NAME
    Copy-Item

SYNOPSIS
    Copies an item from one location to another within a namespace.

SYNTAX
    Copy-Item [-LiteralPath] <string[]> [[-Destination] <string>] [-Container] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <string[]>] [-Filter <string>] [-Force] [-Include <string[]>] [-PassThru] [-Recurse] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [-UseTransaction] [<CommonParameters>]

    Copy-Item [-Path] <string[]> [[-Destination] <string>] [-Container] [-Credential <PSCredential>] [-Exclude <string[]>] [-Filter <string>] [-Force] [-Include <string[]>] [-PassThru] [-Recurse] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [-UseTransaction] [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION
    The Copy-Item cmdlet copies an item from one location to another in a namespace. Copy-Item does not delete the items being copied. The particular items that the cmdlet can copy depend on the Windows PowerShell providers available. For example, when used with the FileSystem provider, it can copy files and directories and when used with the Registry provider, it can copy Registry keys and entries.

PARAMETERS
    -Container [<SwitchParameter>]
        Preserves container objects during the copy operation.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Credential <PSCredential>
        Specifies a user account that has permission to perform this action. The default is the current user.

        Type a user name, such as “User01” or “Domain01\User01”, or enter a PSCredential object, such as one generated by the Get-Credential cmdlet. If you type a user name, you will be prompted for a password.

        This parameter is not supported by any providers installed with Windows PowerShell.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Destination <string>
        Specifies the path to the location where the items are to be copied.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    2
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Exclude <string[]>
        Omits the specified items. Wildcards are permitted.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Filter <string>
        Specifies a filter in the provider’s format or language. The value of this parameter qualifies the Path parameter. The syntax of the filter, including the use of wildcards, depends on the provider. Filters are more efficient than other parameters, because the provider applies them when retrieving the objects, rather than having Windows PowerShell filter the objects after they are retrieved.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Force [<SwitchParameter>]
        Allows the cmdlet to copy items that cannot otherwise be changed, such as copying over a read-only file or Alias.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Include <string[]>
        Specifies only those items upon which the cmdlet will act, excluding all others.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -LiteralPath <string[]>
        Specifies a path to the item. The value of the LiteralPath parameter is used exactly as it is typed. No characters are interpreted as wildcards. If the path includes escape characters, enclose it in single quotation marks. Single quotation marks tell Windows PowerShell not to interpret any characters as escape sequences.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -PassThru [<SwitchParameter>]
        Returns an object representing each copied item. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Path <string[]>
        Specifies the path to the items to copy.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByValue, ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Recurse [<SwitchParameter>]
        Specifies a recursive copy.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]
        Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]
        Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -UseTransaction [<SwitchParameter>]
        Includes the command in the active transaction. This parameter is valid only when a transaction is in progress. For more information, see about_transactions.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    <CommonParameters>
        This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
        ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
        OutBuffer and OutVariable. For more information, type,
        “Get-Help about_CommonParameters“.

INPUTS
    System.String
        You can pipe a string that contains a path to Copy-ItemProperty.

OUTPUTS
    None or an object representing the copied item.
        When you use the PassThru parameter, Copy-Item returns an object that represents the copied item. Otherwise, this cmdlet does not generate any output.

NOTES

        Copy-Item is like the ‘cp’ or ‘copy’ commands in other shells.

        The Copy-Item cmdlet is designed to work with the data exposed by any provider. To list the providers available in your session, type “Get-PSProvider“. For more information, see about_providers.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 1 ————————–

    C:\PS>Copy-Item C:\Wabash\Logfiles\mar1604.log.txt -Destination C:\Presentation

    Description
    ———–
    This command will copy the file mar1604.log.txt to the C:\Presentation directory. The command does not delete the original file.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 2 ————————–

    C:\PS>Copy-Item C:\Logfiles -Destination C:\Drawings -Recurse

    Description
    ———–
    This command copies the entire contents of the Logfiles directory into the Drawings directory. If the source directory contains files in subdirectories, those subdirectories will be copied with their file trees intact. The Container parameter is set to true by default. This preserves the directory structure.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 3 ————————–

    C:\PS>Copy-Item C:\Logfiles -Destination C:\Drawings\Logs -Recurse

    Description
    ———–
    This command copies the contents of the C:\Logfiles directory to the C:\Drawings\Logs directory. It will create the subdirectory \Logs if it does not already exist.

RELATED LINKS
    Online version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113292
    about_providers
    Clear-Item
    Get-Item
    Invoke-Item
    Move-Item
    Set-Item
    New-Item
    Remove-Item
    Rename-Item