DOS copy command to supress messages?

[timswim78]

I am trying to backup a partition to an external hard drive, and I am getting tons of messages that keep halting the process. Is there a DOS command that I can use to copy the partition without getting stopped every 30 seconds?

 

[timswim78]

So, I am now running this. Please let me know if you have a better suggestion:

xcopy d:\ j:\ /E /C

 

[Nothinman]

robocopy

 

[MadRat]

/q = quiet

or was it

/s silent?

I'd have to go into DOS and list the syntax but I'm too lazy.

 

[MadRat]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
robocopy

I like robocopy, especially for large security patches. Combine it with a nice freeware like hjsplit (LINK) and then you can split them up into chunks even a dialup modem can handle. Robocopy is awesome in that you can have it sleep for every 30-60 seconds between connection attempts and then it will sit there and try 1 million times to copy the files by default. I used to support a few thousand laptop users - not by myself obviously - and this was the technique I used to get even the rogue once-a-month dial-in machines updated. It even worked for reloading software; Microsoft Office 97's full blown install (using a scripted install) would be squeezed across in two hours over a decent 28.8 modem.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Originally posted by: MadRat
/q = quiet

or was it

/s silent?

I'd have to go into DOS and list the syntax but I'm too lazy.

/q does it.


xcopy d:\ j:\ /e /c /q

 

[Smilin]

> NULL

 

[Jeff7]

echo off, perhaps?

 

[ShadowBlade]

format C:


type the command with /? for a list off all switches and a desrciption

i.e.

xcopy /?

 

[Nothinman]

type the command with /? for a list off all switches and a desrciption

If only that were true, MS has a bad habit of not documenting all of the switches to the few cli tools they provide.

 

[Tsaico]

/y i think would be my choice, just to select yes.

But I would use xcopy d:\ j:\ /e /h /y /d

/e for all directories and sub, even if empty
/h for hidden files and to retain system attributes
/y for "yes" option to any question like overwrite
/d only copy what doesn't exist in my destination, and if there is a change, copy the newest one.

I would also not use /c just because if there are errors, I want to know about it.

So the next question would be, what is stopping your bat file? overwrite?

 

[redbeard1]

xcopy /heckod is what I use. The /c continues past errors and the /d copies the file only if the date has changed, or the file is not in the destination. After you complete the copy, run that same line again. Barring there are thousands of file copy errors, the two switches will combine to show you what did not copy the first time.

 

[John]

http://www.xxcopy.com/index.htm

xxcopy source:\*.* destination:\ /clone

 

[MadRat]

Nice find there, John.

 

[Tsaico]

I used xxcopy before, it is a decent addition to xcopy, since it can handle long names and such. but it also costs 20 bucks...

 

[xtknight]

> will only redirect stdout. You need to use 2> as well to redirect stderr.

 

[timswim78]

Originally posted by: Tsaico
/y i think would be my choice, just to select yes.

But I would use xcopy d:\ j:\ /e /h /y /d

/e for all directories and sub, even if empty
/h for hidden files and to retain system attributes
/y for "yes" option to any question like overwrite
/d only copy what doesn't exist in my destination, and if there is a change, copy the newest one.

I would also not use /c just because if there are errors, I want to know about it.

So the next question would be, what is stopping your bat file? overwrite?

Thanks tsaico. This is exactly what I needed!

 

[Tsaico]

You got it dude!

 

[timswim78]

Found this Web page with some xcopy switches and an explanation of xcopy.
http://www.ka.net/jmenees/Dos/Xcopy.htm