Copy-Item

Copies an item from one location to another within a namespace.

Syntax

Copy-Item [-LiteralPath] <string[]> [[-Destination] <string>] [-Container] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <string[]>] [-Filter <string>] [-Force] [-Include <string[]>] [-PassThru] [-Recurse] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [-UseTransaction] [<CommonParameters>]

Copy-Item [-Path] <string[]> [[-Destination] <string>] [-Container] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <string[]>] [-Filter <string>] [-Force] [-Include <string[]>] [-PassThru] [-Recurse] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [-UseTransaction] [<CommonParameters>]

Description

The Copy-Item cmdlet copies an item from one location to another in a namespace. Copy-Item does not delete the items being copied. The particular items that the cmdlet can copy depend on the Windows PowerShell providers available. For example, when used with the FileSystem Provider, it can copy files and directories and when used with the Registry Provider, it can copy registry keys and entries.

Parameters

-Container

Preserves container objects during the copy operation.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Credential <PSCredential>

Specifies a user account that has permission to perform this action. The default is the current user.

Type a user name, such as "User01" or "Domain01\User01", or enter a PSCredential object, such as one generated by the Get-Credential cmdlet. If you type a user name, you will be prompted for a password.

This parameter is not supported by any providers installed with Windows PowerShell.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Destination <string>

Specifies the path to the location where the items are to be copied.

Required?	false
Position?	2
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Exclude <string[]>

Omits the specified items. Wildcards are permitted.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Filter <string>

Specifies a filter in the provider's format or language. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. The syntax of the filter, including the use of wildcards, depends on the provider. Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when retrieving the objects, rather than having Windows PowerShell filter the objects after they are retrieved.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Force

Allows the cmdlet to copy items that cannot otherwise be changed, such as copying over a read-only file or alias.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Include <string[]>

Specifies only those items upon which the cmdlet will act, excluding all others.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-LiteralPath <string[]>

Specifies a path to the item. The value of the LiteralPath parameter is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell Windows PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.

Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-PassThru

Returns an object representing each copied item. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Path <string[]>

Specifies the path to the items to copy.

Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	true (ByValue, ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Recurse

Specifies a recursive copy.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-WhatIf

Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-UseTransaction

Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress. For more information, see about_Transactions.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Verbose, -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -OutBuffer, and -OutVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters.

Inputs and Outputs

The input type is the type of the objects that you can pipe to the cmdlet. The return type is the type of the objects that the cmdlet returns.

Inputs

System.String

You can pipe a string that contains a path to Copy-ItemProperty.

Outputs

None or an object representing the copied item.

When you use the PassThru parameter, Copy-Item returns an object that represents the copied item. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

Notes

Copy-Item is like the 'cp' or 'copy' commands in other shells.

The Copy-Item cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your session, type "Get-PsProvider". For more information, see about_Providers.

Example 1

C:\PS>copy-item C:\Wabash\Logfiles\mar1604.log.txt -destination C:\Presentation

This command will copy the file mar1604.log.txt to the C:\Presentation directory. The command does not delete the original file.

Example 2

C:\PS>copy-item C:\Logfiles -destination C:\Drawings -recurse

This command copies the entire contents of the Logfiles directory into the Drawings directory. If the source directory contains files in subdirectories, those subdirectories will be copied with their file trees intact. The Container parameter is set to true by default. This preserves the directory structure.

Example 3

C:\PS>copy-item C:\Logfiles -destination C:\Drawings\Logs -recurse

This command copies the contents of the C:\Logfiles directory to the C:\Drawings\Logs directory. It will create the subdirectory \Logs if it does not already exist.