I need help with the following question:

I have a directory on my c:\ called BOB. It has a lot of subdirectories and files in it.
I want to use XCOPY to copy the BOB directory to the SAVE directory on my D:\
And I want XCOPY to copy all the directories including the empty ones.
I want XCOPY to copy all the hidden and system files.
I also want XCOPY to prompt me before creating destination file.
Please show me the complete command from the c:\> to use the XCOPY command with the switches needed to accomplish the above. DO NOT add more switches than what are called for.  DO NOT use the CD command or start anywhere other than  c:\

I got this:
C:\WINDOWS\System32>xcopy c:\BOB D:\SAVE /E /H /P
Is this correct?

And this second question, I am completely lost...

On your C: drive you have a directory named HOMEWORK, in the HOMEWORK directory you have a directory named ENGLISH.  In the ENGLISH directory you have a directory named STUFF.  You have your final presentation paper in the STUFF directory named english.txt.

Windows is acting weird and you can't get into your files, and your presentation paper is due today. What are you going to do?  You realize you can bring up the command line.  You are in a hurry and you PUT your usb drive in and need to copy the english.txt file to your usb drive which is drive e:\. On drive e:\ you have a directory named PRINT.

Show me the complete command to copy the english.txt file to the PRINT directory on the e:\ and name it efinal.txt.
NOTE: Start from the c:\  and do this in ONE command on ONE line.  DO NOT use the CD command or start anywhere other than c:\




We don't do homework here...sorry.I would apply wild cards of *.* to apply to all files and file extensions.

xcopy c:\BOB\*.* D:\SAVE\*.* /E /H /P

Cant help much further as for maybe they havent covered wild cards, but thinking you will learn from PROBLEMS and sharing further problems here. For the fact that you did provide some work that is your own and arent just looking for an answer, I will help with this a little bit.

As per your second question, its quite simple to achieve, and with enough research (Google or Textbook ) you wouldnt need anyone to do it for you and would be able to assemble your own instructions based on the thousands of other examples out there that are similar. I cant think of a way to help without giving the complete answer away other than with the skills your at in your learning, you have all you need to achieve it with the correct pathing and you can target the file specific to its actual path or grab it through a selective wildcard such as *.txt to not have to type out the entire name of the file and grab all *.txt files from a target path.

Here is a listing of all the switches and what they do as well for xcopy

Quote

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\>xcopy/?
Copies files and directory trees.

XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]
                           [/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/G] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U]
                           [/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z] [/B]
                           [/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]

  source       Specifies the file(s) to copy.
  destination  Specifies the location and/or name of new files.
  /A           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               doesn't change the attribute.
  /M           Copies only files with the archive attribute set,
               turns off the archive attribute.
  /D:m-d-y     Copies files changed on or after the specified date.
               If no date is given, copies only those files whose
               source time is newer than the destination time.
  /EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...
               Specifies a list of files containing strings.  Each string
               should be in a separate line in the files.  When any of the
               strings match any part of the absolute path of the file to be
               copied, that file will be excluded from being copied.  For
               example, specifying a string like \obj\ or .obj will exclude
               all files underneath the directory obj or all files with the
               .obj extension respectively.
  /P           Prompts you before creating each destination file.
  /S           Copies directories and subdirectories except empty ones.
  /E           Copies directories and subdirectories, including empty ones.
               Same as /S /E. May be used to modify /T.
  /V           Verifies the size of each new file.
  /W           Prompts you to press a key before copying.
  /C           Continues copying even if errors occur.
  /I           If destination does not exist and copying more than one file,
               assumes that destination must be a directory.
  /Q           Does not display file names while copying.
  /F           Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
  /L           Displays files that would be copied.
  /G           Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that does
               not support encryption.
  /H           Copies hidden and system files also.
  /R           Overwrites read-only files.
  /T           Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not
               include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes
               empty directories and subdirectories.
  /U           Copies only files that already exist in destination.
  /K           Copies attributes. Normal Xcopy will reset read-only attributes.
  /N           Copies using the generated short names.
  /O           Copies file ownership and ACL information.
  /X           Copies file audit settings (implies /O).
  /Y           Suppresses prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /-Y          Causes prompting to confirm you want to overwrite an
               existing destination file.
  /Z           Copies networked files in restartable mode.
  /B           Copies the Symbolic Link itself versus the target of the link.
  /J           Copies using unbuffered I/O. Recommended for very large files.

The switch /Y may be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This may be overridden with /-Y on the command line.

C:\>

The Internet was not created so that you could dump your homework assignments verbatim into a Q&A forum for someone to do it for you. You will never learn to do anything for yourself if that is how you want to get through life.

I still wasn't able to figure it out after reading through the my textbook and researching online.

What is strange is why anybody would tell anybody to study DOS batch scripts for any reason. It is a skill that will die like magnetic memory bead threading.

Might as well teach students Latin.
Thinking  about it, , Latin has more promise

Image for Wikipedia.

So lets break that down.  Essentially copying a file you have to know the SOURCE of the file and the DESTINATION of the file.  The source and destination are clearly defined in your homework assignment.

SOURCE: On your C: drive you have a directory named HOMEWORK, in the HOMEWORK directory you have a directory named ENGLISH.  In the ENGLISH directory you have a directory named STUFF.  You have your final presentation paper in the STUFF directory named english.txt.

DESTINATION: copy the english.txt file to your usb drive which is drive e:\. On drive e:\ you have a directory named PRINT. copy the english.txt file to the PRINT directory on the e:\ and name it efinal.txt.

So tell me what your source and destinations are?