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Old November 6th 09, 02:29 AM posted to microsoft.public.windows.vista.file_management
Bob
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Posts: 1,334
Default Copy and replace most recent file

"xcopy /y" will overwrite an existing file without a prompt.


XCOPY /
Copies files and directory trees.

XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]
[/C] [/i] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/u]
[/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/b]
[/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]

source Specifies the file(s) to copy.
destination Specifies the location and/or name of new files.
/A Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
doesn't change the attribute.
/M Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
turns off the archive attribute.
/D:m-d-y Copies files changed on or after the specified date.
If no date is given, copies only those files whose
source time is newer than the destination time.
/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...
Specifies a list of files containing strings. Each string
should be in a separate line in the files. When any of the
strings match any part of the absolute path of the file to be
copied, that file will be excluded from being copied. For
example, specifying a string like \obj\ or .obj will exclude
all files underneath the directory obj or all files with the
.obj extension respectively.
/P Prompts you before creating each destination file.
/S Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
/E Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.
Same as /S /E. May be used to modify /T.
/V Verifies the size of each new file.
/W Prompts you to press a key before copying.
/C Continues copying even if errors occur.
/I If destination does not exist and copying more than one file,
assumes that destination must be a directory.
/Q Does not display file names while copying.
/F Displays full source and destination file names while
copying.
/L Displays files that would be copied.
/G Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that
does
not support encryption.
/H Copies hidden and system files also.
/R Overwrites read-only files.
/T Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does
not
include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes
empty directories and subdirectories.
/U Copies only files that already exist in destination.
/K Copies attributes. Normal Xcopy will reset read-only
attributes.
/N Copies using the generated short names.
/O Copies file ownership and ACL information.
/X Copies file audit settings (implies /O).
/Y Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
existing destination file.
/-Y Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
existing destination file.
/Z Copies networked files in restartable mode.
/B Copies the Symbolic Link itself versus the target of the link

The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line.

"lmvk99" wrote in message
...

Hi,

I want to copy a bunch of docus in my files to a backup space, but I do
not simply want to replace all duplicate files with the ones I am
copying, I want it to work out which of the 2 files has been changed the
most recently and keep that one. I know I can keep a copy of both, but
there are just WAY too many files and I don't want to keep copies.

Does vista have the ability to do this?


--
lmvk99