How to make Explorer continue copying files event if there are errors

  • Thread starter Thread starter Laban
  • Start date Start date
L

Laban

Hi!

Windows Explorer has an annoying habit of failing if it encounters an error
when copying files.

Does anyone know if there's a way to make the explorer continue even if
errors occur? I know that the command Line tool 'XCOPY.EXE' has an option
(/c) to continue even if errors occur. I'm looking for a similar
functionality..



LAban
 
Hi, LAban.

Do you mean an error that prevents copying a single file? Or an error on
one file in a group that stops you from copying the rest of the group?

RC
 
To elaborate on what Colin said, if there is an error with Windows Explorer
copying a file, one of two things is probably happening: 1) Windows Explorer
(which provides your entire desktop experience) is corrupted, which would
manifest itself in many more areas than simply file copy procedures. 2) The
file(s) you are attempting to copy are corrupted or in use, which is much
more of an issue. One example of this might be attempting to copy a user
profile that is currently in use. Explorer will throw back a message that
says that ntuser.dat is locked by an unspecified process. To circumvent this
type of error, either find a way to stop using the file(s) (in my example, by
rebooting and logging on as a different user) or attempt to use a program
like Handle to identify and/or kill the process that is using the file. If
the file is corrupted so badly that Windows Explorer can't copy it, you might
be better off pursuing another solution entirely.

Mark
 
Mark Stafford said:
To elaborate on what Colin said, if there is an error with Windows Explorer
copying a file, one of two things is probably happening: 1) Windows Explorer
(which provides your entire desktop experience) is corrupted, which would
manifest itself in many more areas than simply file copy procedures. 2) The
file(s) you are attempting to copy are corrupted or in use, which is much
more of an issue. One example of this might be attempting to copy a user
profile that is currently in use. Explorer will throw back a message that
says that ntuser.dat is locked by an unspecified process. To circumvent this
type of error, either find a way to stop using the file(s) (in my example, by
rebooting and logging on as a different user) or attempt to use a program
like Handle to identify and/or kill the process that is using the file. If
the file is corrupted so badly that Windows Explorer can't copy it, you might
be better off pursuing another solution entirely.
Click to expand...


But I noticed that (and this issue bugs me) it'll stop copying when it finds
an error in one file in a group of file and therefore will stop the copying
process even the files after that are good to copy.
 
That might be cool with mp3 files, but I sure wouldn't want to let data
files keep copying if one of them was a bad file.
 
Not helpful, Colin. Please get real.

Pop
--
Perfection is not only elusive,
it is also limited with unexpected and
dangerous results for the idealist.
Colin Barnhorst said:
What are you copying that you can afford errors in?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
Laban said:
Hi!

Windows Explorer has an annoying habit of failing if it encounters an
error
when copying files.

Does anyone know if there's a way to make the explorer continue even if
errors occur? I know that the command Line tool 'XCOPY.EXE' has an option
(/c) to continue even if errors occur. I'm looking for a similar
functionality..



LAban
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If, during a copy operation, for ANY reason a file is encountered that
cannot be copied, it exits the copy operation and nothing has been copied,
or only a few files have been copied. Hasn't it ever happened to you? A
single corrupted file stops you from copying one folder over to say another
drive.

Good grief,
Pop
 
(ProteanThread) said:
But I noticed that (and this issue bugs me) it'll stop copying when it
finds
an error in one file in a group of file and therefore will stop the
copying
process even the files after that are good to copy.
Click to expand...
Yup, for sure! I think they've all got myopia!

Pop
 
Not even if it was JUST ONE say, wedding favorite wedding photograph among,
maybe a couple hundred? You wouldn't want ANY of them?

My GOD, you people are thick! Does MVP = something I don't know about, or
could you all be that thick?! Only one poster all the way thru here so far
bothered to know what the OP said. The rest of you appear to be quacks!
And I just got thru defending this ng to a newbie, too. Most of you are
turning out to be warts on the ass of progress, you know that?

Pop

Colin Barnhorst said:
That might be cool with mp3 files, but I sure wouldn't want to let data
files keep copying if one of them was a bad file.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
(ProteanThread) said:
message



But I noticed that (and this issue bugs me) it'll stop copying when it
finds
an error in one file in a group of file and therefore will stop the
copying
process even the files after that are good to copy.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
No, there seems to be no way to make the copy function proceed. You just
about have to figure out which file is the bad one and copy everything on
either side of it.
As far as I've found, MS has no plans to fix it or offer any patches;
it's an unadvertised "feature" don't cha know, for what are apparently some
lout-MVPs on this site.
Usually, if you're watching close enough, you can tell which file it
balks on either because it's corrupted or in use or unmovable for whatever
reason. Then just copy everything above, then below, that bad file. This
is especially a problem when you get more than one file that won't copy, as
in old floppies you're trying to get files off of. It's frustrating.
I can recommend V-com's Powerdesk program, at
http://www.v-com.com/
which I still use as a replacement for the defunct windows Explorer. It's
much more functional and user friendly too, with a lot more features. The
name of the program is PowerDesk, and I managed to get my copy free from one
of their promotions, but it doesn't look like it's available free anymore.
PowerDesk also comes as part of the FixIt Utilities which also are pretty
useful if you don't have somethign like Norton's SystemWorks. This time
Norton was better tough, so I've tossed it all except PowerDesk.
There are other third party programs out there just as good, I'm sure,
but this is the only one I've ever tried because it fit perfectly with how I
wanted to work and was reliable. It also has a File Finder that in general
runs circles around explorer's search functions. Very useful.

Good luck,

Pop
 
Pop, not all questions here are from home users. Some people are dealing
with small business or church data files and such. They need to correct
problems with the data before trying to proceed. And yes, some data copying
operations can allow continued copying around a bad file.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
Pop said:
Not even if it was JUST ONE say, wedding favorite wedding photograph
among, maybe a couple hundred? You wouldn't want ANY of them?

My GOD, you people are thick! Does MVP = something I don't know about, or
could you all be that thick?! Only one poster all the way thru here so
far bothered to know what the OP said. The rest of you appear to be
quacks!
And I just got thru defending this ng to a newbie, too. Most of you are
turning out to be warts on the ass of progress, you know that?

Pop

Colin Barnhorst said:
That might be cool with mp3 files, but I sure wouldn't want to let data
files keep copying if one of them was a bad file.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
(ProteanThread) said:
message
To elaborate on what Colin said, if there is an error with Windows
Explorer
copying a file, one of two things is probably happening: 1) Windows
Explorer
(which provides your entire desktop experience) is corrupted, which
would
manifest itself in many more areas than simply file copy procedures.
2)
The
file(s) you are attempting to copy are corrupted or in use, which is
much
more of an issue. One example of this might be attempting to copy a
user
profile that is currently in use. Explorer will throw back a message
that
says that ntuser.dat is locked by an unspecified process. To
circumvent
this
type of error, either find a way to stop using the file(s) (in my
example,
by
rebooting and logging on as a different user) or attempt to use a
program
like Handle to identify and/or kill the process that is using the file.
If
the file is corrupted so badly that Windows Explorer can't copy it, you
might
be better off pursuing another solution entirely.


But I noticed that (and this issue bugs me) it'll stop copying when it
finds
an error in one file in a group of file and therefore will stop the
copying
process even the files after that are good to copy.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
|
| || That might be cool with mp3 files, but I sure wouldn't want to let
|| data files keep copying if one of them was a bad file.
||
|| --
|| Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
|| (Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
|| ||| message
|||
Pop wrote:
| Not even if it was JUST ONE say, wedding favorite wedding photograph
| among, maybe a couple hundred? You wouldn't want ANY of them?
|
| My GOD, you people are thick! Does MVP = something I don't know
| about, or could you all be that thick?! Only one poster all the way
| thru here so far bothered to know what the OP said. The rest of you
| appear to be quacks! And I just got thru defending this ng to a
| newbie, too. Most of you are turning out to be warts on the ass of
| progress, you know that?
|
| Pop
Isn't that the truth. I have noticed this too many times lately.
They have a few that are pasting the same answer no matter the Q....
 
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