Robocopy skips files for several different reasons: the destination may already contain a file it considers current, a filter or traversal option may exclude the file, or the run may have encountered an actual error. Check the exact command and its log before changing switches. A skip is not automatically a failure: Microsoft documents return code 0 as no files copied and no failure or mismatch.
Why is Robocopy skipping files?
Robocopy does not necessarily recopy every source file on every run. It compares source and destination files and applies the command’s selection rules. A skipped file may therefore be an expected result, an unintended exclusion, or part of a run that also contains copy failures.
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The destination already has a current file
Robocopy can regard a file already at the destination as current and leave it alone. If the source and destination differ in size or timestamp, the selected switches affect how Robocopy classifies the file. Check both paths and compare the file’s name, size, timestamp, and attributes.
Look for comparison switches in the command or any job file it uses. /XC excludes existing files with the same timestamp but different sizes; /XN excludes source files newer than the destination; and /XO excludes source files older than the destination. /XL excludes source files that do not exist at the destination. By contrast, /IS includes identical files and /IT includes files Robocopy classifies as tweaked under its documented definitions. Do not add inclusion switches indiscriminately: first establish which files the copy is meant to update.
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A file or folder is outside the selection
Check for positional file patterns after the source and destination paths, as well as exclusion and selection switches. /XF excludes files by name or pattern, /XD excludes directories, and /XA filters by attributes. Minimum- and maximum-size switches and age or access-date filters can also remove files from consideration.
For example, in robocopy source destination *.txt /E, the *.txt pattern limits the files Robocopy considers. If an expected file does not match, it will not be copied.
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The command does not descend into the relevant directory
/S includes subdirectories but omits empty ones. Use /E when empty subdirectories should also be included. /LEV:n caps the tree at the specified number of levels. Also verify that the source path is the intended root and that no directory exclusion removes the missing path.
The log records an access or copy error
An access-denied message or another copy error is not a harmless “already current” skip. Microsoft documents /B and /ZB as backup-mode options that can override file and folder permission settings, subject to the account and environment running Robocopy. Use them only when appropriate permissions and operational requirements are understood.
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For Azure Files migrations, Microsoft provides additional service-specific guidance about accounts and share mounts. Those requirements apply to that migration scenario; they should not be assumed to govern every local or network copy.
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/FFT assumes FAT file times with two-second precision. /DST addresses one-hour daylight-saving-time differences. These are compatibility options for relevant timestamp behavior, not general-purpose fixes for missing files.
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How to diagnose a skipped file safely
- Record the actual inputs. Note the full command, source and destination paths, and whether a saved
/JOBfile supplies additional settings. Check the command for file patterns and all selection, exclusion, comparison, and traversal switches. - Make a diagnostic log. Run with
/Vto show skipped files and a fresh/LOG:<path>to record output. Adding/TSand/FPcan make timestamps and full paths easier to identify. Microsoft Learn recommends creating a log that can be reviewed after the run to verify its integrity; see the Robocopy command reference. - Preview before changing a risky command. Add
/Lfor a list-only pass. It lists intended actions without copying, deleting, or timestamping files. Review the output before running a command that changes the destination. - Find the exact path in the output. Determine whether the file was filtered out, treated as identical or current, omitted by traversal, or associated with an error. Do not infer the cause from the word “skipped” alone.
- Compare the source and destination file. Check the name, size, timestamps, and attributes. If the log reports access problems, check the execution account and permissions.
- Change only the switch linked to the cause. For example, use
/Eif empty directories were omitted, or remove an unintended exclusion if the missing path is filtered. Avoid adding switches whose effects you have not confirmed. - Verify the final return code. Use Microsoft’s documented exit-code meanings below. A zero is not a failure by itself; a code of 8 or higher indicates at least one failure.
What Robocopy’s return codes mean
Robocopy return codes are bit-combination outcomes, not a simple rule that every nonzero code means total failure. Microsoft’s reference assigns these meanings:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No files copied; no failure or mismatch. Files already existed at the destination and were skipped. |
| 1 | All files copied successfully. |
| 2 | Extra files or directories exist at the destination; none were copied. |
| 3 | Files were copied and extra destination items are present; no failure was reported. |
| 5 | Files were copied and mismatches are present; no failure was reported. |
| 6 | Extra and mismatched items are present; no files were copied and no failure was reported. |
| 7 | Files were copied, with mismatches and extra destination items present. |
| 8 or higher | At least one failure occurred. |
When interpreting a run, use both the detailed log and its code. In scripts, account for Robocopy’s nonzero status codes that do not indicate a copy failure; investigate codes 8 and above as evidence of at least one failure.
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Switches that affect skips and what to watch for
| Goal or observed behavior | Option | Effect and caution |
|---|---|---|
| Include empty subdirectories | /E |
Includes empty directories; /S omits them. |
| Show skipped files | /V |
Shows skipped files; pair it with a log for later review. |
| Record run output | /LOG:<path> |
Writes output to a log. Choose a new log or deliberately append to an existing one. |
| Preview intended actions | /L |
Lists actions without copying, deleting, or timestamping files. |
| Exclude source files older than destination | /XO |
Can suppress older source updates by design. |
| Exclude source files newer than destination | /XN |
Can suppress newer source updates by design. |
| Exclude existing files with the same timestamp but different sizes | /XC |
Check whether this comparison behavior is intended. |
| Include modified files | /IM |
Microsoft’s modified-file definition depends on change-time support. |
| Include tweaked files | /IT |
Relevant to certain attribute or ACL fidelity scenarios; Microsoft discusses it in its migration guidance. |
| Mirror a tree and remove destination-only items | /MIR |
Includes purge behavior; destination-only files and directories can be deleted. |
| Retry failed copies | /R:n and /W:n |
Set retry count and wait time deliberately; default retry behavior can mean long delays. |
Why /MIR needs special care
/MIR mirrors the source tree and purges destination items that do not exist at the source. It is not just a way to copy more thoroughly. Confirm that both roots point to the intended folders, and preview the planned actions with /L before allowing a mirror or purge operation to run.
For Azure Files migrations, Microsoft warns that mismatched source and destination folder levels can lead to large-scale deletions and recopies. See Microsoft’s Azure Files Robocopy migration guidance; apply its migration-specific advice only when copying to Azure Files.
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