xcopy
xcopy — Extended Copy
xcopy is a powerful file copy utility included with Windows.
Full Backup Syntax
xcopy C:\Source D:\Destination /E /H /K /O /X /I /B /Y
Flags Explained
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
/E |
Copy directories and subdirectories, including empty ones |
/H |
Copy hidden and system files |
/K |
Copy attributes (preserve read-only flag) |
/O |
Copy file ownership and ACL information |
/X |
Copy file audit settings (implies /O) |
/I |
If destination does not exist, assume it’s a directory |
/B |
Copy symbolic links themselves (not the target) |
/Y |
Suppress confirmation prompt to overwrite files |
Common Examples
# Copy entire C: drive to D:\Backup
xcopy C:\ D:\Backup\ /E /H /K /O /X /I /B /Y
# Copy only newer files (incremental)
xcopy C:\Data D:\Backup\Data /E /H /D /Y
# Exclude specific files
xcopy C:\Source D:\Dest /E /EXCLUDE:exclude.txt
exclude.txt contains patterns (one per line):
\pagefile.sys
\hiberfil.sys
\Windows\Temp\