Jump to content

Copy large # of files from one directory


Recommended Posts

Posted

I have 100,000 small image files in a directory. I press Select All

and it takes minutes (if not hours) to respond, and to copy them just

generally fails. Not sure why - I'm assuming its a memory issue in

loading up file information (header info), but I don't really know.

Makes it a PITA to move files around - I had to write a little program

that moves files one at a time, rather than doing the windows select

all.

 

Any advice welcomed.

  • Replies 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

 

"DeanB" <deanbrown3d@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:1189803727.690910.199760@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

>I have 100,000 small image files in a directory. I press Select All

> and it takes minutes (if not hours) to respond, and to copy them just

> generally fails. Not sure why - I'm assuming its a memory issue in

> loading up file information (header info), but I don't really know.

> Makes it a PITA to move files around - I had to write a little program

> that moves files one at a time, rather than doing the windows select

> all.

>

> Any advice welcomed.

 

Robocopy.exe is the recommended tool for such large volumes.

You can download it from the Microsoft site.

Guest Homer J. Simpson
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

Personally I'd just drop to a command prompt and do the copy from there.

Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

 

"Homer J. Simpson" <root@127.0.0.1> wrote in message

news:On7de2x9HHA.4432@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> Personally I'd just drop to a command prompt and do the copy from there.

>

 

This works in theory but in practice it may fail because

of a known bug with xcopy.exe when copying large

numbers of files.

Guest Patrick Keenan
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

"DeanB" <deanbrown3d@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:1189803727.690910.199760@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

>I have 100,000 small image files in a directory. I press Select All

> and it takes minutes (if not hours) to respond, and to copy them just

> generally fails. Not sure why - I'm assuming its a memory issue in

> loading up file information (header info), but I don't really know.

> Makes it a PITA to move files around - I had to write a little program

> that moves files one at a time, rather than doing the windows select

> all.

>

> Any advice welcomed.

 

In addition to robocopy, you might look at FileSync. http://www.fileware.com

 

HTH

-pk

  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Homer J. Simpson
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

>> Personally I'd just drop to a command prompt and do the copy from there.

>

> This works in theory but in practice it may fail because

> of a known bug with xcopy.exe when copying large

> numbers of files.

 

How "large" is large? I used to use xcopy to do just that on a regular

basis, with a set of ~150,000 files. The number of files in the target

folder always ended up matching the number of files in the source.

 

Was this some older version of xcopy? Any idea if this has been fixed in

more recent Windows versions?

Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

 

"Homer J. Simpson" <root@127.0.0.1> wrote in message

news:eFLLfGg$HHA.4496@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>>> Personally I'd just drop to a command prompt and do the copy from there.

>>

>> This works in theory but in practice it may fail because

>> of a known bug with xcopy.exe when copying large

>> numbers of files.

>

> How "large" is large? I used to use xcopy to do just that on a regular

> basis, with a set of ~150,000 files. The number of files in the target

> folder always ended up matching the number of files in the source.

>

> Was this some older version of xcopy? Any idea if this has been fixed in

> more recent Windows versions?

 

I don't know what the limit is - perhaps > 1000 files?. I have observed

the phenomenon on several occasions on different machines, both on

Win2000 and WinXP. It is also reported regularly in newsgroups.

Guest Homer J. Simpson
Posted

Re: Copy large # of files from one directory

 

> I don't know what the limit is - perhaps > 1000 files?. I have observed

> the phenomenon on several occasions on different machines, both on

> Win2000 and WinXP. It is also reported regularly in newsgroups.

 

1000 is pretty low. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I don't recall

seeing any evidence this ever has caused me any problem...since my DOS 2.0

days.


×
×
  • Create New...