How to copy large amounts of files in Windows 

It should be noted and I missed it in the video. If you are copying TONs of very small 1-100kb files you can completely turn off logging with /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS - This will 10-100x the speed, but at the cost of logging. NFL = No File List NDL = No Directory List NJH = No Job Header NJS = No Job Summary. You can copy 100,000s to millions of small files extremely fast, but will have no summary or log.

The one thing I miss in Robocopy is what rsync have, the --backup-dir option so that "deleted" files are actually moved to another location.

I feel like for normal day to day file copying tasks this would be kinda overkill. In the example you gave of that 5GB file you saved roughly 10-20 seconds. It would take that long just to type everything out for the command thusly not saving anytime at all. Now I can clearly see the huge professional level applications for such a thing for sure. Just not sure if this is worth it for the average user. Thank you for teaching me something about windows I didn't know though! Really enjoyed the video nonetheless

I dunno I would rather stick to Teracopy since it does all of what you say but wit a gui. Most probably would want to avoid command line for something like this and anything more important there is backup software better suited.

Robocopy rocks. Have been using it since it was a part of the Windows 2000 Resource Kit. Was pleased to see it promoted into default install of Windows. One useful switch is /XO (exclude older files). Prevents an older file from overwriting a newer one. Also, if you don't use the in-built logging function and just pipe the output into a file yourself with >, switch off the progress (NP). If you don't, you'll get loads of percentage counts in your log file and it looks a horrific mess!!

Copy in windows is compete trash. The fact that it doesn't start copying and scans all files first is a tremendous waste. There should at least be a registry entry to eliminate that

This was so helpful. Unfortunately 2 weeks late for me. I ran into issue doing a multi terrabyte copy for my NAS migration. I got around it by zipin gup the folders and unziping them to the new destination. Robocopy would have been much smarter and faster. This was awesome! Thanks so much for sharing.

53.05 seconds vs. 52.07 seconds. 1.84% faster. Interesting. It would be interesting to see how much faster robocopy would be if you are saying using 10 GbE and passing data through a system in order to sync up two servers (or migrate the data) say from one NAS server to a bigger, newer, NAS server.

Been using this tool, especially the mirror + copy all attributes to make backups and matching with logfiles to verify all the file copying ever since it was a downloadable tool for Windows XP. A really great commandline tool that really should have a GUI wrapper in the modern age for the less tech savvy.

You can double click the icon in the title bar to close a window. Just thought I'd throw that out there since Chris was right clicking the title bar of a window with the controls off-screen, and choosing close.

This looks more like a Linux way of doing things! It may be faster, but typing in all that stuff would actually take me a lot longer than just a couple of mouse clicks here and there, plus I'd mess up somewhere. That's why I can't use Linux. Give a GUI any day.

This just reminds me of how we used to copy files from drive to drive back in the day using 3.11 in DOS :)

nice tutorial video...thanks chris. just share my experience, i use "fastcopy" written by japanese, it do able to handle long file name as well. hence, it have a log in notepad for each file copied.... and lots of great features...

I use fastcopy and it has a GUI and it syncs files.

*"...can use all 16 cores.."* ?? Okay, but where's the BOTTLENECK usually? I would assume the bottleneck is usually the read or write drive. And if you're reading from, or writing to an HDD wouldn't trying to access multiple files at the same time actually HURT performance because the read/write head is jumping around? And if you're reading from or writing to an SSD which is RAM (as in Random Access Memory) then what's the point of trying to access files simultaneously?

Is there a GUI overlay for RoboCopy? That might be more comfortable for many Windows users... Also, how does TeraCopy, and other third-party software to replace Windows default coping service stack up to Window default service, or against RoboCopy?

Great video! Does robocopy work with Linux server and Windows client? Is this essentially scp/rsync but for windows?

If robocopy so great why isn't it built into native Gui? Honest question...

If system crashes during robocopy is in progress, some time source folder gets corrupted. I guess it's due to robocopy using mft directly.

Dude, this is insanely faster than normal method. Thank you so much :D

I use it for copying only files of a certain type. robocopy D:\Images R:\GIFs *.gif /s

I love this channel. I have learnt so many things from this channel ❤

this Didn't get me exited handy to know but wont use just more to remember than copy & paste thought there was something that 1/2ed the time to copy videos . not

Will this fix the issue of copying files to an sd card? I'm copying a photo directory from my hdd to a microsd via a usb cable plugged into my phone. I've copied a large amount of files but noticed the amount of files did not match the hdd. I selected all the files on the hdd and pasted onto the correct directory in the microsd, a conflict error pops up. If you choose "don't copy" and "do this for all conflicts" the copy process will just end. It won't copy the missing files. Loads of topics on microsoft forums but they have all been closed with the only solution being to run a sfc scan. Very frustrating and I'm sure I've lost a lot of photos over the years because of it. edit: nvm, can't even connect my phone to win10 to assign it a drive letter, sigh. Are we living in the future or the past?

I was using shared drives to access my NAS and copy files around. I recently installed Synology Drive to synchronize my laptop to my NAS. So far, so good. The only thing missing is a way to synchronize my Android phone to my NAS. I currently have to dedicate space on my laptop and use Syncthing to sync my phone to the laptop, then the laptop to the NAS. My "big" file structure is about 300 GB (so far) of music albums stored as FLAC. There are all sorts of challenges with long filenames for classical music. Some people have overloaded the filename field with too much information. I shorten filenames when I rip the CDs. There are alternate character sets used for some albums, such as Blue Oyster Cult. These played havoc with my old Debian-based NAS. I wish there was a way to put all my music in a database AND be able to play it back. The file system Music > Artist > Albums > Tracks is cumbersome at best. I actually added two folders to the structure to keep software from failing. I use Music > (A-M and N-Z) > Artist > Albums > Tracks. I may have to spit things again.

if you copy to one hard disk what's the point of using multiple threads? also in large files will it cause file fragmentation?

This video came in the right time

I've been using this since Server 2003R2 days. Once small caveat to the video is that there are times when you may want to turn off security all together. Like if you're copying user home folders from an old file server to a new one on a different domain prior to a user migration. I also might add that using robocopy in a scheduled task with a service account works well if you want a copy of something to go somewhere else to be backed up. No not as a backup itself, but a copy to be backed up there too. It's a powerful tool, and one that so many admins don't use or forget about using. DFS has gotten better, but it still has quirks (child/forest file copies are garbage), where robocopy will still succeed every time.

Been using Windows for decades and never knew about robocopy, thanks.

Why not use Teracopy or other software like that ?

is this the same as choeasycopy?

How does this compare with teracopy? Anything I’m missing as the average user?

one thing i don't like is, the /MT flag is only for file copyings. when ever i do server migrations there are multi millions of files and lots and lots of folders. It would be really cool if the multithread could handle directory transversal as well. it never fails the initial population to the destination takes weeks then one needs to run a delta to catch new/modified files. Robocopy is a huge waste of resources when its only 1 thread to traverse the files/folders.

Thank you for explaining this tool. I will use it now. 👍

it's too complicate to use it every day... with an actual piece of software to install so that my pc automatically let me copy files throught robocopy it would be neat ...

SUPER CONFUSED: I am trying to do: robocopy "D:\BACKUP FOR HDD REPAIR\DASHCAM\" "F:\DASHCAM\" /e /r:0 /w:0 /COPY:DAT /DCOPY:DAT /mt:12 but it keeps saying there is no destination specified????

Thank you!!! I had a NAS hard drive die - despite having multiple backups, the VMDK file on the drive was the ONLY corrupted spot on the disk! I loathed COPY and PASTE to another computer/drive, and this has saved my bacon!! Thank you!!!! 👏👏

Hi, what is the difference between xcopy and Robocopy? I use xcopy a lot, it's faster than in the GUI, and it controls the files?

Robocopy runs out of steam at a point where rsync just keeps going. Need a lot of data on NTFS volumes to be moved around? Boot up System Rescue and do it with Linux.

The GUI copy will not preserve security settings most of the time, usually just replacing the source ACL's with the target folders ACL instead. Very bad if you need those ACL's preserved intact. I used robocopy extensively to migrate a file server with over 2 TB of roaming profiles years ago. Did one pass to get the bulk data mirrored to the new system (ran overnight, took hours), command saved for later use. Later we just ran it again and again to get the modified files (took minutes each time). The ability to save logs each run helped us sort out a number of access issues reliably in the end too (use /NDL and /NFL to only log errors and the summary). You can also use it (in rare cases) to salvage data from unreliable systems or drives as it can resume or at least skip files already copied. Had to do this ONE TIME to get data off a system with failing raid drives (lesson here is to actually check your raid and hardware logs regularly and not wait to the alarms to sound, yellow and red drive lights don't always get noticed). We managed to save all but two files if I recall correctly but it was touch and go for sure.

Would be nice if they had a gui. A lot of the switches can be automated by detecting the type and size of files if the manufacture wanted to. Make it easy for those who doesnt use robocopy often because I'll forget all the command line switches.

I only need to copy 65535 gb of files in under 1 minute :) the fix is to start copying right before you goto bed. Close your eyes and bam the instant you wake up files are still copying:) Hey atleast we dont half to copy in number 2 pencil anymore :)

is the a GUI version of this?

Baffling how all of these amazing tools exist and Microsoft hides them deep in the system so no one can ever find them. Why not make robocopy the standard way to copy in the Explorer GUI?

there is any way to exclude some format? Let's say I wanna copy the contents of a folder, EXCEPT .mp3 files. How should I do it?

This works great. Small issue: when the transfer was complete, the only way I can access the folder is to type in the path in explorer, the folder I transfer everything to disappears for some reason once robocopy has completed the transfer. and it’s not hidden. I just created a shortcut to get to it. Just curious if there’s a way around this?

Very good video. Thank you. Can I also access my internal phone storage and copy videos from tis location usin robocopy. It shows up as MTP-device and doesn't have any drive letter assigned? Thanks very much in advance!

Point being, 99% of users will never open a command line. You have Total commander for secure copying.

I need some assistance if you can help me. So I'm trying to copy USB to USB using the robocopy method but I'm having a problem. I don't know if this is correct or not. but if you can tell me how to do it correctly? robocop E:\Karaoke CD (02) D:\Karaoke CD Part (02) CD Drv 01 E:\Karaoke CD (02) USB 02 D:\Karaoke CD Part (02)

To clone user folders like documents, pictures, music, desktop: robocopy "C:\Users\USER\Documents" D: obocopy\Dokuments /MIR /XJF /XJD It does a fast and perfect copy e.g. onto an external drive for transferring to a new PC or just as exact clone. Even the „folder icons“ are copied.

what if ive accidenntally put in too many threads when copying ive done 32 instead of the 16 i have on accident from just copy pasting got the directories correct but it appears to be copying fine still ? am i going to be bottlenecking or will it see i dont have those threads available ?

Hold on a second. Why exactly are we not supposed to use this when we have mapped a network drive? It looks like you are using iSCSi? I use SMB via my TrueNAS - I have been using robocopy pretty regularly and saturating the connection 110-140Mb/s. What is the danger exactly?

The 255 path limit is a bad default setting of windows explorer. You can enhance that using a registry key. But yes i also forget it always…

Moving an entire 3TB drive to another local drive. Needing to keep ACLs, time stamps, etc Would I need /ZB at all? In case my permissions are not sufficient? Also, do I need /COPYALL and /DCOPY:DAT ?

Awesome tutorial - I am sure many will benefit, i will for sure.

Thank you!

How to copy large amounts of files in Windows: Ctrl-A Ctrl-C Ctrl-V *it's EASY*

Forget what this guy is telling you about robocopy. Who wants a cli anyway ? Let me introduce you fastcopy - - a free, fast, portable, simple gui that everybody understands, supports unicode and over max path (260 characters) file path names, uses multi-threads for read write verify ... there we have it.

Titus gonna Bitus.

Microsoft really should fix that. No way a modern OS these days shouldn't support copying mass amount of files through the Gui. Robocopy is helpful though saves me having to boot into Linux just to do some file copying off a dying hard drive.

I have a DVD with 7500 files that i wanna copy to a flash drive. Windows copies all the files to memory. Then it asks where i want them copied to. I wanna copy files faster to my flash drive. How do i do this? Can I speed up access to my DVD drive?

for the algorithm

Any ideas to copy deduplicated refs? I have about 30tb to move to another synology, and it is painfully slow... I am open for ideas :-)

STAR WARS GALAXIES? You still playing that? Haha. I remember playing that when it was out officially.

i tweaked my windows so much it doesnt even boot up power shell but i know were to enable it 😅i dont need it was just curious my windows is super lite debloated down to my nvidia drivers to boosted my gaming to 20-30% i remember using teracopy way back early 2000`s and it boost my large files speed by a huge amount now days i dont care i have a decent setup back then was running a potato it kinder works the same way back then without the hassle of the shell

man rsync, dude

fastcopy, robocopy is another copy of same program,. whatever you copy to same drive, other or usb stick or drive, it goes so much faster than windows or total commander. also no need to flush 16gb like total commander

So the reason my copy n paste keeps crashing my pc or aborts midway is because i go over some limit and it cant handle that? I have been frustrated as hell doing 500 latge files one by one because it keeps crashing and blue screen and what have you...

If we use the standard Windows copy methods and it's way too slow we are not the problem, Windows is.

Does Robocopy GUI still exist? I searched for it, and Microsoft claims that it exists, but the links were dead-ends.

FreeFileSync works great for me now that MS Powertoys (Synctoy) is kaput. I prefer to use an intuitive GUI.

But that's the command line.. Windows does not do the command line anymore. Least that's what I hear all the time when I tell people I run Linux.😏

The best copy program is Tex!11 Atari ST nerds will concur.

Well jokes on you, I'm backing up a flight sim with millions of files. Does this work for that?

Windows explorer will also lock up whole system while it calculates. dont do more than 1 copy at a time. has been an incredibly poor solution since win95 beta. lots of little text files, sometimes its better to zip first. use the copy mode rather than move just in case a file is open or something has a lock on it. Question - how does it compare to a powershell copy? I cbf'd looking into it. robocopy has been a staple for ages.

Why windows class I am unsubscribe there are so many linux problems needs to be addressed properly through videos

Is there a way to verify file integrity to make sure everything copied correctly and without corruption?

True but if you're not rsync'ing or btrfs send'ing and snap'ing from your NAS what are you even doing

CHRIS the offline EXE u pay for im paying 5 AUD how much is it in where ever u live

Give best solution for transfer file between windows, linux,mac(Cross platform)

You know, i really get good info from this channel, but it also seems that there is an error or a misstatement or an "oh, i forgot to mention" with a lot of videos. strange.

This is so very much appreciated. I just want to copy everything on an older smaller drive to a new larger one... but NOT lose any of the dates in any way. Sounds simple... been hard. I will test my method first before I go "BIG".

seems like time difference would be spent on typing that long CLI command ))

So... like _rsync_ for Windows? Is _rsync_ available via WSL/WSL2?

Trying to convince windows users to use command line is kinda futile. What are your thoughts on Teracopy? It doesn't have as many resources but it copies big files fast

'Next in my video tutorials series: how to click with your left mouse button'

Or you can just ditch Windows altogether, move to linux and use rsync.

Is there a GUI version of this because I'm a lazy SOB....

can u make a video about backgroundTaskhost.exe pls??

i do have credentials for my (\\) folder , which syntax to be used ?

I mean I am giving you a like before I even finish for Star Wars Galaxies alone!

I want to copy file from downloads to desktop can I do it through robocopy?

Windows Explorer copy and paste on my PC seems to work faster than RoboCopy utility somehow? For instance, I am getting about 113MB/s with the standard explorer copy, and RoboCopy gets roughly the same, but sometimes lower. Another example, between my 2 NVME SSD's, Explorer copy gets 1.2GB/s, and RoboCopy gets ~800MB/s so about 1/3 slower than just normal copy and paste. Any ideas why this might be?

thank you for this lesson on robocopy. I did a test, copying files from my C: drive (all of which have dates and times in the past - relative to 4/17/23) to an external USB drive that has bitlocker on it. INITIALLY, the dates and times on the destination drive matched the source drive, but after a minute or so, bitlocker must have done something to them because the dates and times on the destination drive all changed to today's date and time. Are you aware of this occurring with bitlocker? Is there a way around what bitlocker is doing? thanks

So Robocopy is like XCOPY on MS-DOS back in my old days

The video should be called "How to copy large numbers of files". The title actually means that that you're going to show people how to partially copy their files. I would guess that's even more difficult to achieve but slightly less useful :-)

WOOOOOOOooooow. I wish I knew about this a loooong time ago.

SMB Multichannel copying is amazing. my nas has 80gbit connection and I have 20gbit. Rocks. You need a NAS that's 10g, qnap has some that are decently affordable now and 10g switches. qnap 10g nic works really well in linux and windows (very plug in play) for $100. But 10gig is SOOO much better than old school gigabit.

Everything counts in large amounts... It´s a competetive world!

I have to wait 4-12 hours for copying files from my android phones to windows pc because they slow down a lot. There are so many files in the folder, that it hangs in most file explorers on android. The windows explorer even crashes many times while I copy many of the files but the files are at least somewhat viewable before copying in windows explorer before copying unlike on android.