RichCopy is a file copy utility program developed by Ken Tamaru of Microsoft Corporation, discontinued in 2010.[1] It is multi-threaded, which permits it under some circumstances to copy files faster than some other copiers available for the Windows operating system. It provides a complete graphical user interface (GUI), whereas Microsoft's multi-threaded Robocopy is a command-line utility,[2] although there are GUI interfaces for it.
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 4.0.217
|
| Operating system | Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 |
| License | Proprietary |
Features
edit- Can copy several files simultaneously ("multi-threaded"), which under certain network conditions, may reduce the time required for file transfers.
- Can be invoked either as a command-line utility or via a graphical user interface (GUI).
- If used with the GUI, can generate the command line to carry out the action specified for the GUI.[3]
Criticisms
edit- Bugs not fixed before support was discontinued remain. RichCopy is best utilized by experienced users who know how to verify that copy operations have completed successfully without errors.[4]
- RichCopy is not supported by Microsoft.[2] The program has not been updated since approximately June 2009, despite numerous users requesting bug fixes.
- Duplicates Robocopy functionality.
Defects
editRichCopy will not copy files that are opened with certain combinations of file sharing attributes. Any process may open files for exclusive read access using the FILE_SHARE_READ attribute.[5] Another company created the non-free program GS RichCopy 360, which can copy open files and has been developed further.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "A Comprehensive List of All 11 Discontinued Microsoft Utilities - Version Museum". Version Museum. 17 December 2019.
- ^ a b Hoffman, Joshua (April 2009). "Free Utility: RichCopy, an Advanced Alternative to RoboCopy". TechNet Magazine. Microsoft.
- ^ Tamaru, Ken (20 May 2009). "Command option update". Ken (Kenzaburo) Tamaru's Blog. Microsoft – via Archived MSDN and TechNet Blogs.
- ^ Ilascu, Ionut (March 25, 2009). "Microsoft's Multithread Copy Solution". softpedia.com. SoftNews NET SRL. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
- ^ "CreateFileA function (Fileapi.h) - Win32 apps". 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Gurusquad - GS RichCopy 360 – file copy tool | copy files over network".
External links
edit- Official sources
- Other
- TechNet Blog of Keith Combs describes advantages of using RichCopy and WinRAR to transfer multiple large files simultaneously.
- RichCopy How-To Guide
- Five Best Alternative File Copiers