Batch file help

[acidblue]

I wrote a batch file to copy jpg images to a directory but it just hangs and doesn't copy anything.
here is my code:

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@echo off
xcopy "c:\Documents and Settings\%username%\My Documnets\My Pictures\*.jpg" c:\

This is on a WINXP box,as far as I can tell this should work but it doesn't.

[Helpmeh]

You spelled Documents wrong. You wrote: My Documnets

[acidblue]

DOH!! 
Still doesn't work, something wrong with my version of XCOPY.
Even doing something simple like;

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xcopy c:\file.jpg c:\file2.jpgdoesn't work, cmd screen just hangs with a blinking cursor

[southpaw63119]

You can't see it because you have

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@echo off at the beginning of your batch file, but it should be because you are being prompted whether you are copying a file or a directory.

Using the following should fix the problem, but you will NOT be prompted when files will be overwritten:

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xcopy [source] [destination] /Y

Actually this post is probably wrong...but still worth a try.
I jumped the gun, and didn't actually test the code with @echo off...which when I DID run it with @echo off, the prompt still appeared.
My apologies.

[acidblue]

Still not working.

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@echo off
xcopy c:\pix.jpg c:\pix2.jpg /Y
However using 'copy' instead of 'xcopy' works.

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@echo off
copy c:\pix.jpg c:\pix2.jpg /Y
Strange 

[southpaw63119]

That is pretty strange...
But, on the bright side, it works.

[acidblue]

Oh well. 
Just one more thing what's the switch to copy files recursively??
In *nix it's -r, would that be /r in winXP??

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copy /R "%userprofile%\my documents\*.jpg" c:\ /Y  ??

[Salmon Trout]

Just one more thing what's the switch to copy files recursively??

There isn't one for the COPY command. Xcopy has the /s switch.

To get the help on a Windows command, type the command, a space, a forward slash and a question mark.

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C:>copy /?
Copies one or more files to another location.

COPY [/D] [/V] [/N] [/Y | /-Y] [/Z] [/L] [/A | /B ] source [/A | /B]
     [+ source [/A | /B] [+ ...]] [destination [/A | /B]]

  source       Specifies the file or files to be copied.
  /A           Indicates an ASCII text file.
  /B           Indicates a binary file.
  /D           Allow the destination file to be created decrypted
  destination  Specifies the directory and/or filename for the new file(s).
  /V           Verifies that new files are written correctly.
  /N           Uses short filename, if available, when copying a file with a
               non-8dot3 name.
  /Y           Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /-Y          Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /Z           Copies networked files in restartable mode.
  /L           If the source is a symbolic link, copy the link to the target
               instead of the actual file the source link points to.

The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line.  Default is
to prompt on overwrites unless COPY command is being executed from
within a batch script.

To append files, specify a single file for destination, but multiple files
for source (using wildcards or file1+file2+file3 format).

[acidblue]

*censored* that sux.
I wonder why 'xcopy' not working.
I can call it from the cmd line, just can't get it to work in a batch script.

[southpaw63119]

Try running the following:

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xcopy c:\pix.jpg c:\pix2.jpg /Y
PAUSE
From your batch file (do NOT use @echo off), and let us know if the command line still just sits there, or what, if anything, shows up in the command prompt.

[acidblue]

My cmd screen goes crazy.
Text goes by so fast I can hardly read it.
I have to close the window to get it to stop.

Obviously somethings wrong.

[Salmon Trout]

Have you got any batch files called xcopy.bat or xcopy.cmd in a folder on your PATH? Or in the same folder as your batch that you are testing? It isn't called xcopy.bat is it? Do you have write permissions for the C:\ root folder? Are there actually any files to copy? Do you really want to fill up the root folder of your C:\drive with jpegs?

[Salmon Trout]

Text goes by so fast I can hardly read it.

try this - pipe the output of xcopy through more (which is like less on 'nix)

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xcopy c:\pix.jpg c:\pix2.jpg /Y | more

[acidblue]

Have you got any batch files called xcopy.bat or xcopy.cmd in a folder on your PATH? Or in the same folder as your batch that you are testing? It isn't called xcopy.bat is it? Do you have write permissions for the C:\ root folder? Are there actually any files to copy? Do you really want to fill up the root folder of your C:\drive with jpegs?

OMG, I don't believe I didn't catch that.
Yes I had a file called xcopy.bat in the same folder
I feel so stupid.

No I don't want to fill up my root folder with jpg's.
I have image files spread out all over my PC.
I want to collect them all and compress them into a zip or tar file.
Then upload them to my server for safe keeping.

[southpaw63119]

Nice catch Salmon Trout.

(the pun just might be intended)