Robocopy: show skipped files and files with an error while copying

Question

I'm using the following command for copying files while preserving timestamps:

robocopy [source] [destination] /E /ZB /COPY:DAT /DCOPY:T /R:1 /W:5 /V /NFL /NDL /NS /NC /NP /log:"[log-path]" /XD "System Volume Information" "Recycler"

Now in the log files I see that there are files skipped or there are errors while copying. But I don't know which file had an error or is skipped.

What I'm doing wrong?

Solution 1

SKIPPED via robocopy means that source and target versions of the file are same.. SO, it just skips the copy. You can use /is option to overwrite even the exactly same files.

Solution 2

Remove the /NFL and /NDL arguments from your command line to include file and directory lists in your logs (perhaps consider removing /NS and /NC as well).

Run it again, and look at the actual file list in the log.

Entries in the log with no status listed to the left of the file/directory name (statuses are like "Newer", "Extra", etc.) are files that were skipped (because they are the same, and therefore no action was taken).

Solution 3

A way to show the skipped files/folders is with a command line (assuming you had full logging, e.g., /v). Substitute your log file name for RoboCopy.Log in this example:

find /v "New File" RoboCopy.Log | find /v "New Dir"

It will narrow down the output so you can spot the skipped file or folder.

Solution 4

I had the same problem but I think I know the answer. When I ran it the first time I moved about a gig just to see if my setting were correct. Then I ran it again with for the full copy and it "SKIPPED" the first set of files I moved, but in the log it says "same" however the summary says "SKIPPED".

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Comments

[Admin]

Are the skipped and/or errored files reported to the console, perhaps?

[Admin]

No it is everything in the log file. At this time for example one directory was skipped, but I don't know which? Was it one of my excluded directories? Perhaps it will show some errors if I use full logging, but also there is perhaps an "Access denied" instead of something like "Error: Access denied". I look for some keyword I can search (because looking through all files is too much ...)

[Admin]

Techie007's answer will show skip reasons in your NEXT run. (StinkPickle's answer is partial: robocopy may also not copy files for inadequate file permissions or file types robocopy won't copy.) Note: to see differences after the copy -- missing files, etc -- consider WinMerge, and compare the two top folders. Under the WinMerge's View menu, uncheck "show identical items"; check "show left unique" and "show right unique". Also, for FASTER comparisons, look under WinMerge's Edit... Options... Compare, and set the "Compare Method" to something other than "Full Contents".

[Admin]

/V should show skipped files, so you'll likely need to play around with your other parameters to determine which one is interfering, but my guess is /NFL and/or /NDL. Have you tried adding /FP?

[testing]

So this source is wrong?

[Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007]

That source seems to be aiming to remove all logging except errors. A skipped file is not an "error". :)

[testing]

So should I worry about skipped files? If I interpret it right than skipped files are available on the destination folder...

[testing]

Do you know a programm/power shell script/vb script which can show me the skipped files/directories?

[DavidPostill]

Welcome to Super User! Please read the question again carefully. Your answer does not answer the original question.

[gargoylebident]

@DavidPostill Still useful though, so it's all good.