robocopy [source folder] [target folder] /MIR
The MIR option will create the target folder as a mirror of the source folder. The command above works pretty well when both source and target folder are NTFS file systems.
When I changed the target folder to my DNS-323 network storage, which uses a Linux file system (ext2/ext3), I started getting the following errors with the command above:
- Although some files are virtually identical in both content and timestamp, robocopy still thinks they are different and show them as "Newer". So, whenever you run the command above, robocopy will always copy these files even if they did not change (not good for incremental backups!).
- "ERROR 5 (0x00000005) Changing File Attributes ... Access is denied".
For the second error (ERROR 5), you need to turn off the attribute copying. Robocopy uses the /COPY:DAT by default, which means to copy data, attributes and timestamp. You should turn off attribute copying by explicit setting /COPY:DT.
So, the command to backup from a NTFS partition to a ext2/ext3 partition should be:
robocopy [source folder] [target folder] /MIR /COPY:DT /FFT
100 comments:
Thanks for this. I've been messing around with archive bits for ages!
Thanks, this was bugging me for days
Thanks .. I've got a DNS-323 with the exact same issue, and I couldn't understand what was going on.
Thank you - now my Mirror from NTFS to FAT32 works ...
Thanks for your efforts. Saved by bacon!
Found this because of the access denied problem but also fixed the FFT flag issue - this was a 2 for 1! Thanks!
Thanks heaps...Great post.
Where would we be without articles like this.
Job well done.
Excellent post - I would mot have known where to start looking (NTFS to EXT2). Paul
Thanks I wondered what those errors were!!
Thanks a lot! :) I was going nuts trying to figure out why I could not copy files.
It was very helpfull, thanks!
Thanks a million for this! Now I can simply patch the wall from all my head pounding against it and be happy! Cheers!
Very helpful tips. had the script going in minutes. thanks much !!
Thanks a lot, saved a lot of headaches and eventually a lot of time as well!
Thanks! It solved my problem when copy from NTFS to FAT32 external HD.
Gracias carnal. De todas las 'soluciones' que encontré, esta era la única que funcionó. -- El Guero.
Stumbled on your page from a google search. Robocopy to a Buffalo NAS drive kept giving the errors mentioned. Flies through now!
Cheers!
Thanks heaps. I've also got a DNS-323 with the same issue.
Luis, You DA Man! Solved problems I've been tinkering with all day.
I must echo what others have said. The Attributes think was KILLING ME until I read this. So simple, and yet...
Thank you so MUCH!!!
The issue almost make me crazy,
finally I know how to fix it and it's such easy way...
CANNOT thank you enough!
That totally worked and just saved me another 2 days of troubleshooting. Thank you!
THANK YOU!!!!
Thank you very much !!!
Thanks Luis. I've been racking my brain with this problem for a while now. I really appreciate your taking the time to write this out so we all benefit.
Nice, I've had this problem for 1.5 years with my DNS-321. Y0U R0CK!
Thanks for this solution. I have been using a QNAP NAS and have been getting this error frequently for over the past year. This seems to have fixed. it!!!
Luis, thanks for posting this. I recently lost access to my Seagate GOFLEX Home NAS device.
I've spent all weekend trying various xcopy & robocopy combinations to get writing again.
Thanks a bunch!
Great tips, I had the exact same issue. Thanks!
Thanks. Helped me with a similar problem (Error 32).
Love your work :))) made my day
Thank you!
I had this problem trying to backup files previously copied from a unix server.
Thanks from me too, couldn't understand why I was getting "access denied" errors.
Great Post. Helped a lot, been scratching my head for days!
Cheers
Thanks - you just saved me some grief figuring this out.
Merci man
Legend, works perfectly
Hi - Cannot thank you enough for this, much appreciated
Thank you! Problem started to occur after I upgraded my firmware NAS and this fixed it.
worked! Thanks so much posting this!
cheers bro!! :D
Thanks man! you are wonderfull
Thank you for pointing out the attribute fix. I had the problem with NAS but not USB drives.
Second error can be eleviated by making the account a Backup Operator on the destination server if it is a Windows machine.
Thanks! Backing up to Netgear ReadyShare USB port on router. Finally worked!
GREAT !! Much thanks ! I've been struggling with these access denied stuff ! you saved some nerves
Great suggestion. Should be on top of google results for robocopy error 5 ;)
Thanks for sharing. Resolved my copying problems.
Luis -
I've tried making the change to the COPY command re removing the Attributes portion. I have full access to both the source and destination drives. However, I am still receiving the same error. Any thoughts?
Appreciation in advance for your help.
Sunil
Gracias Luis, me has dado rápida solución con esto.
Thanks luis for such stuff, I was troubleshooting the same from last 2 days....thanks
Thanks for the great info. I am trying to copy files to a mapped Windows CE drive but still get the error as well as an "Access is denied" error. Do you know any way of getting around this?
Like pretty much everyone else, your post as has solved my problem - exactly the same scenario as your initial problem. Thanks!
Hi Luis,
Thanks a bunch...:)
Now, I can copy from Windows to Seagate BlackArmor NAS 400.
Luis, you are a legend!
Thanks so much, been looking for an answer for this for months and you are the ONLY one that has offered a solution. Microsoft were NO help and suggested using COPY instead.
Thanks again.
// Martin
Thanks man - that was really helpful. First result when I googled it. Rad.
Thanks a lot man - that was really irritating me. First result when I googled it!
Thanks!
Thank you :)
changed from a FAT based NAS to a linux one and the /copy:dt fixed my errors. Thanks.
Perfect, thanks so much! Such a small change (DAT > DT) to solve such a frustrating problem!
Perfect! Thanks to you Luis for the solution of my problem and to Google for the link.
DNS-321. Problem for three years now. Robocopy would never skip same files, so no such thing as a "refresh" copy was possible. Always previously looked at robocopy without success. Very frustrating. Today, hit on looking at the DNS-321 as the issue and found this. TYVM.
Brilliant tip on the /FFT, thanks.
Thanks a bunch. Thanks also for the explanation. I feel more comfortable with advice that is explained.
Thank you!! This helped me copying files to a Terstation file server from Windows Server 2008.
- Charles
Thank you. This worked for me when I couldn't copy to a USB drive connected to a Linksys router. ROBOCOPY would give an error 5 changing attribute on the source file.
Thank you Luis!!!
This issue has been driving me nuts until I stumbled upon your post.
Thanks for hint & explanation - helps me!
Thank you for this tip Luis. I started to note this problem when I added WD My Cloud drive, which does not use NTFS format...Manu
Thanks for the post! I started having issues with my robocopy script on my daughter's Surface tablet after I switched from an older Buffalo LinkStation to a newer RAID version. Adding the /COPY:DT flag to my script fixed the issue.
Thank you for your blog post. You saved me a lot of frustration troubleshooting why my robocopy scripts were not working with the Buffalo NAS backup I just purchased. They are all good now.
Thanks, fixed my robocopy error to seagate NAS. You are a legend
Much thanks. Funny how so many years later how this tip can be useful even still. :)
Thanks. I way getting the file attribute error too. Works now with /COPY:DT
Thank you! Saved me from deciphering the help files.
Same here. Just got a new WD My Cloud Mirror drive which runs on unix and was running into this error. The post that keeps on giving. Thank you.
6 years later and your tip still helping people! been googling this for the last hour, tearing hair out , wondering why the NAS's own backup system is so inadequate I have to use Robocopy anyway! heard many different theorys on the error 5 thing - and you explicitly stated the cause and a very easy fix! thank you!thank you!thank you!
Thank you! Now NAS works perfectly !
Many thanks
Answered an long term issue for me
Brilliant - I've been battling this one for some time now and this seems to have done the trick.
Thanks!!
Super helpful post! Thanks!
Works perfectly now, thanks!
Great - thanks! Question though: why can robocopy not change the attribs?
The gift that keeps on giving! Thank you for this post, resolved my issue (removing the A for Attributes) from my robocopy command. :-)
yup - this 2009 post is still helping people all over the world.. thanks (Ian - Cambridge UK)
As Ian said, 6 years and we are still fighting the good fight - thanks for this article!
Works perfectly! Great! thanks!
Nice solution! Thanks!
Wow! Thanks for this tip. Was getting frustrated trying to backup data folders from a Terminal Server 2008 R2 VM to a Synology NAS and Googling the Error 5 code led me to your post, which was the only solution which worked. Thanks again!
Thank you, thank you so much.
In first position on Google search, and deserve it.
Just another thanks - it's so useful that guys like you post these little snippets!
Thanks an awful lot. I had been tweaking my security, creating an account with full acces, but still that depressing "access denied" message. I was going to give up and use the file explorer, but this is just plain waste of time (actually, it is not made for this kind of typical batch processes). You saved my day, like many others' before!
Thanks a lot Luis. I ran into this issue with my WD "MyCloud" device.
You Made My Day Thank You Man
At last I found a post that actually helped. I only needed the /COPY:DT since my problem was the attributes.
Nice article...Thank you so much !
Thanks. This helped me trying to copy files to a WD My Cloud NAS.
Adding /COPY:DT to my Robocopy script solved the issue for me.
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