Best File "Copy" Method

[Edrick Smith]

What is the best method for ensuring data is properly copied from folder to folder. In this case transferring Folder A from a legacy server to a new system that's mapped as a network drive. Is the windows drag and drop method reliable?

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[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Hello,

 

I've always recommended to use CTRL+the left mouse click in order to select the items for copying (or CTRL+A to select everything within a folder) followed by CTRL+C in conjunction with CTRL+V for the maximum reliability.

 

Cheers!

[philcruicks]

Use Robocopy from the command line.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145(v=ws.11).aspx

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Robocopy and Xcopy come with Windows and will certainly work.  You can also take a look at various third-party file copy and synchronization utilities, including:

 

• 2BrightSparks' SyncBack
• Centered Systems' SecondCopy
• Code Sector's TeraCopy
• Pixelab's XXCOPY
• Siber Systems' GoodSync
• SHIROUZU Hiroaki's FastCopy

and many other programs, including Windows ports of ftp, rsync and sftp clients, which are usually used on UNIX-based operating systems.  Some of the programs I mentioned above default to performing the speediest copy, while others are slower but perform verification that files were copied correctly.  Since this sounds like it's for valuable work data, I would recommend that no matter which program you use, that you turn on verification of file copying, and have the program create a log that you can review to make sure all your files were copied over to the new system.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

 

 

[GrayW]

 

  On 25/01/2017 at 10:19, goretsky said:

• Code Sector's TeraCopy

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Always been one of my faves.

[Yazoo]

So what do these utils do that a simple folder drag or CTRL+C and CTRL+V doesn't?

[philcruicks]

  On 25/01/2017 at 10:40, Yazoo said:

So what do these utils do that a simple folder drag or CTRL+C and CTRL+V doesn't?

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Give you a lot more flexibility with all the options you can specify (see the technet article I linked) and it's faster than C&P for large numbers of files.

[+Biscuits Brown MVC]

Im with them, robocopy first then xcopy.

[Yazoo]

  On 25/01/2017 at 12:03, philcruicks said:

Give you a lot more flexibility with all the options you can specify (see the technet article I linked) and it's faster than C&P for large numbers of files.

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I'll have to check that out, didn't know there would be a speed difference

[Edrick Smith]

Thanks for the recommendations I'll be giving it a go tonight. Yes verification is far more important for this task than say speed.


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[Eric Veteran]

  On 25/01/2017 at 10:40, Yazoo said:

So what do these utils do that a simple folder drag or CTRL+C and CTRL+V doesn't?

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They skip the UI file counting and space/time estimation for one thing.

[goretsky Supervisor]

Hello,

 

Logging of errors (file corruption, problems due to paths or filenames being too long, etc.), information about how long the operation took, average speed of copying, and all sorts of other useful information someone who is moving files from one corporate server to another one might want to know about, especially before they decommission the old server.

 

Regards,

 

Aryeh Goretsky

 

 

  On 25/01/2017 at 10:40, Yazoo said:

So what do these utils do that a simple folder drag or CTRL+C and CTRL+V doesn't?

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[StrikedOut]

Another vote for Robocopy. Simple to use and very reliable too.