Replace - DOS/Command Prompt Reference
Replaces all files in the target directory with the specified file in bulk. Alternatively, it adds the specified file to the target directory.
Syntax
replace[.exe] <source-file> <target-path> /A [/P] [/R] [/W]
replace[.exe] <source-file> <target-path> [/S] [/U] [/P] [/R] [/W]
Options
| <source-file> | Specifies the source file for replacement. Wildcards can also be used for specification. |
| <target-path> | Specifies the destination directory for replacement. |
| /A |
If the specified file (<source-file>) does not exist in the target directory (<target-path>), it will be added. Subdirectories will not be affected. If the /A option is not specified, it will replace files in the target directory (<target-path>) that match the specified file (<source-file>). |
| /S | Files in subdirectories of the target directory (<target-path>) will also be considered for replacement. This cannot be specified simultaneously with /A. |
| /U | Replaces the file only if the replacement target file is older. /S and /U can be specified simultaneously. |
| /P | Displays a confirmation prompt when performing file replacement or addition. |
| /R | Includes read-only (write-protected) files as targets for replacement/addition. |
| /W | Waits for the disk to be inserted before starting the search for <source-file>. When in this state, pressing Enter initiates the search. |
Details
This command cannot update files with hidden or system file attributes. If necessary, use the Attrib command to remove the attributes before proceeding.
‘Replace’ returns specific exit codes, and their meanings are as follows:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | The command has successfully completed. |
| 1 | This command is not compatible with the operating system. |
| 2 | The source file (<source-file>) was not found. |
| 3 | The source path (the directory if <source-file> contains a directory name) or the destination path for replacement was not found. |
| 5 | There is no write permission for the file targeted for replacement. ([Windows NT] This error code is not returned in the case of insufficient write permissions due to file security settings.) |
| 8 | Insufficient memory. |
| 11 | Incorrect command syntax. |
Samples
Sample
replace D:\*.log E:\logs /U
The files with the extension ‘log’ located in ‘D:\’ will be copied (replaced) to the ‘E:\logs’ directory if files with the same names exist there. In this case, if a file with the same name already exists in ‘E:\logs’, it will only be replaced if the file's date (modification timestamp) is older than the file in that directory.