Batch file to copy a file into all subfolders with a condition

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5.00/5 (1 vote)

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I need the syntax of a simple batch file that will copy a file from a root folder to all subfolders (not recursive) that start with a prefix.

E.g.: I need the batch file c:\MyRoot\CopyCfgToSubs.bat with a for loop that will copy the file c:\MyRoot\My.config
into each of the sub folders:
c:\MyRoot\Mysub1\
c:\MyRoot\Mysub2\
.
.
.
c:\MyRoot\MysubN\

[sup]

C#

// What have I tried?

I've come across this code sample:

VB

for /r "C:\MyRoot" %%f in (.) do (
  copy "C:\MyRoot\a.config" "%%~ff" > nul
)

Which is 80%, what I need in addition is how to copy to the 1st level of subfolders only, AND only to those subfolders that start with "MySub"
[/sup]

Posted 25-Mar-15 22:35pm

Joezer BH

Updated 25-Mar-15 23:17pm

v4

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Richard MacCutchan 26-Mar-15 4:42am

What have you tried, and where are you stuck? You can type "help for" at a command prompt to see how to process a list of file or directory names.

Joezer BH 26-Mar-15 4:44am

As it's a one line solution I thought the "what have you tried" can be avoided.
It might perhaps be that I was mistaken

Added above some "what have I tried"

Herbisaurus 26-Mar-15 4:54am

NOTE: The batch sample you provided will copy the file also to the root level...

Joezer BH 26-Mar-15 5:34am

Yes, I understand that. Plus, and it will also copy it into all the sub folders of the sub folders etc... which is what I want to prevent

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Richard MacCutchan · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-25T23:42:00

Solution 1

In CMD it's Something like:

VB

cd \MyRoot
for /D %x in (MySub*) do copy a.config %x

and inside a batch file:

VB

cd \MyRoot
for /D %%x in (MySub*) do copy a.config %%x

Posted 25-Mar-15 23:42pm

Richard MacCutchan

Updated 26-Mar-15 0:36am

v3

Comments

Joezer BH 26-Mar-15 5:55am

"x was unexpected at this time"

??

Richard MacCutchan 26-Mar-15 6:03am

If you type it in at the command prompt it uses %x, if it is in a batch file then it needs %%x.

As a test you could type
for /D %x in (MySub*) do echo copy a.config %x
at the command prompt to check if it's correct.

Joezer BH 26-Mar-15 6:14am

V - tnx Richard