Robocopy “invalid parameter” for file names beginning with “-” (minus sign)
I use robocopy to backup folders and individual files via a batch file. This works fine for all folders and nearly all files, but not for files where the name starts with a "-" (minus sign).
My OS: German Windows 7, 64 Bit. (I don't know if that matters.)
My test batch file does this:
SET fileName=-Test.rar
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" "%fileName%"
ECHO Errorlevel: %Errorlevel%
Where %fileName%
is quoted because the file name may contain spaces as well.
The result is an ERROR : Invalid Parameter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:42:47 2018
Quelle - E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel - E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien :
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLER: Ungültiger Parameter #3 : "-Test.rar"
[...]
Errorlevel: 16
Tested versions of "robocopy.exe":
- XP010 (Windows XP?)
- XP026 (Windows 2000?)
- XP027 Win7 32 Bit
- XP027 Win7 64 Bit
It always resulted in the same error message or only the equivalent error code 16.
Tested variation of the command:
Then i have tried different variations of the command. Only 1 change (additional quotes) looked remotely promising:
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" ""%fileName%""
But it didn't work either:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:43:00 2018
Quelle : E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel : E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien : "-Test.rar"
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insgesamt KopiertÜbersprungenKeine Übereinstimmung FEHLER Extras
Verzeich.: 1 0 1 0 0 0
Dateien: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bytes: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zeiten: 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00
Nothing was copied even though the file name parameter was kind of recognized.
I guess that the quotes in the value of the parameter are wrong as well.
Does anyone have an idea?
robocopy
add a comment |
I use robocopy to backup folders and individual files via a batch file. This works fine for all folders and nearly all files, but not for files where the name starts with a "-" (minus sign).
My OS: German Windows 7, 64 Bit. (I don't know if that matters.)
My test batch file does this:
SET fileName=-Test.rar
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" "%fileName%"
ECHO Errorlevel: %Errorlevel%
Where %fileName%
is quoted because the file name may contain spaces as well.
The result is an ERROR : Invalid Parameter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:42:47 2018
Quelle - E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel - E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien :
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLER: Ungültiger Parameter #3 : "-Test.rar"
[...]
Errorlevel: 16
Tested versions of "robocopy.exe":
- XP010 (Windows XP?)
- XP026 (Windows 2000?)
- XP027 Win7 32 Bit
- XP027 Win7 64 Bit
It always resulted in the same error message or only the equivalent error code 16.
Tested variation of the command:
Then i have tried different variations of the command. Only 1 change (additional quotes) looked remotely promising:
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" ""%fileName%""
But it didn't work either:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:43:00 2018
Quelle : E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel : E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien : "-Test.rar"
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insgesamt KopiertÜbersprungenKeine Übereinstimmung FEHLER Extras
Verzeich.: 1 0 1 0 0 0
Dateien: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bytes: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zeiten: 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00
Nothing was copied even though the file name parameter was kind of recognized.
I guess that the quotes in the value of the parameter are wrong as well.
Does anyone have an idea?
robocopy
FYI, I've been able to recreate the problem and have also tried a number of ways around it and have failed. The last test didn't work because you were trying to copy "-Test.rar" and not -Test.rar .
– Duston
Nov 21 '18 at 16:45
Thank You for testing it. I have seen that"-Test.rar"
is not equal to-Test.rar
but i hoped that repeated quotes (i tried 3 and 4 as well) would cancel each other out in some way.
– Futti
Nov 22 '18 at 6:34
FYI: My workaround is to replace the "-" with an "?". This copies at least all files where the name begins with exactly 1 leading char.
– Futti
Dec 21 '18 at 8:56
add a comment |
I use robocopy to backup folders and individual files via a batch file. This works fine for all folders and nearly all files, but not for files where the name starts with a "-" (minus sign).
My OS: German Windows 7, 64 Bit. (I don't know if that matters.)
My test batch file does this:
SET fileName=-Test.rar
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" "%fileName%"
ECHO Errorlevel: %Errorlevel%
Where %fileName%
is quoted because the file name may contain spaces as well.
The result is an ERROR : Invalid Parameter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:42:47 2018
Quelle - E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel - E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien :
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLER: Ungültiger Parameter #3 : "-Test.rar"
[...]
Errorlevel: 16
Tested versions of "robocopy.exe":
- XP010 (Windows XP?)
- XP026 (Windows 2000?)
- XP027 Win7 32 Bit
- XP027 Win7 64 Bit
It always resulted in the same error message or only the equivalent error code 16.
Tested variation of the command:
Then i have tried different variations of the command. Only 1 change (additional quotes) looked remotely promising:
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" ""%fileName%""
But it didn't work either:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:43:00 2018
Quelle : E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel : E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien : "-Test.rar"
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insgesamt KopiertÜbersprungenKeine Übereinstimmung FEHLER Extras
Verzeich.: 1 0 1 0 0 0
Dateien: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bytes: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zeiten: 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00
Nothing was copied even though the file name parameter was kind of recognized.
I guess that the quotes in the value of the parameter are wrong as well.
Does anyone have an idea?
robocopy
I use robocopy to backup folders and individual files via a batch file. This works fine for all folders and nearly all files, but not for files where the name starts with a "-" (minus sign).
My OS: German Windows 7, 64 Bit. (I don't know if that matters.)
My test batch file does this:
SET fileName=-Test.rar
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" "%fileName%"
ECHO Errorlevel: %Errorlevel%
Where %fileName%
is quoted because the file name may contain spaces as well.
The result is an ERROR : Invalid Parameter.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:42:47 2018
Quelle - E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel - E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien :
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEHLER: Ungültiger Parameter #3 : "-Test.rar"
[...]
Errorlevel: 16
Tested versions of "robocopy.exe":
- XP010 (Windows XP?)
- XP026 (Windows 2000?)
- XP027 Win7 32 Bit
- XP027 Win7 64 Bit
It always resulted in the same error message or only the equivalent error code 16.
Tested variation of the command:
Then i have tried different variations of the command. Only 1 change (additional quotes) looked remotely promising:
robocopy "folder 1" "folder 2" ""%fileName%""
But it didn't work either:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROBOCOPY :: Robustes Dateikopieren für Windows
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gestartet: Wed Nov 21 15:43:00 2018
Quelle : E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
Ziel : E:BackupThisFilefolder 2
Dateien : "-Test.rar"
Optionen: /COPY:DAT /R:1000000 /W:30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 E:BackupThisFilefolder 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insgesamt KopiertÜbersprungenKeine Übereinstimmung FEHLER Extras
Verzeich.: 1 0 1 0 0 0
Dateien: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bytes: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zeiten: 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00
Nothing was copied even though the file name parameter was kind of recognized.
I guess that the quotes in the value of the parameter are wrong as well.
Does anyone have an idea?
robocopy
robocopy
asked Nov 21 '18 at 16:03
FuttiFutti
54
54
FYI, I've been able to recreate the problem and have also tried a number of ways around it and have failed. The last test didn't work because you were trying to copy "-Test.rar" and not -Test.rar .
– Duston
Nov 21 '18 at 16:45
Thank You for testing it. I have seen that"-Test.rar"
is not equal to-Test.rar
but i hoped that repeated quotes (i tried 3 and 4 as well) would cancel each other out in some way.
– Futti
Nov 22 '18 at 6:34
FYI: My workaround is to replace the "-" with an "?". This copies at least all files where the name begins with exactly 1 leading char.
– Futti
Dec 21 '18 at 8:56
add a comment |
FYI, I've been able to recreate the problem and have also tried a number of ways around it and have failed. The last test didn't work because you were trying to copy "-Test.rar" and not -Test.rar .
– Duston
Nov 21 '18 at 16:45
Thank You for testing it. I have seen that"-Test.rar"
is not equal to-Test.rar
but i hoped that repeated quotes (i tried 3 and 4 as well) would cancel each other out in some way.
– Futti
Nov 22 '18 at 6:34
FYI: My workaround is to replace the "-" with an "?". This copies at least all files where the name begins with exactly 1 leading char.
– Futti
Dec 21 '18 at 8:56
FYI, I've been able to recreate the problem and have also tried a number of ways around it and have failed. The last test didn't work because you were trying to copy "-Test.rar" and not -Test.rar .
– Duston
Nov 21 '18 at 16:45
FYI, I've been able to recreate the problem and have also tried a number of ways around it and have failed. The last test didn't work because you were trying to copy "-Test.rar" and not -Test.rar .
– Duston
Nov 21 '18 at 16:45
Thank You for testing it. I have seen that
"-Test.rar"
is not equal to -Test.rar
but i hoped that repeated quotes (i tried 3 and 4 as well) would cancel each other out in some way.– Futti
Nov 22 '18 at 6:34
Thank You for testing it. I have seen that
"-Test.rar"
is not equal to -Test.rar
but i hoped that repeated quotes (i tried 3 and 4 as well) would cancel each other out in some way.– Futti
Nov 22 '18 at 6:34
FYI: My workaround is to replace the "-" with an "?". This copies at least all files where the name begins with exactly 1 leading char.
– Futti
Dec 21 '18 at 8:56
FYI: My workaround is to replace the "-" with an "?". This copies at least all files where the name begins with exactly 1 leading char.
– Futti
Dec 21 '18 at 8:56
add a comment |
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FYI, I've been able to recreate the problem and have also tried a number of ways around it and have failed. The last test didn't work because you were trying to copy "-Test.rar" and not -Test.rar .
– Duston
Nov 21 '18 at 16:45
Thank You for testing it. I have seen that
"-Test.rar"
is not equal to-Test.rar
but i hoped that repeated quotes (i tried 3 and 4 as well) would cancel each other out in some way.– Futti
Nov 22 '18 at 6:34
FYI: My workaround is to replace the "-" with an "?". This copies at least all files where the name begins with exactly 1 leading char.
– Futti
Dec 21 '18 at 8:56