Windows10 file copy - can’t take the volume

[PerranOak]

I’m trying to copy a directory with subs all totalling 47Gb on to an empty usb memory -64Gb
I set it going in Windows explorer. When I came back Windows explorer had closed and the dialogue box was gone. Only 14.7Gb had copied.
This happened twice (or as they seem to say now: two times).
Everything seems well. The usb memory stick is good and been used before but not loads.
When I copy over about 10Gb at a time all is well.

Why would this be?

Cheers.

[Ian.M]

Most likely a random glitch caused a USB transfer to fail and the native Windows GUI copy has a lack of error handling.  There might be something related to the failure in a system log file but your chances of determining which file it failed on are close to zero.

Use a 'real' copy utility, you'll get a log of what it did, and your problems will go way!   

Personally I find Microsoft SyncToy 2.1 sufficient for syncing large folders with USB media or over my LAN.  It was originally an XP Powertoy, which is why it actually has decent functionality, and got up to version 2.1 with x86 and x64 builds with Win10 support, until MS sh!tcanned it back in 2021.  Download it from https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_synctoy_for_windows_xp.html (ignore the XP in the URL - minimum is Win7).

Caution: Its 'Synchronise' mode copies files both ways and mirrors deletes in *BOTH* folders so can cause data loss. Do a [Preview] and examine the log *CAREFULLY* before running it for real the first time on any folder pair.   'Echo' only copies to and deletes from the destination folder so is safer for simply updating adhoc backups, and 'Contribute' only copies (with overwrite) to the destination, and doesn't do any explicit deletes.

[wilfred]

I've seen something like that before. Wanting to just get it done I downloaded Teracopy and it worked fine with that. I just picked something from the search results. IIRC I had not only lots of data but lots of directories and files.

I also use FreeFileSync and whilst I don't use it to "copy" it seems to me syncing to an empty directory is logically the same as copying. I do recommend FreeFileSync as a generally very useful tool. Teracopy seems nice but I just use Windows Explorer normally anyway.

FFS is handy to verify everything got copied since if you try a second sync and nothing is flagged it is probably OK. I find most problems with copying Linux files that don't obey Windows file name rules.

[JDubU]

For large/complicated file copies I use SyncbackSE (https://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbse.html).  It's a great backup program that quickly and reliably copies large file sets and, if there is something that prevents completion, it will continue where it left off rather than starting over.  If it can't copy some files, it will report why they weren't copied.

There is also a new free version that I haven't tried yet.  Here is a comparison of features in the different versions:
(https://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/compare.html).

[tunk]

If you don't mind command line, then you could see if robocopy works.

[coromonadalix]

Sometimes windows will block some files to be copied if they are open ... or being scanned by defender ....

Sometimes it helps  to desactivate suspend your antiviral software

Or  use tools like the previous threads or explorer clones  IE:  explorer ++, tablacus explorer, directory opus, xyplorer,   ...

Used  ''unstoppable copier'' a few times for a 75gb transfert onto ans usb key


and one BIG annoyance of windows,  it says it's finished  BUT  the process is still going on in memory  etc ...  and windows defender ''hold'' the files way too long to my taste

[PerranOak]

Brill, thanks everyone.

I remember using SyncToy in the old days Ian; I will download a copy, cheers.

[free_electron]

ViceVersa by TGRMN

[David Hess]

Since the entire explorer window is closing, my guess is that the USB drive is losing enumeration implying that it is resetting itself or crashing.

I use robocopy at the command line for large transfers, but file explorer should handle 10s or 100s of GB just fine.