Windows batch copy files from subfolders to one folder

Question

I had tried to make batch script that copies all *.tif files located in D:\images(random named subfolders here) to d:\all.

xcopy D:\Downloads\*.TIF D:\temp\ /s

works, but it copies with all folder tree. I tried to use other keys, but its dont works. Thanks for help!

Bartz

Answer 1

FOR is your friend. Read HELP FOR on the /R option and the %~nx variable substitution; and then try this very simple code.

   pushd d:\downloads
   for /r %%a in (*.tif) do (
     echo COPY "%%a" "d:\temp\%%~nxa"
   )
   popd

watch carefully the results and then remove the ECHO command.

You will have to refine the code to cope with errors, duplicate names, edge cases, names with reserved characters, race conditions, cosmic events...

Picker

Separate files patterns with commas! Make a .bat and replace d:\downloads with %1 and d:\temp\%%~nxa with %2. Then you will have a reusable command, I put my Dropbox\bin into PATH so I can use it in all my computers. A great bat script, thanks! – Exeunt

To automatically overwrite instead of asking for each one ad /y to the copy command. – Woermer

Hehe, especially deal with cosmic events ;) – Servitor

Answer 2

Searched files using windows file explorer for e.g. *.gif , I got files in search window, used Edit=>Select All , copy and then pasted to desired folder. This copied all the gif files in all sub directories to single folder. For large number of files, it sometimes hangs/not responding, but otherwise works ok.

Polymorphous

This is actually a pretty easy way of doing it! :) – Ghats

Answer 3

pushd D:\Source
   for /r %%a in (*.?*) do (
       MOVE "%%a" "D:\Destination folder\%%~nxa"
   )
popd

Felipa

this will l take all files from subfolder and move them to destination folder you can also change the move to copy – Felipa

Answer 4

You can also use the XXCOPY freeware. Works like XCOPY, but when you use a /SG parameter, it flattens the sub-directories. See how to use it here.

Assiduous