Xcopy is a command line utility for copying multiple files or entire directory trees from one directory to another and for copying files across a network. Also, you are allowed to copy only new or changed files with it. And it is used in Windows 7/8/10/11/XP/Vista and Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022.
Copying only changed files with XCopy saves much time and disk space, thus many users are willing to only copy updated files. Below is an example from it. In addition, many users use Robocopy to copy only new or modified files as it has more options.
“I copy my files from Windows 7 to Server 2008 with the following command, xcopy C:\source X:\destination /s, but it copies everything. I just want to use XCopy command to copy only newer files, because these files are very large. It’s time-consuming. Is there a way to specifically just copy new or updated files without specifying a date? Any suggestion will be appreciated” – Reddit
To copy only newer files in Windows 10, XCopy or Robocopy is a good choice for high-level users to perform batch operations. And It is able to backup only changed files instead of all files, even without booting into Windows.
But the problem is you need to execute this operation manually every time, which may make you feel tired and time-consuming. And it's not user-friendly to most users for its high requirement. Thus, in this article, except for XCopy or Robocopy, I'll introduce you to two easier ways to copy only new or changed files.
You need an all-in-one backup software - Qiling Disk Master Server to help you out. All the operations are based on an intuitive interface, so you can easily understand and use it like a professional. It provides you with 2 helpful ways to achieve this goal and you can choose to copy files with its original structure or compress it to an image file.
Before using XCopy to copy only changed files, you need to learn the syntax and some parameters you will use.
Xcopy [source] [destination][/w] [/p] [/c] [/v] [/q] [/f] [/l] [/g] [/d [:MM-DD-YYYY]] [/u] [/i] [/s [/e]] [/t] [/k] [/r] [/h] [{/a | /m}] [/n] [/o] [/x] [/exclude:FileName1[+[FileName2]][+[FileName3]] [{/y | /-y}] [/z] [/b] [/j]
Now, see below and learn the detailed steps. Note that if there are spaces in your directory names, you need to use quotes.
Step 1. Type cmd in the search box and select it.
Step 2. Type XCopy commands to copy only new or changed files. Please remember to replace the source and target path with your own. Below are some common used examples:
Example 1: Copy only updated files that are not in the destination folder.
Example 2: Copy only changed files without new directories.
Example 3: Copy changed files already exists in the destination path.
Example 4: Copy everything including the new directory.
Step 3. Type exit and hit Enter to leave this window.
Robocopy can also help you copy only new files, but it has more options than Xcopy and is considered as a good alternative. Before you use it, please learn the syntax and options you may use.
robocopy [source][destination][[file][ ...]] [options]
Then, let's go through the following steps to copy only new files:
Step 1. Open the command prompt with administrator priority.
Step 2. Type Robocopy commands to copy only new or changed files. Please remember to replace the source and target path with your own. Below are some commonly used examples:
Example 1: Copy only newer or added files.
or
Example 1: Copy new files while excluding an empty folder.
or
Here you will use professional file sync or backup software - Qiling Disk Master Server to copy only newer files automatically and easily. And It provides you with 2 easier ways to complete this task in Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11/XP/Vista, namely using Basic Sync or File Backup features.
Basic Sync:
🥇best for file accessibility - It allows you to keep files just as in the original folder, and you can easily access or use them after syncing.
File Backup:
👍best for data security - It will compress all the files into an image file and you need to restore files from backup before using it. This greatly reduces data loss due to any unwanted access and the risk of files being corrupted or modified.
Here you will use the Sync feature to sync only changed files. It has 4 sync options and comes along with helpful features, such as, daily, weekly, month schedule sync. All of them has their own features, you can check details in the following box.
Basic Sync | Real-Time Sync | Mirror Sync | Two-Way Sync | |
Sync newly added or changed files. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sync deleted files from source folder to destination folder automatically. | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sync changed files in real time. | No | Yes | No | No |
Deleted newly added files or undo changes made in the destination folder. | No | No | Yes | No |
Sync changes from source folder to destination folder, and vice versa. | No | No | No | Yes |
Support schedule sync: daily, weekly, monthly, event triggers, USB plug in. | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Then, go to the Sync tab and copy only newer files with one of them. Here Take Basic Sync as an example.
Step 1. Download Qiling Disk Master Professional, install and launch it. Then, prepare an external hard drive or other storage as sync destination and connect it to your computer.
(PS: The free trial version can only be used within 30 days, to continuously protect data, please upgrade server trial now! 100$ off per one server computer.)
Step 2. Go to the Sync tab and select Basic Sync.
Step 3. Click Folder to select folder containing all the files you want to sync. Then, select the sync destination by clicking the folder-shaped button below.
Step 4. Click Schedule and Enable Schedule Sync, then select Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. To set the sync task more precisely, you can specify the backup time or intervals in the following.
Step 5. Confirm the operation and click Proceed to sync all the files to the destination folder. Then, it will sync changed files at the next time.
Except for Sync feature, you still can complete this task with the help of File Backup. It comes along with daily/weekly/monthly schedule backup as well as incremental or differential backup. By using it, you can still set precise backup time and intervals.
They are based on full backup, but not exactly the same. For differences, you can see from the comparison chart below.
Full Backup | Differential Backup | Incremental Backup | |
Backup Speed | Slowest | Moderate | Fastest |
Storage Space | Most | Moderate | Least |
Restoration Speed | Fastest | Moderate | Slowest |
Also, if you want to backup files during off-peak hours, you can wake computer from sleep or hibernate mode before the scheduled tasks start. And you can Reconfigure the operation after scheduled tasks, to shut down or restart your computer or put it into sleep or hibernate mode.
In the long run, you may worry about the backup disk full oneday. Fortunately, you can avoid this issue by deleting old backup image regularly with its Backup Scheme feature. Normal or High compression level, Intelligent sector backups also help with this. Then, see below and learn the specific steps.
Step 1. Go to the Backup tab and select File Backup.
Step 2. Click Files or Folders to select the files or folders you want to backup and then click OK. Then, select the prepared storage device to store your image.
Step 3(Required). Click Schedule and select Daily, Weekly, Monthly. Then, click Backup Scheme and select Incremental Backup or Differential Backup under the backup method option.
Step 4. After that, confirm all the selected settings and click Proceed. It will backup your files immediately and then backup only changed files at the next time.
With either the Sync or Backup feature, you are able to copy files to multiple locations automatically. Among them, cloud drives are one of the most popular choices, but paradoxically almost all cloud drives only offer a few gigabytes of free cloud storage, while users need to sync or back up a large number of files or folders. In this case, try Cloud Backup, you will get 1TB of cloud storage, with a trial period of 15 days.
You can copy only newer files with XCopy or Robocopy, but it is really more suitable for technical people. For others, it's suggested to use professional file sync or backup software - Qiling Disk Master Standard. With it, you just need to click a few times on its prompted screen.
It allows you to make this task automatically with its daily, weekly, monthly event trigger or USB plug in schedule settings. You can choose to keep its original structure or compress it to an image file to avoid any unwanted access and malicious file corruption.
Believe me, it's one of the most powerful software to protect your data with its complete solution. To copy files from server to server within one company, you could use Qiling Disk Master TechPlus. Please download it to have a try right now!
Best sync or backup software for Windows Server.