Powershell 5 Copy-Item Directory to Directory Error

Question

I am new to Powershell, and am testing out the functionality of Copy-Item according to this documentation. I am trying to copy files and folders from a subfolder into it's containing folder, but it is not working. What command do I need to use?

Here is my sample file structure

C:\
    Example
    |
    |__Top
        |
        |__Middle
            |
            |__Bottom

I tried to copy all the files and subfolders from Middle into Top using

Copy-Item "C:\Example\Top\Middle" -Destination "C:\Example\Top" -Recurse

but received this error

Copy-Item : An item with the specified name C:\Example\Top\Middle already exists.
At line:1 char:1
+ Copy-Item "C:\Example\Top\Middle" -Destination "C:\Example\Top" -Recu ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceExists: (C:\Example\Top\Middle:String) 
[Copy-Item], IO
   Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : 
DirectoryExist,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.CopyItemCommand

Copy-Item : Cannot overwrite the item C:\Example\Top\Middle\InTheMiddle.txt 
with itself.
At line:1 char:1
+ Copy-Item "C:\Example\Top\Middle" -Destination "C:\Example\Top" -Recu ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: 
(C:\Example\Top\Middle\InTheMiddle.txt:String) [Co
   py-Item], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : 
CopyError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.CopyItemCommand

Copy-Item : An item with the specified name C:\Example\Top\Middle\Bottom already         
exists.
At line:1 char:1
+ Copy-Item "C:\Example\Top\Middle" -Destination "C:\Example\Top" -Recu ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceExists: 
(C:\Example\Top\Middle\Bottom:String) [Copy-It
   em], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : 
DirectoryExist,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.CopyItemCommand

Copy-Item : Cannot overwrite the item 
C:\Example\Top\Middle\Bottom\InTheBottom.txt with
itself.
At line:1 char:1
+ Copy-Item "C:\Example\Top\Middle" -Destination "C:\Example\Top" -Recu ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : WriteError: 
(C:\Example\Top\...InTheBottom.txt:String) [Copy-I
   tem], IOException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : 
CopyError,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.CopyItemCommand

Powershell Version 5.1.17134.112 Running as Administrator

The error literally explains the problem to you. The Middle folder already exists in the Top folder. — EBGreen
– EBGreen, Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 19:53
I am trying to copy the contents of the middle folder into the top folder, not create a new folder or override the old one. How do I do that? — Aposhian
– Aposhian, Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 19:55
Okay, that Copied the files inside Middle but not the folders. How do I copy all subfolders? Are there any other similar codes and where can I look them up? — Aposhian
– Aposhian, Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 19:59
@Aposhian I am trying to copy the contents of the middle folder No. Your code literally says "copy the folder 'Middle' to its parent folder 'Top'". Where it already exists, hence the error. — Ansgar Wiechers
– Ansgar Wiechers, Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 20:01

Avatar · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-09 19:59:34Z

2

You trying to copy child folder to its parent folder. To copy content of "Middle" folder you need to use this command:

Copy-Item "C:\Example\Top\Middle\*" -Destination "C:\Example\Top" -Recurse

answered Jul 9, 2018 at 19:59

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2 Comments

Aposhian Over a year ago

Thank you. Is there somewhere where I can read about the difference between * and *.* or any additional codes?

Avatar Over a year ago

Check this article - blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/jeremykuhne/2017/06/04/…

Clayton Lewis · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-09 19:58:15Z

1

I believe this will accomplish what you are looking for as the simplest example. It would need tweaked depending on your scenario.

-Force would need applied to overwrite.

$source = "C:\Example\Top\Middle\*"

$destination = "C:\Example\Top\"

Copy-Item -Path $source -Destination $destination -Include *.*

answered Jul 9, 2018 at 19:58

Clayton Lewis

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2 Comments

Aposhian Over a year ago

What does -Include *.* do? Is that for hidden files?

Clayton Lewis Over a year ago

It allows the flexibility to be able to narrowly tailor the files you would like to copy by the name disregarding the extension and vice versa

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