Windows Command Prompt part 2
Windows Command Prompt part 2: Copy, Move, XCopy, and Delete files & folders safely
In Part 1 we covered navigation (CD) and listing (DIR with wildcards).
Today: copying, moving, and deleting files and folders, the commands I use most for cleaning up and organizing.
All screenshots from my Windows 11 laptop.
COPY – Copy Files
COPY is simple for single files or patterns.
Example: copy all .txt files from one folder to another.
From root (C:>):
COPY c:\folder1\test1*.txt c:\folder2\testa
MOVE – Move (cut & paste) files
– MOVE does the same as copy but removes from the source.
– MOVE c:\folder1\test1*.png c:\folder2\testa
COPY from current folder
First navigate into the source:
CD folder1
CD test1
Now shorter:
COPY *.jpg c:\folder2\testa
XCOPY – Copy entire folders
COPY doesn’t copy folders with contents, use XCOPY for that.
XCOPY “C:\folder1\test1\folder3” “C:\folder2\testa\folder3\” /E
/E` copies subfolders, including empty ones
Even if it says 0 File(s) copied when the folder is empty, the structure is created.
Help for any command
Want all options? Add /?:
XCOPY /?
COPY /?
DELETE files safely
DEL = delete files
Be careful, there is no Recycle Bin!
Delete all PNG files:
DEL *.png
Delete one file with confirmation:
DEL a2.jpg /P
/P asks Are you sure (Y/N)? always use this when learning.
Remove Folders with RD
RD (or RMDIR) removes empty folders:
RD folder3
For non-empty folders: first delete contents, then RD.
My safety rules
Always use /P with DEL when testing.
Double-check current folder with CD before deleting.
Start in a test folder like we did.
What really happens when you MOVE (not COPY)
On the same drive/partition (like both source and destination on C:):
Windows doesn’t copy the data at all.
It simply updates the file system table (NTFS master file table), changes the pointer (directory entry) to the new location.
The actual file data stays exactly where it was on the disk.
That’s why it’s lightning fast, often just milliseconds, no matter how big the file is.
Only when you move across different drives (as from C: to D:):
It has to copy the data to the new drive, then delete the original → much slower (same as a copy operation).
Why CMD feels even faster?
No GUI overhead (no thumbnails, previews, progress bars).
Direct system calls, straight to the file system.
Batch operations fly (like MOVE *.txt newfolder).
This brings us to the end of my post on Windows Command Prompt part 2.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post on Windows Command Prompt part 2.
I hope you found it enjoyable and insightful.
Stay tuned for more content that is coming soon.
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Disclaimer
All tips and methods mentioned in this blog are tested on Windows 11. Please note that results may vary on other operating systems or versions of Windows. Adapt the instructions accordingly.
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