Robocopy/MOVE: Attempt to Delete Non-Empty Folders?

Robocopy/MOVE: Attempt Delete Non-Empty Folders?

Robocopy, or Robust File Copy, is a powerful command-line file copying tool built into Windows operating systems, starting from Windows XP and onwards. It provides a vast array of options and switches, enabling users to customize file copying processes to their specific needs.

Question:

A user ran the following command:

Does Robocopy attempt to delete non-empty folders using the /MOVE switch?

The /MOVESwitch

The /MOVESwitch offered by Robocopy allows users to move files from a source directory to a destination directory, rather than simply copying. When using the /MOVE switch, Robocopy will delete the source files and folders after they have been successfully moved. However, the question remains, does Robocopy attempt to delete non-empty folders?

Non-Empty Folders and Robocopy

Robocopy will not delete non-empty folders by default, even when using the /MOVE switch. Instead, it will copy the contents of the folders to the destination path, while leaving the source folder intact. This is precisely the reason why the /MOVE switch is a much better choice when compared to manually deleting files using the del command after copying, as it helps keep the source folder structure, avoiding any accidental deletions.

Handling Non-Empty Folders

In some cases, it might be desirable to force Robocopy into deleting non-empty folders. While Robocopy does not have this feature built-in, there are a few workarounds:

1. Perform multiple Robocopy runs, where the first run moves the files and the second run is responsible for deleting the empty folders:

   robocopy.exe C:\Users\Greedo D:\SmallComputer\AllImagesVideos *.gif *.bmp *.xcf *.png *.jpg *.jpeg *.cr2 *.tiff /MOV /DCOPY:T
robocopy.exe C:\Users\Greedo D:\SmallComputer\AllImagesVideos /L /MINAGE:1 /S /DCOPY:D /purge

2. Use a scripting language, like PowerShell or Python, to perform a post-processing task that deletes empty folders from the source directory after the Robocopy operation is complete.

• Robocopy Documentation
• Robocopy SS64 Documentation
• Stack Overflow: robocopy Move not deleting source directory