Are you tired of slow file transfers? Do you need to copy large amounts of data quickly and efficiently? Look no further than Robocopy, the powerful command-line utility in Windows.
Robocopy, short for “Robust File Copy”, is a built-in Windows tool designed to copy files and directories from one location to another. It’s like having a superpower for your file transfers!
- Speed: Robocopy can copy files up to 10 times faster than traditional methods.
- Reliability: It can resume interrupted copies and handle errors with ease.
- Flexibility: Robocopy offers numerous options for customizing your copy process.
- Large data transfers: Copying huge files or folders? Robocopy’s your best bet.
- Backup and sync: Use Robocopy to keep your files safe and up-to-date.
- Network transfers: Need to copy files across networks? Robocopy’s got you covered.
How to Use Robocopy: Basic Syntax
The basic syntax is simple: robocopy source destination [options]
- /E: Copy subdirectories, including empty ones.
- /Z: Copy files in restartable mode.
- /MT: Multi-threaded copying for faster transfers.
- /R:n: Retry failed copies n times.
- /W:n: Wait n seconds between retries.
Let’s say you want to copy a large video file (5GB) from your laptop (C:) to an external hard drive (E:). Use this command:
This copies the file with multi-threading (8 threads) and restartable mode.
- Use /MIR to mirror your source and destination folders.
- Use /LOG to save the copy log to a file.
- Backup: robocopy C:\Data D:\Backup /MIR
- Sync: robocopy C:\Source D:\Destination /E /PURGE
Robocopy is a powerful tool for anyone who needs to manage files efficiently. With its speed, reliability, and flexibility, it’s a must-know for Windows users.
- As of March 2023, Windows 11 includes Robocopy version 10.0.22621.
- Microsoft continues to update Robocopy with new features and improvements.
By mastering Robocopy, you’ll save time and hassle when dealing with file transfers. Give it a try today!