How to Copy File in PowerShell: Simple Commands and Examples

To copy a file in PowerShell, use the Copy-Item cmdlet followed by the source file path and the destination path. For example, Copy-Item -Path 'source.txt' -Destination 'backup.txt' copies the file to a new location or name.

Syntax

The basic syntax to copy a file in PowerShell uses the Copy-Item cmdlet. You specify the source file with -Path and the destination with -Destination. You can also add -Force to overwrite existing files and -Recurse to copy folders with their contents.

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Copy-Item -Path <source> -Destination <destination> [-Force] [-Recurse]

Example

This example copies a file named example.txt from the current folder to a new file named example_backup.txt in the same folder.

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Copy-Item -Path 'example.txt' -Destination 'example_backup.txt'

# Verify the copy by listing the new file
Get-Item 'example_backup.txt'

Output

    Directory: C:\Users\User\Documents


Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
-a----         2024-06-01     10:00           1234 example_backup.txt

Common Pitfalls

One common mistake is forgetting to use quotes around file paths that contain spaces. Another is not using -Force when you want to overwrite an existing file, which causes an error. Also, Copy-Item does not copy hidden or system files unless specified.

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## Wrong: Missing quotes for path with spaces
Copy-Item -Path C:\"My Documents"\file.txt -Destination C:\Backup\file.txt

## Right: Use quotes
Copy-Item -Path 'C:\My Documents\file.txt' -Destination 'C:\Backup\file.txt' -Force

Quick Reference

Parameter	Description
-Path	Specifies the source file or folder to copy.
-Destination	Specifies where to copy the file or folder.
-Force	Overwrites existing files without asking.
-Recurse	Copies all items in a folder and its subfolders.

Key Takeaways

Use Copy-Item with -Path and -Destination to copy files in PowerShell.

Always quote file paths that contain spaces to avoid errors.

Use -Force to overwrite files without confirmation.

Use -Recurse to copy folders and their contents.

Verify the copy by checking the destination file after running the command.