
# Incremental backup (archive bit)
robocopy C:\source D:\backup /M
xxcopy C:\source\*.* D:\backup\ /M
# Copy with exclusions
robocopy C:\source D:\dest /XD temp cache /XF *.tmp
xxcopy C:\source\*.* D:\dest\ /X*\temp\ /X*\cache\ /X*.tmp
# Multi-pattern copy
robocopy C:\docs D:\backup *.doc *.xls *.pdf /S
xxcopy C:\docs\*.doc /in*.xls /in*.pdf D:\backup\ /S
Working exclusively in modern Windows environments (7+)
Network reliability is a concern (use /Z for restartable copies)
You need built-in retry mechanisms for production backups
Integration with Windows Task Scheduler for automated tasks
Require detailed per-file statistics and logging
Managing legacy Windows 9x/ME systems
Requiring advanced file selection criteria (size ranges, complex wildcards)
Performing file management beyond simple copy (gathering, flattening, deletion)
Need inter-timezone synchronization
Working with both DOS and Windows environments
Requiring extensive exclusion pattern capabilities
Need to throttle CPU usage for background operations
Keep ROBOCOPY for standard backup/sync operations (native, well-supported)
Deploy XXCOPY for specialized file management tasks requiring unique features
Leverage each tool’s strengths in different automation scenarios
ROBOCOPY documentation: robocopy /? or Microsoft Learn
