Batch file to move folders from one drive to another.

What I am trying to do is make a batch file that will move folders that I have highlghted with a mouse, form the location where they are to a location specified in the batch file.

This is what I have so far

Extract2Reserve.bat

:again
if {%1}=={} goto :EOF
copy %1 D:\Reserve
shift
goto again

I have this in "SendTo". What I do is select the folders I want to move/copy, then Right -Click > SendTo > Extract2Reserve.bat

It sort of works but there are two problems with it

1. It copies the files from within the folders (not the folders themselves) and dump all those files together Reserve folder. I cannot figure out how to get it to copy them within their folders inot the Reserve folder

2. If I replace "Copy" with "Move" it doesn't work at all... it pops "Access is Denied". I want to be able to move those folders

Ultimately, I would like to be able to execute the batch file with a keypress so that it functions like the delete key except that it sends the folders to the Reserve folder instead of the Recycle Bin.

Can anyone spot if I have made some obvious error on that script.

Try the attached batch script, it will total copy first and then does incrementally backup.

FreeBooter said:

Try the attached batch script, it will total copy first and then does incrementally backup.

Thank you for this reply, but it doesn't quite do what I expected. It moves all the folders from the source folder to the target folder, but what I want to do is move only those folders I select in the source folder.

It also makes me select the source and target folder each time... but for me, the source and target folders will always be the same, so I want to be able to 'embed" those paths on the batch file.

I do appreciate the reply, and I see that would be a really useful batch file for shifting whole bunches of folders around

For me moving the folders works perfectly. Unless the folders you are trying to move to "Reserve" exist already in "Reserve"

Code:

:again
if {%1}=={} goto :EOF
move %1 "D:\Reserve\"
shift
goto again

ricardobohner said:

For me moving the folders works perfectly. Unless the folders you are trying to move to "Reserve" exist already in "Reserve"

Code:

:again
if {%1}=={} goto :EOF
move %1 "D:\Reserve\"
shift
goto again

This doesn't work for me

1. If I use "copy" instead of "move" in line 3, it copies the files not in their folders eg if I highlight three folders (Folder1, Folder2 and Folder3) that have 10 files in each folder, then Right-Click > SendTo > Extract2Reserve.bat, it copies all 30 files into D:\Reserve but not within their folders. The folders don't get copied at all, just the files.

2. If I use "move" instead of "copy" it does not work at all. The command window flashes up for a moment and disappears. I put a "pause" instruction after move %1 "D:\Reserve" so that I can see what is happening, and it says "Access is Denied"

NOTE: keep in mind that I am trying to move folders between drives, i.e.

E:\foldername\folder1
E:\foldername\folder2
E:\foldername\folder3

all to D:\Reserve

As to your comment regarding the folders already existing in D:\Reserve, that is extremely unlikely. Each foldername is unique.. it is created automatically from the customer's surname followed by the date/time group of the moment it was created, e.g. a typical foldername created for mister Smith at 12:15:41 on September 15, 2021 will be Smith_20210915_121541

I never noticed this before but it looks like "move" command is unable to move folders from 1 drive to another. Also getting Access denied.

Guess you would like to use a copy + delete what is basically the same as moving....

Code:

@echo off

:again
IF /i "%~1"=="" goto :End
xcopy /e /i %1 "D:\Reserve\%~nx1"
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 RD /q /s %1
shift
goto :again

:End
exit

ricardobohner said:

I never noticed this before but it looks like "move" command is unable to move folders from 1 drive to another. Also getting Access denied.

Guess you would like to use a copy + delete what is basically the same as moving....

Code:

@echo off

:again
IF /i "%~1"=="" goto :End
xcopy /e /i %1 "D:\Reserve\%~nx1"
if %errorlevel% EQU 0 RD /q /s %1
shift
goto :again

:End
exit

OK, that's it. That works

Thank you very much

Hi,
If you just want to copy, you can add D:\Reserve to the Send To folder.
You then select whatever folders with or without sub-folders and files and Send To D:\reserve.
The whole tree will be copied with original time stamps.
You would have to delete in source afterwards though.

Ciao, Han

Edit: Look into Robocopy, it is vast.

han jansen said:

Hi,
If you just want to copy, you can add D:\Reserve to the Send To folder.
You then select whatever folders with or without sub-folders and files and Send To D:\reserve.
The whole tree will be copied with original time stamps.
You would have to delete in source afterwards though.

Ciao, Han

Edit: Look into Robocopy, it is vast.

Thanks
ricardobohner's post has resolved the first part of the issue, but I cannot seem to get it to run from a keypress, either by using a shortcut hotkey, or with AHK.

I can put the batch file in the SendTo folder, then highlight the folders I want to move, then Right-Click > SendTo > Extract2Reserve.bat and the batch file executes perfectly, moving the highlighted folders to D:\Reserve. However, making a shortcut to the batch file, and then trying to use hotkey (say ALT-F12) in the shortcut's properties doesnlt work. I highlight the folders to move, press ALT-F12 and all that happens is the CMD window flashes up briefly... the folders don't get moved.

Same happen if I use AHK.... this is the AHK script I use for that

!F12::
{
Run, Extract2Reserve.bat C:\Users\MYNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
}
return

Again, the CMD window flashes up briefly... the folders don't get moved.

I must be missing something here.