windows - Copy multiple files from a single source to different destinations, (recursively)

Question

I have 4 files in a single source folder (c:sandboximage).

Files are as follows, INSTALL1.SWM, INSTALL2.SWM, INSTALL3.SWM, INSTALL4.SWM.

My destination structure is c:sandboxextract***

I want to be able to copy them only if they exist in the destination folder(s). My challenge is the destination top folder is the same name all the time, however the sub folders names change so I end up with wildcards.

I have tried xcopy with the /U, and /S, parameters, but it's copying 0 files, so I think I'm missing something.

Here is what I was trying in my batch file, with no success.

xcopy c:sandboximage*.SWM c:sandboxextract /U /S

question from:https://stackoverflow.com/questions/66051040/copy-multiple-files-from-a-single-source-to-different-destinations-recursively

Answer 1

for /f "delims=" %%b in ('dir /ad /s/b "C:sandboxextract"') do for /L %%c in (1,1,4) do if exist "%%binstall%%c.swm" ECHO copy /y "c:sandboximageinstall%%c.swm" "%%binstall%%c.swm" 

Should echo the required copy commands. Remove the echo keyword to actually execute the copys. Append >nul to suppress the 1 file(s) copied message.

Untested, and assuming the requirement is to copy install?.swm over any existing versions in the subtree with root "C:sandboxextract"

[again untested - in response to comments]

for /f "delims=" %%b in ('dir /ad /s/b "C:sandboxextract"') do for %%c in ("" 2 3 4) do if exist "%%binstall%%~c.swm" ECHO copy /y "c:sandboximageinstall%%~c.swm" "%%binstall%%~c.swm" 

Note for /L replaced by plain for; list is list of suffixes to install; when used in the do clause, %%~c is used in place of %%c to remove the quotes.