TheSecretJuice

📁 robocopy-enhance

Interactive PowerShell wrapper for robocopy with smart presets, logging, exclusions, and advanced utilities.

Script file: robocopy-enhance.ps1

🆕 Features

🎯 Smart Presets - Mirror, Sync, Backup, Fast, Verify, Incremental modes
📝 Logging - Optional file logging with timestamps
🚫 Exclusions - Pre-built filters for dev folders and system files
💾 Settings Memory - Save your preferences, skip repetitive prompts
📊 Statistics - Detailed directory stats and comparisons
⏰ Scheduling - Create scheduled backup tasks
👁️ Watch Mode - Continuous monitoring and auto-sync
🎨 Beautiful UI - Colorful, emoji-rich interfaces with smart error handling

🚀 Quick Start

# Interactive mode (easiest)
robocopy

# Quick mirror sync
robo-mirror C:\Source D:\Backup

# Quick backup (skip older)
robo-backup C:\Data D:\Backup

# Compare directories
robo-diff C:\Folder1 C:\Folder2

# Show help
robo-help

When you run robocopy without arguments, you get an interactive menu:

Copy Mode Presets:

Mirror - Delete extra files in destination (/MIR)
Sync - Keep all subdirs, no deletions (/E)
Backup - Skip older files (/MIR /XO)
Fast - Minimal logging, max threads (/E /MT:16)
Verify - Copy with verification (/E /V /ETA)
Incremental - Skip older files only (/E /XO)
Custom - Enter your own robocopy flags

Logging Options:

Console only - No log file
Log to file - Overwrite existing log
Append to file - Add to existing log

Logs are saved to: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\robocopy-logs\

Exclusion Filters:

No exclusions - Copy everything
Dev folders - Exclude: node_modules, .git, .svn, bin, obj
System/temp files - Exclude: *.tmp, *.log, Thumbs.db, .DS_Store
Both - Exclude dev folders + system files
Custom - Specify your own exclusions

Preview & Execution:

Start copy - Begin the actual copy operation
Dry run - See what would be copied without doing it (/L)
Show stats - Display detailed statistics about source and destination
Cancel - Abort the operation

🎯 Quick Commands

Command	Usage	Description
`robo-mirror`	`robo-mirror <src> <dst>`	Mirror sync (deletes extras)
`robo-backup`	`robo-backup <src> <dst>`	Backup mode (skip older files)
`robo-sync`	`robo-sync <src> <dst>`	Sync without deletions
`robo-fast`	`robo-fast <src> <dst>`	Fast copy with minimal logging
`robo-verify`	`robo-verify <src> <dst>`	Copy with verification
`robo-diff`	`robo-diff <src> <dst>`	Compare two directories
`robo-stats`	`robo-stats <path>`	Show directory statistics
`robo-schedule`	`robo-schedule <src> <dst> [time]`	Create scheduled backup task
`robo-watch`	`robo-watch <src> <dst> [interval]`	Watch and auto-sync changes

💡 Examples

Basic Usage

# Interactive mode
robocopy

# Quick mirror (identical copy)
robo-mirror C:\Projects D:\Backup\Projects

# Backup without deleting destination files
robo-sync C:\Documents E:\Backup\Documents

# Fast copy for large datasets
robo-fast D:\Videos E:\Media\Videos

Advanced Usage

# Compare before copying
robo-diff C:\OldData C:\NewData

# Get statistics
robo-stats C:\MyFolder

# Schedule daily backup at 2 AM
robo-schedule C:\Important D:\Backup\Important 02:00

# Watch and sync every 30 seconds
robo-watch C:\DevFolder D:\Backup\DevFolder 30

# Verified copy with statistics first
robo-stats C:\Source
robo-verify C:\Source D:\Destination

With Settings Memory

# First run - configure your preferences
robocopy
# Choose preset, logging, exclusions
# Save settings when prompted

# Next runs - use saved settings instantly
robocopy
# Select option 1 to use saved settings
# Or option 3 for quick defaults

📊 Understanding Exit Codes

Robocopy uses bit-flag exit codes:

Code	Meaning
0	No changes needed - files already match
1	Files copied successfully
2	Extra files/directories detected in destination
4	Mismatches detected between source and destination
8+	Errors occurred during copy

Combined codes: Exit code 3 means both 1 and 2 (files copied + extras found)

🎯 Preset Details

Mirror (`/MIR`)

Use case: Exact replica of source
Warning: Deletes files in destination that don’t exist in source
Best for: Backups where destination should match source exactly
Flags: /MIR /R:3 /W:5 /MT:8 /V

Sync (`/E`)

Use case: Copy all subdirectories
Safe: Never deletes files from destination
Best for: Accumulative backups
Flags: /E /R:3 /W:5 /MT:8 /V

Backup (`/MIR /XO`)

Use case: Incremental backups
Smart: Skips files that are older in source
Best for: Daily/weekly backups
Flags: /MIR /DCOPY:DAT /COPY:DAT /R:3 /W:5 /MT:8 /XO /V

Fast (`/MT:16`)

Use case: Quick transfers
Speed: Uses 16 threads, minimal logging
Best for: Large datasets where speed matters
Flags: /E /R:1 /W:1 /MT:16 /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS

Verify (`/V`)

Use case: Critical data that needs verification
Reliable: Verifies each file after copy
Best for: Important documents, databases
Flags: /E /R:3 /W:5 /MT:8 /V /ETA

Incremental (`/XO`)

Use case: Copy only new or changed files
Efficient: Skips files that haven’t changed
Best for: Regular syncs of actively changing data
Flags: /E /XO /R:3 /W:5 /MT:8 /V

🚫 Exclusion Patterns

Development Folders

Automatically excludes:

node_modules - Node.js packages
.git - Git repository
.svn - SVN repository
bin - Binary output
obj - Object files

System/Temp Files

Automatically excludes:

*.tmp - Temporary files
*.log - Log files
Thumbs.db - Windows thumbnail cache
Desktop.ini - Windows folder settings
.DS_Store - macOS folder settings

Custom Exclusions

Specify your own patterns:

# During interactive mode, choose option 5
# Then enter patterns like:
# Folders: cache temp downloads
# Files: *.bak *.old *.backup

⏰ Scheduled Backups

Create automated backup tasks:

# Daily backup at 2 AM
robo-schedule C:\Important D:\Backup\Important 02:00

# Daily backup at 11 PM
robo-schedule C:\Projects D:\Backup\Projects 23:00

# View/modify in Task Scheduler
taskschd.msc

The scheduled task will:

Run daily at specified time
Use mirror mode by default
Run even if user is not logged in (requires admin)
Send notifications on failure

👁️ Watch Mode

Continuously monitor and sync changes:

# Sync every 60 seconds (default)
robo-watch C:\ActiveFolder D:\BackupFolder

# Sync every 30 seconds
robo-watch C:\DevFolder D:\BackupFolder 30

# Press Ctrl+C to stop

Use cases:

Real-time backup of active work
Monitoring shared folders
Development environment syncing
Cloud storage local mirrors

📝 Logging

Log Files

Saved to: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\robocopy-logs\

Format: robocopy_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.log

Example: robocopy_20250121_143052.log

What’s Logged:

Source and destination paths
Files copied, skipped, failed
Directories created
Bytes transferred
Speed and time statistics
Error messages

View Logs

# Open log directory
explorer "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\robocopy-logs"

# View latest log
notepad (Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\robocopy-logs" | Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending | Select-Object -First 1).FullName

🔧 Common Flags Reference

Flag	Description
`/E`	Copy subdirectories, including empty ones
`/MIR`	Mirror directory tree (includes deletions)
`/MT:n`	Multi-threaded copying (n = threads, default 8)
`/R:n`	Number of retries on failed copies
`/W:n`	Wait time between retries (seconds)
`/XO`	Exclude older files (skip if source is older)
`/XF`	Exclude files matching pattern
`/XD`	Exclude directories matching pattern
`/V`	Verbose output with verification
`/NP`	No progress - don’t display percentage
`/LOG:file`	Write log to file (overwrite)
`/LOG+:file`	Write log to file (append)
`/L`	List only - don’t copy, delete, or timestamp
`/ETA`	Show estimated time of arrival
`/DCOPY:DAT`	Copy directory attributes, timestamps
`/COPY:DAT`	Copy file data, attributes, timestamps

❓ Troubleshooting

“Access Denied” Errors

# Run PowerShell as Administrator
# Or adjust NTFS permissions on source/destination
icacls "C:\Path" /grant:r "Username:(OI)(CI)F" /T

Large File Handling

# Use fast mode for big files
robo-fast C:\LargeData D:\Backup

# Or adjust retries/wait time in custom mode
# Flags: /R:10 /W:30  (10 retries, 30 sec wait)

Network Paths

# Use UNC paths
robo-mirror "C:\Local" "\\Server\Share\Backup"

# Map network drive first if needed
net use Z: \\Server\Share /persistent:yes
robo-mirror "C:\Local" "Z:\Backup"

Performance Tuning

# Increase threads for SSDs
# Custom flags: /MT:32

# Decrease threads for HDDs to avoid thrashing
# Custom flags: /MT:4

# Disable logging for max speed
robo-fast C:\Source D:\Dest

🎓 Best Practices

Daily Backups

# Schedule with backup preset
robo-schedule C:\Important D:\Backup 02:00

# Or use incremental for speed
# Manual: robocopy with preset 6 (Incremental)

Project Syncing

# Exclude dev folders
robocopy
# Choose Sync preset (2)
# Choose Dev exclusions (2)

Media Libraries

# Use fast mode
robo-fast D:\Photos E:\Backup\Photos

# Or mirror if you want exact replica
robo-mirror D:\Photos E:\Backup\Photos

Disaster Recovery

# Full mirror backup
robo-mirror C:\ D:\SystemBackup

# Exclude system files
# During interactive mode:
# - Choose Mirror preset
# - Choose System exclusions

💾 Settings Management

Save Settings

During interactive mode, you’ll be prompted to save:

Preset choice
Logging preference
Exclusion filters

Saved to: %USERPROFILE%\.robocopy-settings.json

Load Settings

Next time you run robocopy:

Choose “Use saved settings” (option 1)
All previous choices are applied automatically
No repeated prompts!

Reset Settings

robo-reset-settings

🔐 Security Notes

Sensitive Data

Always test with dry run first (/L flag)
Review logs for unexpected changes
Consider encryption for backup destinations
Use NTFS permissions to protect backup folders

Network Backups

Use VPN for remote backups
Verify credentials before scheduling tasks
Monitor logs for failed authentication
Consider SMB signing for network paths

🚀 Performance Tips

Use SSDs: Enable higher thread counts (/MT:32)
Network copies: Reduce threads to avoid saturation (/MT:4)
Large files: Use fast mode for less overhead
Many small files: Use verify mode to ensure integrity
Exclude unnecessary: Always exclude temp/cache folders

📚 Command Reference

# Show all commands
robo-help

# Interactive mode
robocopy

# Quick commands
robo-mirror <src> <dst>
robo-backup <src> <dst>
robo-sync <src> <dst>
robo-fast <src> <dst>
robo-verify <src> <dst>

# Analysis
robo-diff <src> <dst>
robo-stats <path>

# Advanced
robo-schedule <src> <dst> [time]
robo-watch <src> <dst> [interval]
robo-reset-settings

🌟 Pro Tips

Test First: Always use robo-diff before robo-mirror
Check Stats: Use robo-stats to estimate copy time
Save Settings: Answer “Y” when prompted to save preferences
Schedule Wisely: Schedule backups during low-activity hours
Monitor Logs: Check logs after scheduled tasks complete
Dry Run: Use option 2 in preview menu to test without copying

🔄 Workflow Examples

New Backup Setup

# 1. Check what you're backing up
robo-stats C:\Important

# 2. Compare first (if destination exists)
robo-diff C:\Important D:\Backup\Important

# 3. Test run
robocopy  # Choose dry run option

# 4. Execute
robocopy  # Choose start copy

# 5. Schedule for automation
robo-schedule C:\Important D:\Backup\Important 02:00

Development Workflow

# 1. Initial sync (exclude dev folders)
robocopy
# Source: C:\Projects
# Dest: D:\Backup\Projects
# Preset: Sync (2)
# Exclusions: Dev folders (2)
# Save settings: Y

# 2. Daily quick syncs (use saved settings)
robocopy  # Option 1 (use saved)

# 3. Watch mode during active development
robo-watch C:\Projects\Active D:\Backup\Active 60

Media Library Management

# 1. Check size first
robo-stats D:\Photos

# 2. Fast initial copy
robo-fast D:\Photos E:\Backup\Photos

# 3. Schedule weekly updates
robo-schedule D:\Photos E:\Backup\Photos 23:00

📖 Further Reading

🐛 Known Issues

Issue: “Too many retries”

Solution: Adjust retry settings in custom mode

# Custom flags: /R:10 /W:30

Issue: Scheduled task not running

Solution: Check Task Scheduler settings

Open Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc)
Find your task under “Task Scheduler Library”
Right-click > Properties
Ensure “Run whether user is logged on or not” is checked
Verify account has proper permissions

Issue: High CPU usage

Solution: Reduce thread count

# Custom flags: /MT:4
# Or use robo-backup instead of robo-fast

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