Help with copying files and folders in DOS

Hello all

I have a serious problem. I need to copy the folder and its contents from my Desktop to my external hard drive. Please can someone help it is really really urgent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

copy c:\documents and settings\username\desktop\filename\*.* driveletter

Hi eeisele and welcome to AO.

It would help if you told us what operating system you were using, and why you need to use DOS (if you even have it). There are other ways and means you know;).............even totally outside of Windows

For example, have you tried going into Windows Explorer. left clicking on the folder to highlight it, then pressing and holding down the right hand mouse button and using drag and drop?

However, I am getting very negative vibes about this post................like what kind of tosspot would know how to connect an external HDD, or even be aware that they existed, and not know how to transfer data to it?

At the moment you come across as a rather nasty little social engineering Troll, who is trying to steal something. If you do not understand that, please re-read your post very carefully and think about it.

You do need to post more accurately and with the required data...........there are stickies in the forums telling you what to do, if you wish to be take seriously.

Other useful information might include what you have tried already and what messages you got when it did not work.

Cheers

The reason for me asking is because I have virus on my computer and I can't get the Windows XP Home Edition to boot wtih a GUI. It is extremely important that I get it copied to my external hard drive.
Please keep the ideas coming. I am in dire straits right now.

I know this is going to seem hard, but to copy files you really have to type the word xcopy....

Google for dos commands, and look at xcopy and copy.

Okay here is my scenerio: I have a computer that a user had recieved a virus. When I rebooted it came to a blue background saying that that there is a trojan and you need to run an Adware or virus scan to remove. The start menu doesn't come up. The user needs to get a foler off of the desktop that contains very important school related **** in it. Suggestions would be very helpful.
Thanks

I have been trying to use xcopy, but I think I am getting the syntax wrong. Here is what I am typing:
xcopy C:\documents and settings\owner\desktop\desktop files K:\

K:\ is the external hard drive

Am I missing something with the syntax?

Only the Syntax ;)

Like I said, Google for Dos Commands. I'd post it here but I'm busy playing Doom.

Ah! Ha!

Quote:

---

When I rebooted it came to a blue background saying that that there is a trojan and you need to run an Adware or virus scan to remove

---

Well that is not BillyWindows my friend ;) it looks like some prank or malicious activity?

Please try booting into safe mode, then go into Windows Explorer and see if you can access the files/folders............you should then be able to copy them.

Is this machine connected to a college/school network?

Is it physically secure?

Who has this guy p1$$ed off?

Does the guy have a baseball bat? :D

Can you do a print screen...........convert it to a .jpg and post it here? I would love to see that blue screen :)

I am so sorry gore that I disrupted your efforts of shotgun blasting demons. If I caused you any problems with your task I am sorry. But for those who think I am trying to hack and get files, you are wrong. If I wanted to hack into a network I run my packet sniffer and find someone's damn password. Again I am sorry that if I have some how affended you all, but a forum is meant to ask questions and get advice, not to be treated like a ****ing child.
Thanks

Don't lose patience - we're honestly trying to help albeit with suspicions.

Answer Nihil's questions please.

To my understanding of this so far you can get to a command prompt and use dos commands to move the files in question. I offered you a one line solution in the very first response in this thread. Did you try it? If it didn't work, what did it say when you tried it?

As for googling for the DOS commands, you can obviously do that, you're equipped with a computer that'll let you post here. I strongly suggest you do so. Gore likes Xcopy. Being oldschool dos, I like copy/mkdir/rmdir and moving stuff a bit at a time. If moving all the files causes another crash, try them one at a time - it's a long, slow process, but it might keep the machine stable enough to complete the task at hand.... syntax follows:

copy c:\path\finaldirectory\filename.* or filename.extension Newdrive:\destinationdirectory\

if this doesn't work, let us know what error messages or permissions denials you're getting and we'll try to work from there.

Another way to get the data off the drive...using a GUI interface...would be to slave the drive into a working computer....and grab the files that way.

Make sure you have an updated AV running...just incase

MLF

A few questions you might answer first
Operating system of the crashed machine? (windows 98 , xp ,200, ect)
version of dos you are using to boot the machine. This might seem silly but is it compatable with your extenal drive? Can it see the partion on the drive in the crashed machine?
I didnt see the error messages you get when you try to copy but i have a heavy cold so it could be just me. :p. It would be good if you could post it.
How much free space do you have on the machine that crashed? Is there enought to do a reinstall on another partion with out formating the drive. If you do have a serious virus problem on the crashed machine you will want to do a reinstall in anycase after you get the data.
And dont forget to be methodical
hope these few pointer will help. I am going home to make myself a couple of hot whiskeys to try and kill the cold with alchool poisoning. :p.

Did ANYBODY notice that eeisele wanted to copy files from the "Desktop" into the external hard drive? And, did anybody notice that ALL FILES LOCATED IN THE DESKTOP FOLDER ARE ALL SHORTCUT LINKS to files at 1KB each? I hope I misread the phrase "files and folders from the Desktop".

eeisele... you don't copy shortcuts when you want the data files. Please bother specify what exactly are the types of files you want to copy and the version of the DOS you are using (you can find that out by typing VER <Enter>), assuming you can read the DOS prompt and its responses unhampered. PLUS, do you know what/where exactly are the folders/files are located? XCOPY will include the folders, COPY will copy only the files.

Syntax:

XCOPY <source drive letter>:\<folder name>\*.<file extension...DOC,XLS,PPT or * for all file types> <space here> <destination drive>:
e.g. XCOPY C:\WINDOWS\*.* G: <Enter>

COPY C:\My Documents\*.DOC G:\Extract\ <Enter> (assuming you created the folder "Extract" at drive G by typing MD or MKDIR G:\Extract first.)


--EDIT: I came across this thread while I was searching for "trolls" within AO. I'm still counting the number of threads with those "troll" terms.

Am I the only one who doesn't use just shortcuts on a desktop?

Gore
if you are that makes two of us.
Goitz you can put whatever you want on your desktop. It doesnt have to be a short cut.

i would say if he is running into problems its because the new external harddrive cannot be found. Was it installed and working before the infection?

As mentioned before I would recomend slaving the HD to another machine (which has a fully updated AV) and lifting the fiels that way.

Or use a live linux distro like knoppix to get a GUI back again and move the files from within it

v_Ln

Aye! valhallen, you got me there!

... After all, a folder IS a folder and so on and so forth could be unto it, HE-HE!

I assume that that the DOS that is being talked about is the Commandline - Recovery Console with Win XP...
One thing I am sure of is it dosent support USB devices without you running specific drivers.. I think MLF had mentioned this..
No Copy command will work untill the device your copying to is recognised by the "OS".. so is the EXTERNAL HDD accessable? can you do a DIR for its contents?

The easiest method will be to
1/ remove the HDD and connect it to a working PC (already mentioned)
2/ extract the Data that is needed..
3/ do a scann of the HDD with an AV scanner (scann only), note any detected malware
4/ take any needed action b4 reinstalling in the original system (realising with out remote scanning tools this will leave the registry very suspect..)

BEfore I started useing Knoppix and Bart PE a situation like this was always a case of removing the HDD and installing it it as slave on a pc setup specificly for this work..

and MLF.. good call twice..