The commands CMD or ‘cmd.exe’ are command shells present in OS / 2 and Windows NT operating systems (including Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11).
What types of commands are there to copy files from CMD in Windows?
The commands that are interpreted by CMD are useful for send commands to the operating system; This allows you to organize files, open and start programs, or run any order that relates to your operating system, computer, or network.
Copy
The COPY command is useful for copying one or more files within another specified folder; it is an internal command of ‘cmd.exe’. Its syntax is: COPY [/Y|/-Y] [/A|/B]source [/A|/B] [+ origen [/A|/B] [+…]][destino][/A|B][/V].
- Parameters:
- Origin: is the location where the file to be copied is located and the name it has. This can consist of the drive letter, a colon and a directory name, the name of a file, or both.
- Destination: shows the location where the files are located where the copies will be placed and the name they have. It can consist of the drive letter, a colon and a directory name, the name of a file, or both.
- Modifiers:
- / Y: works as an indicator that you want COPY to replace existing files without asking for confirmation. Typically, COPY asks if you want to overwrite the existing file; this happens when an existing file is specified as the destination file.
- / -Y: works to indicate whether you want COPY to ask for a confirmation when replacing an existing file.
- / A: works to indicate an ASCII text file (code composed of characters of the Latin alphabet).
- / B: works to indicate a binary file.
- / V: works to verify that new files are written correctly.
Xcopy
This command allows you to copy one or more files to a specific location. It differs from the COPY command because, this if can make copies of files and subdirectories. Its syntax is:
XCOPY origin [destino] [/A | /M] [/D[:fecha]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W] [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U] [/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/EXCLUDE:archivo1[+archivo2][+archivo3]…]
Each of the parameters contained in the command has a special function according to what the user needs:
- Origin: works to indicate the files to be copied.
- Destination: works to specify new location and the new name of the files.
- / A: works to copy only the files with the file attribute that has been set; thus disabling the file attribute.
- / D mda: works to copy files that have been modified on the specified date or a later date. If no date is specified, only files that have a source time more recent than the destination time are copied.
- / EXCLUDE file 1 + file 2 + file3: This indicates a list of files with string. It works when a part of the file path matches any of the strings; if so, the file will be excluded from the copy.
- / P: works to request information before creating each destination file.
- / S: works to copy directories and subdirectories, except for those that are empty.
- / E: works to copy directory and subdirectories; this time, including the voids.
- / V: works to check the integrity of each new file.
- / W: works for request that a key be pressed before copying.
- / C: works to continue copying, even if errors occur.
- / L: if the destination does not exist and more than one file is copied, their destination will become a directory.
- / Q: works so that file names are not displayed while copying.
- / F: works for show the files to be copied.
- / H: works to copy hidden files and system files.
- / R: works to overwrite read-only files.
- / T: works to create directory structure; however, it does not copy files, and it does not include empty directories or subdirectories.
- / T / E: works to include directories and subdirectors that are empty.
- / U: works to only copy the existing files to the destination.
- / K: works to copy attributes, it will reset read-only attributes.
- / N: works to copy using the generated short names.
- / O – Works to copy ACL and member information from files.
- / X: works to copy the audit configuration; this implies ‘/ O’.
- / Y: works to suppress the confirmation message to overwrite an existing destination file.
- / -Y: works to display a confirmation message if you want to overwrite an existing destination file.
- / Z: works for copy network files in restartable mode.
Robocopy
This type of command has the ability to withstand interruptions in the process of copying files and indicating the progress. To access it from Windows 10, open the Windows command prompt or access Windows Powershell as administrator, when the command has been opened, the ‘Robocopy’ line must be executed. Thus, the description of this tool and its forms of use will be visible.
How do you copy folders with space in the name using CMD commands?
From CMD, folders containing space in the name can be copied by enclosing the full path of the string in quotation marks; otherwise the command will be interpreted as two separate strings.
What is the best way to copy files to USB using CMD?
With Robocopy you can copy the entire content of a directory. You must run the Robocopy command C: Users Computer D: Computer / e. the ‘/ e’ switch works to include subfolders, even if they are empty. This command is useful when using USB because it copies folders entirely.