How to Use Robocopy in Windows 10 to Copy Files & Folders

---

• Overview of Robocopy in Windows 10
• How to transfer files over a network using Robocopy
• Best free alternative to Robocopy in Windows 10

Overview of Robocopy in Windows 10

Robocopy is a powerful file copy program that allows you to transfer files and directories between locations. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use Robocopy to transfer files:

Robocopy Robocopy is a powerful file replication utility that offers a wide range of features and benefits. Here are some of the key features and benefits of Robocopy:

• Copy/transfer files between computers over a network.
• Copy or mirror directories anywhere the computer has access.
• Copy drives to another location.

Before Windows Vista, Robocopy acted as an individual utility. But now it sits on a high pedestal in the system32 directory on every Windows installation. Robocopy supports multi-threaded mode, that is, you can copy multiple files at the same time with multi-threaded enabled.

Robocopy is a robust file replication utility that has been a part of Windows since Windows Vista. Unlike its predecessor, Xcopy, Robocopy is a more powerful and feature-rich utility that offers a wide range of options and switches to customize its behavior.

How to transfer files over a network using Robocopy

Robocopy is a powerful utility that allows you to transfer files over a network. In this tutorial, we will guide you through a step-by-step process of enabling file sharing on the source computer and using Robocopy to transfer files over the network.

Stage 1: Configure file sharing on the source computer

Step 1. Open File Explorer to find the folder you want to share.

Step 2. Right click the folder and then choose Properties.

Step 3. Click Sharing and Share subsequently.

Step 4. Select the Everyone group from the drop-down menu. Then click Add.

Step 5. Select the type of sharing permissions you want the folder to have. Then click Share to continue.

*Read: users can view and open the sharing files.

*Read/Write: Robocopy is a powerful utility that allows you to transfer files over a network. In this tutorial, we will guide you through a step-by-step process of enabling file sharing on the source computer and using Robocopy to transfer files over the network.

Step 6. Note the network path of the folder that other users will need to access the sharing files over the network. Then click Done.

Step 7. Wait for the sharing progress to be completed. Then click Close.

Tips:

• Please remember the IP address of your source computer. If you don't know your IP address, you can go Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi or Ethernet to view the information.
• It is reported that file sharing often goes wrong. Refer to Windows 10 file sharing not working – how to resolve, if you have any questions.

Stage 2: Use Robocopy in the destination device to copy files

Once file sharing is successfully configured on the source computer, you can copy sharing files using Robocopy in the destination device. Let's take a closer look at the necessary steps to use Robocopy in Windows.

Step 1. Press Windows logo key + X at the same time. Then select Command Prompt (Admin) from the list.

Step 2. Type the following command and then press Enter.

robocopy \\source-device-ip\path to share folder C:\destination-device\path to store folder /S /E /Z /ZB /R:5 /W:5 /TBD /NP /V /MT:16

Here's an example:

robocopy \\10.1.2.70\Users\xbox1\Downloads\ C:\Users\xbox1\Downloads\copy\ /S /E /Z /ZB /R:5 /W:5 /TBD /NP /V /MT:16

• /S - Copy subdirectories (excludes empty directories).
• /E - Copy subdirectories (includes empty directories).
• /Z - Copy files in restartable mode.
• /ZB- Use restartable mode. Turn to backup mode, if access is denied.
• /R:5 - Retry 5 times (change the number by your needs, the default value is 1 million).
• /W:5 - Wait 5 seconds before retrying (you can specify a different number, default value is 30 seconds).
• /TBD - Wait for the share names to be defined by the system (retry error 67).
• /NP - Copying progress will not be displayed.
• /V - Produce verbose output, showing skipped files.
• /MT:16 - Create multi-threaded copies with 16 threads (you can replace 16 with an integer between 1 and 128, the default value is 8).

Tips:

• The above steps also work with Robocopy in Windows 7.
• Open files are not supported by this program.

If you're looking for a simpler and more efficient way to transfer files, you might want to consider using a Robocopy alternative. Here are a few options:

Best free alternative to Robocopy in Windows 10

If you're looking for a free Robocopy alternative, you might want to consider using Qiling Disk Master Standard. This freeware offers a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI), making it easier to operate than Robocopy.

• Qiling Disk Master Standard is a powerful tool that offers a range of features, including file backup and file sync. With this tool, you can easily image or copy files to a network, NAS device, internal/external hard drive in a few simple steps.
• Open files can also be copied without effort.
• In addition to copying multiple files at once, Qiling Disk Master Standard also allows you to schedule tasks to run at specific intervals. This means you can set up daily, weekly, or monthly tasks to run automatically, making it easy to manage your file transfers and backups.
• With Qiling Disk Master Standard, you can also set up email notifications to inform you when your scheduled tasks have completed successfully. This feature provides an additional layer of assurance, ensuring that you're always aware of the status of your file transfers and backups.

To get started with Qiling Disk Master Standard, you can download the freeware and begin using it right away. The process is straightforward and easy to follow.

• Free Download
• Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7, 100% Secure

To transfer files through cloud storage using Qiling Disk Master, you can utilize the Cloud Backup feature. This feature provides 1TB of free storage for 15 days after signing up for an Qiling account.

Verdict

If you're looking for a reliable and user-friendly alternative to Robocopy in Windows 10, consider using Qiling Disk Master Standard. This free tool is designed to simplify the process of transferring files over a network, making it a great option for those who want a hassle-free experience.

Qiling Disk Master Standard is a powerful and user-friendly tool that offers a range of practical features, including system backup, disk backup, partition backup, and isk clone. If you're running Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012, then iling Disk Master Server is a great option for you.disk clone. If you're running Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012, then iling Disk Master Server is a great option for you.Qiling Disk Master Server is a great option for you.

Related Articles

• How to Run Robocopy Incremental Backup on Schedule? [Simple Guide]
  Many people would like to use Robocopy for data copy due to its simplicity and convenience. But how to do Robocopy incremental backup especially when you want to run it on schedule? To answer this question, here's a simple guide of Robocopy with frequently used switches. If you find it error-prone or hard to meet your needs, use an alternative instead.
• How to Sync Changes Only with Robocopy in Windows 10/8/7?
  Whether you want to sync changes only with robocopy or an easy way, you can get them. Hurry up and learn more below.
• Best Free PowerShell Robocopy Equivalent in Windows 7/8/10
  How to get PowerShell RoboCopy equivalent in Windows 7/8/10? In this article, you will find the best free Robocopy alternative to protect your data easily.
• Top 3 Ways to Backup Files from Command Prompt Windows 10
  You will learn how to backup files from command prompt in Windows 10 or uses a smarter way.