How to Copy and Paste With a Batch File

You don't need a mouse to copy and paste.

Windows copies and pastes objects as well as text and graphics. Using your mouse, you can select a group of files in one folder and paste them into another. The Xcopy command also copies files from one location to another. If you want to automate your copy-and-paste operations and speed up your workflow, embed the Xcopy command in a batch file. You can then execute that file manually or let Windows run it during start-up.

Instructions

1. Open Notepad and type the following text:

   @echo off

   xcopy CopyFrom CopyTo

   Replace "CopyFrom" with the name of the file or folder that you want to copy . Replace "CopyTo" with the name of the destination folder. For example, to copy C:\MyFiles\xyz.txt to C:\Temp, type "Xcopy C:\MyFiles\xyz.txt C:\Temp."

2. Click "File" and select "Save." The "File Save" dialog window will open. Navigate to your Desktop folder and double-click it to select it.

3. Type "xyz.bat" in the "File Name" box. Replace "xyz" with any descriptive name.

4. Click "Save." Notepad will save the batch file to your desktop. Double-click the file and Windows will perform the copy-and-paste operation.

Tips & Warnings

• Copy and paste multiple files by adding additional Xcopy commands to the batch file. To execute the batch file when Windows starts, place it in your Start folder.

References

• Microsoft Windows XP: Xcopy
• PCSTATS: Beginners Guides - Understanding and Creating Batch Files

Resources

• Evergreen State College: Batch File Commands -- Technical Notes