PowerShell: Copy a File or Folder
Need to copy a file or folder to another location - backing up before an edit, duplicating a template, or moving files as part of a script? This one-liner copies it directly from the terminal.
Prerequisites:
- Privileges: None
- Module: Built-in, no import needed
Quick Command:
Copy-Item -Path "C:\SourceFolder" -Destination "C:\DestinationFolder"
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How It Works:
- Copy-Item copies the item at the specified path to a new location - it works on both files and folders
- -Path "C:\SourceFolder" points to what you want to copy - replace this with the actual file or folder you're copying.
- -Destination "C:\DestinationFolder" sets where the copy should be placed.
Pro Tip:
If the source is a folder containing subfolders and files, add -Recurse to copy everything inside it, not just the top-level folder itself:
Copy-Item -Path "C:\SourceFolder" -Destination "C:\DestinationFolder" -Recurse