XCOPY

XCOPY is a shell command for copying files and directory trees from one directory to another or across networks. The command was designed to be more functional than the copy command; but to augment it instead of replacing it.

The name, short for extended copy, is often written as XCOPY or xcopy. As was the prevailing style for DOS systems, the name was typically written in all caps when DOS was a prevalent technology and even today in the context of such obsolete systems. In modern times and for modern systems, prevailing style is to write command names in lower case. Since the command's use spans from DOS to current systems, both representations are commonly used.

The command first appeared in DOS 3.2. The command is available on IBM PC DOS, MS-DOS, OS/2, Windows, FreeDOS, ReactOS, and other systems. DR DOS 6.0 and ROM-DOS include an implementation of the XCOPY command. The FreeDOS version was developed by Rene Ableidinger and is licensed under the GPL. The ReactOS version was developed J. Edmeades and is licensed under the LGPL.

As stated by the command that ships with Vista (reported via xcopy /?), Microsoft deprecated xcopy in favor of robocopy. But, since the version in the current release of Windows does not state this and the command is still available in Windows long after Vista was released in 2007, deprecation may have been reversed.