Fast copy files

Hello,

Suppose in my machine there is a folder c:\source that contains hundrend files and subfolders. I copy the entire folder to a flash drive.

The second day files in the c:\source are updated but only around 20 files are updated or added as new ones. I don't know where they are placed. The most of files are remained unchanged.

I am using a stupid overwritten method that is to copy them such as copy c:\source to f:\ etc.

Because it is my routine work and coping these files will spent several hours,
I want to find a quick copy way to updated the files to the flash drive.

Thanks for your help.

 

There is an excellent freeware that does that and much more.

It's called XXCOPY.

If you need help using it, post back and I'll be glad to set you up with a batch file that will do what you want.

Basically it would require a very simple command such as:

xxcopy /clone /yy /ff C:\source F:\whatever The first time will copy all files, thereafter it only does the ones that have changed.

 

Is there any windows system command to do it?

 

Windows XP has the BRIEFCASE that might answer your need although not quite as easy as a simple click on a batch file.

The Windows xcopy command lacks the power to clone a directory although it can be /switched to copy only changed files by checking the attributes flag but it sometimes has problems with the 8.3 files that result from the longfile names in XP. It can introduce error in your files when that happens. It also will not remove files from the destination that have been removed from the source, so you would have to do your own house cleaning.

XXCOPY works on a small granularity of time difference on files. It's not invasive of the Windows system since it requires no Registry entries, just a simple executable file copied to the C:\Windows\System32 directory and a help file for support.

 

Can you give me an example via xcopy?
My company doesn't allow any free software installed in the computer.

Thanks.

 

That's unfortunate.

If it is necessary to use xcopy, the following script will serve you as far as possible. It will not remove any files from the destination that have been removed from the source, as would XXCOPY. That will require you to manually clean those files out to keep the destination directory from getting excessively bloated and/or not be a true clone of the source.

Code:

xcopy /s /m /y C:\SourceDirectory F:\DestinationDirectory\ 

Incidentally, you would not need to actually install XXCOPY on your company's computer, it could be contained as a single file on the flash drive only. I don't mean to get you in dutch with the boss but just wanted to mention that in passing.

 

Almost done!
I want to exclude some files which have file extensition vbp. Can you verify the script?

Code:

xcopy /s/d:mm-dd-yyyy/exclude .vbp C:\Source F:\Source