There seems to be a lot of stuff on the web about the format of the command and its many parameters but I can't find anything describing its output. 

Can anyone help ?

Regards,

GOvarney

The output of Robocopy command

Nope. No description there.  I read that entry, it just tells you how to manipulate the output, nothing about the content it contains.   Maybe I should have explained my issue in more detail.   I use ROBOCOPY to take a copy of my photos.   I take two copies each to a seperate disk.  But the output I get from ROBOCOPY is different so I'm trying to find out what the output means.  For example - here is the first few lines of output from copy number 1 

   

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ROBOCOPY     ::     Robust File Copy for Windows                              
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Started : Friday, 13 February 2015 8:00:00 PM
   Source : F:\Pictures\
     Dest : L:\Backups\HarrierOffice\F_Pictures\

    Files : *.*

  Options : *.* /S /E /DCOPY:DA /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /R:1000000 /W:30 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 51 F:\Pictures\
                  0 F:\Pictures\.Picasa3Temp\
                  1 F:\Pictures\.Picasa3Temp_1\
                  0 F:\Pictures\2006\
                121 F:\Pictures\2006\China\
                 55 F:\Pictures\2006\EagleHawk Rd\

Here is the output of the first few lines from copy number 2:

   

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ROBOCOPY     ::     Robust File Copy for Windows                              
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Started : Sunday, 15 February 2015 9:00:00 PM
   Source : F:\Pictures\
     Dest : Z:\Backups\Pictures\

    Files : *.*



  Options : *.* /S /E /DCOPY:DA /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /R:1000000 /W:30 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                 51 F:\Pictures\
   Older       54898 .BridgeCache   0%   59%  100%  
   Older       7.4 m .BridgeCacheT  0.0%  0.4%  0.8%  1.2%  1.6%  2.0%  2.5%  2.9% 3.3%  3.7%  4.1%  4.6%  5.0%  5.4%  5.8%  6.2%  6.6%  7.1%  7.5%  7.9%  8.3%  8.7%  9.2% 9.6% 10.0% 10.4% 10.8% 11.2% 11.7% 12.1% 12.5% 12.9% 13.3% 13.8% 14.2% 14.6% 15.0% 15.4% 15.9% 16.3% 16.7% 17.1% 17.5% 17.9% 18.4% 18.8% 19.2% 19.6% 20.0% 20.5% 20.9% 21.3% 21.7% 22.1% 22.5% 23.0% 23.4% 23.8% 24.2% 24.6% 25.1% 25.5% 25.9% 26.3% 26.7% 27.1% 27.6% 28.0% 28.4% 

28.8% 29.2% 29.7% 30.1% 30.5% 30.9% 31.3% 31.8% 32.2% 32.6% 33.0% 33.4% 33.8% 34.3% 34.7% 35.1% 35.5% 35.9% 36.4% 36.8% 37.2% 37.6% 38.0% 38.4% 38.9% 39.3% 39.7% 40.1% 40.5% 41.0% 41.4% 41.8% 42.2% 42.6% 43.1% 43.5% 43.9% 44.3% 44.7% 45.1% 45.6% 46.0% 46.4% 46.8% 47.2% 47.7% 48.1% 48.5% 48.9% 49.3% 49.7% 50.2% 50.6% 51.0% 51.4% 51.8% 52.3% 52.7% 53.1% 53.5% 53.9% 54.3% 54.8% 55.2% 55.6% 56.0% 56.4% 56.9% 57.3% 57.7% 58.1% 58.5% 59.0% 59.4% 59.8% 60.2% 60.6% 61.0% 61.5% 61.9% 62.3% 62.7% 63.1% 63.6% 64.0% 64.4% 64.8% 65.2% 65.6% 66.1% 66.5% 66.9% 67.3% 67.7% 68.2% 68.6% 69.0% 69.4% 69.8% 70.3% 70.7% 71.1% 71.5% 71.9% 72.3% 72.8% 73.2% 73.6% 74.0% 74.4% 74.9% 75.3% 75.7% 76.1% 76.5% 76.9% 77.4% 77.8% 78.2% 78.6% 79.0% 79.5% 79.9% 80.3% 80.7% 81.1% 81.5% 82.0% 82.4% 82.8% 83.2% 83.6% 84.1% 84.5% 84.9% 85.3% 85.7% 86.2% 86.6% 87.0% 87.4% 87.8% 88.2% 88.7% 89.1% 89.5% 89.9% 90.3% 90.8% 91.2% 91.6% 92.0% 92.4% 92.8% 93.3% 93.7% 94.1% 94.5% 94.9% 95.4% 95.8% 96.2% 96.6% 97.0% 97.5% 97.9% 98.3% 98.7% 99.1% 99.5%100% 
   Newer           0 .BridgeLabelsAndRatings 100%  
   Older         738 .picasa.ini   0%  100%  
   Older       96818 16GB Memtest86+.jpg   0%   33%   67%  100%  
   Older       1.2 m 16GB Memtest86+.png   0%    2%    4%    7%    9%   12%   14%   17%  19%   22%   24%   26%   29%   31%   34%   36%   39%   41%   44%   46%   49%   51%   53%   56%   58%   61%   63%   66%   68%   71%   73%   76%   78%   80%   83%   85%   88%   90%   93%   95%   98%  100%  

             Newer      12.0 m back yard.jpg   0.0%  0.2%  0.5%  0.7%  1.0%  1.2%  1.5%  1.8% 2.0%  2.3%  2.5%  2.8%  3.1%  3.3%  3.6%  3.8%  4.1%  4.4%  4.6%  4.9%  5.1%  5.4%  5.6% 5.9%  6.2%  6.4%  6.7%  6.9%  7.2%  7.5%  7.7%  8.0%  8.2%  8.5%  8.8%  9.0%  9.3%  9.5% 9.8% 10.1% 10.3% 10.6% 10.8% 11.1% 11.3% 11.6% 11.9% 12.1% 12.4% 12.6% 12.9% 13.2% 13.4% 13.7% 13.9% 14.2% 14.5% 14.7% 15.0% 15.2% 15.5% 15.7% 16.0% 16.3% 16.5% 16.8% 17.0% 17.3% 17.6% 17.8% 18.1% 18.3% 18.6% 18.9% 19.1% 19.4% 19.6% 19.9% 20.2% 20.4% 20.7% 20.9% 21.2% 21.4% 21.7% 22.0% 22.2% 22.5% 22.7% 23.0% 23.3% 23.5% 23.8% 24.0% 24.3% 24.6% 24.8% 25.1% 25.3% 25.6% 25.8% 26.1% 26.4% 26.6% 26.9% 27.1% 27.4% 27.7% 27.9% 28.2% 28.4% 28.7% 29.0% 29.2% 29.5% 29.7% 30.0% 30.3% 30.5% 30.8% 31.0% 31.3% 31.5% 31.8% 32.1% 32.3% 32.6% 32.8% 33.1% 33.4% 33.6% 33.9% 34.1% 34.4% 34.7% 34.9% 35.2% 35.4% 35.7% 35.9% 36.2% 36.5% 36.7% 37.0% 37.2% 37.5% 37.8% 38.0% 38.3% 38.5% 38.8% 39.1% 39.3% 39.6% 39.8% 40.1% 40.4% 40.6% 40.9% 41.1% 41.4% 41.6% 41.9% 42.2% 42.4% 42.7% 42.9% 43.2% 43.5% 43.7% 44.0% 44.2% 44.5% 44.8% 45.0% 45.3% 45.5% 45.8% 46.0% 46.3% 46.6% 46.8% 47.1% 47.3% 47.6% 47.9% 48.1% 48.4% 48.6% 48.9% 49.2% 49.4% 49.7% 49.9% 50.2% 50.5% 50.7% 51.0% 51.2% 51.5% 51.7% 52.0% 52.3% 52.5% 52.8% 53.0% 53.3% 53.6% 53.8% 54.1% 54.3% 54.6% 54.9% 55.1% 55.4% 55.6% 55.9% 56.1% 56.4% 56.7% 56.9% 57.2% 57.4% 57.7% 58.0% 58.2% 58.5% 58.7% 59.0% 59.3% 59.5% 59.8% 60.0% 60.3% 60.6% 60.8% 61.1% 61.3% 61.6% 61.8% 62.1% 62.4% 62.6% 62.9% 63.1% 63.4% 63.7% 63.9% 64.2% 64.4% 64.7% 65.0% 65.2% 65.5% 65.7% 66.0% 66.2% 66.5% 66.8% 67.0% 67.3% 67.5% 67.8% 68.1% 68.3% 68.6% 68.8% 69.1% 69.4% 69.6% 69.9% 70.1% 70.4% 70.7% 70.9% 71.2% 71.4% 71.7% 71.9% 72.2% 72.5% 72.7% 73.0% 73.2% 73.5% 73.8% 74.0% 74.3% 74.5% 74.8% 75.1% 75.3% 75.6% 75.8% 76.1% 76.4% 76.6% 76.9% 77.1% 77.4% 77.6% 77.9% 78.2% 78.4% 78.7% 78.9% 79.2% 79.5% 79.7% 80.0% 80.2% 80.5% 80.8% 81.0% 81.3% 81.5% 81.8% 82.0% 82.3% 82.6% 82.8% 83.1% 83.3% 83.6% 83.9% 84.1% 84.4% 84.6% 84.9% 85.2% 85.4% 85.7% 85.9% 86.2% 86.5% 86.7% 87.0% 87.2% 87.5% 87.7% 88.0% 88.3% 88.5% 88.8% 89.0% 89.3% 89.6% 89.8% 90.1% 90.3% 90.6% 90.9% 91.1% 91.4% 91.6% 91.9% 92.1% 92.4% 92.7% 92.9% 93.2% 93.4% 93.7% 94.0% 94.2% 94.5% 94.7% 95.0% 95.3% 95.5% 95.8% 96.0% 96.3% 96.6% 96.8% 97.1% 97.3% 97.6% 97.8% 98.1% 98.4% 98.6% 98.9% 99.1% 99.4% 99.7% 99.9%100% 
   Newer       91589 Bridge Mall.JPG   0%   35%   71%  100%  

Note that the paramaters to both commands are exactly the same - with the exception of the destination.  

Yet the output is dramatically different.  What does old/newer mean ? what does any of it mean :-) ?  I looking for a description of the actual output produced by the command

you better specify

/log:logfile_filename.log (the output log file)

/NP you don't want to see the % progress if you want to keep output in a log file.

• Edited by netizen99 10 hours 8 minutes ago

Thanks for your reply but again that's parameter info which is well documented.  It's the format of the output I'm want documentation for.

Regards,

Gary

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2006.11.utilityspotlight.aspx

use this? it's a gui application which helps you to create tags for robocopy and all mouse over the tags it pretty much tells you what it does

• Edited by Andyng2013 7 hours 28 minutes ago

you better specify

/log:logfile_filename.log (the output log file)

/NP you don't want to see the % progress if you want to keep output in a log file.

• Edited by netizen99 Monday, February 16, 2015 1:35 AM

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2006.11.utilityspotlight.aspx

use this? it's a gui application which helps you to create tags for robocopy and all mouse over the tags it pretty much tells you what it does

• Edited by Andyng2013 Monday, February 16, 2015 4:15 AM

Hi Gary,

There is no specific strict output format. It depend on your parameter and files you want to copy themselves.

Here is an example of mine below, the same as yours, it's not identical.

I don't find the output particular difficult to understand if you use the right parameters. 

You should have use /MIR option, it is same as /E + /purge 

/E :: copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.

/PURGE :: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source.

Below is a testing output

before start.

source have file test.txt and test2.txt (newer one)

target have file testold.txt

testold.txt is extra file, deleted as I user /MIR

test.txt is not existing in target, so it is new file and copied.

test2.txt in source is a Newer file, so it replaces the one target.

D:\robocopy>robocopy source target /mir /np

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ROBOCOPY     ::     Robust File Copy for Windows

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Started : Tuesday, 17 February, 2015 8:35:01 PM
   Source : D:\robocopy\source\
     Dest : D:\robocopy\target\

    Files : *.*

  Options : *.* /S /E /DCOPY:DA /COPY:DAT /PURGE /MIR /NP /R:1000000 /W:30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           2    D:\robocopy\source\
          *EXTRA File                  0        testold.txt
            New File                  15        test.txt
            Newer                      7        test2.txt

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

               Total    Copied   Skipped  Mismatch    FAILED    Extras
    Dirs :         1         0         0         0         0         0
   Files :         2         2         0         0         0         1
   Bytes :        22        22         0         0         0         0
   Times :   0:00:00   0:00:00                       0:00:00   0:00:00

   Speed :                5500 Bytes/sec.

   Speed :               0.314 MegaBytes/min.
   Ended : Tuesday, 17 February, 2015 8:35:01 PM

You use /MIR option and the 2 disks were backup at different time. So the outputs are certainly different as files need added, replaced or deleted will be different. But the final content should be the same.