Syncing Two Folders with Robocopy: Keeping Five Copies in the Target Folder
Robocopy is a powerful command-line tool in Windows that allows for file copying and synchronization between directories. In this article, we will explore how to use Robocopy to keep two folders synchronized while maintaining five separate copies in the target folder, automatically deleting the sixth oldest copy.
Understanding Robocopy
Robocopy (Robust File Copy for Windows) is a command-line utility in Windows that has been available since Windows NT 4.0. It offers advanced features for copying and synchronizing files and folders, including multithreaded copying, error handling, and logging.
Syncing Two Folders with Robocopy
To sync two folders using Robocopy, you can use the following command:
Robocopy <source> <destination> /MIRWhere:
source: The source directory to copy from.destination: The destination directory to copy to./MIR: Mirror mode, which copies all files (including empty directories) and deletes files in the destination directory that do not exist in the source directory.
Keeping Five Copies in the Target Folder
To keep five copies of each file in the target folder, you can use the following command:
Robocopy <source> <destination> /MIR /MAXAGE:5 /PURGEWhere:
/MAXAGE:5: Only copies files that have been modified in the last 5 days./PURGE: Deletes all files in the destination directory that do not exist in the source directory.
This command will ensure that only the five most recent copies of each file are kept in the target directory, automatically deleting any older copies.
Robocopy is a powerful command-line tool in Windows that can be used to sync two folders while maintaining five copies of each file in the target folder. By using the /MIR, /MAXAGE, and /PURGE options, you can ensure that only the five most recent copies of each file are kept, automatically deleting any older copies.
References
Note: This article is focused on the topic of using Robocopy to keep two folders synchronized while maintaining five copies in the target folder. It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to Robocopy or its usage. For more information, please refer to the official Microsoft documentation or other resources.