Batch: Copy files from txt file into one folder

Question

I am attempting to create a batch file to copy several files listed in a text file to a new folder. I have found several threads relating to this, but I can still not get th

Answer 1

I have found that the easiest way to do this is to use a powershell script.

$Files = Get-Content File-list.txt
$Dest = "C:\output"

foreach ($File in $Files) {
  Copy-Item $File $Dest
}

If you need to run it from a batch file, paste the above script to file named CopyFiles.ps1 and add the following command to your batch file

powershell -executionpolicy bypass -file .\CopyFiles.ps1

Since, powershell is included by default on Windows7 and newer, this method is as easy as doing the same with batch commands only.

Answer 2

Start reading HELP FOR and then try the following at the command prompt

FOR /F %a in (input.txt) DO @ECHO COPY %a c:\newfolder\%~nxa

you can see that %a gets expanded to the actual line in the input file, and that %~nxa is a way to extract the name and the extension from the file.

After careful testing, move the command to your BAT file, replace %a to%%a, and remove the ECHO command

@echo off
SET destfolder=c:\newfolder 
FOR /F "delims=" %%a IN (input.txt) DO COPY "%%a" "%destfolder%\%%~nxa"

notice the wraping of the names with quotes "; and the inclusion of the "delims=" option; both are needed in case filenames contain blanks.

Finally be careful with possible name duplicates in the destination folder. If that is possible, you need to find an strategy to cope with such collisions. But this can be the subject of another SO question, can't it?

Answer 3

One sample which worked for me...

Replace my directories C:\whatever and C:\temp\svn with yours...

assuming that your filelist is named antidump_list.txt and located under C:\temp\svn\

> set src_folder=C:\whatever
> set dst_folder=C:\temp\svn
> for /f %%i in (C:\temp\svn\antidump_list.txt) DO copy "%src_folder%\%%i" "%dst_folder%\%%i"

Regards,

Gottfried