how to copy files using xp_cmdshell

[SJM]

Howdy, hope someone can help me out with this.
I want to run a job each night that copies files from one server to another.
I cant even get a simple copy one file from one directory to another,
statement to work.
When I try :

@cmd 'copy c:\temp\file1.txt c:\backups\file1.txt'
master.dbo.xp_cmdshell @cmd

I get the msg: 'c' is not recognised as an internal command, program or
batch file, Null.

What I ideally want to do is pass xp_cmdshell variables for the 2 file's
path+names. I have tried numerous variations of single and double quotes
without success, which is why I decided to work up form the simple 'copy
c:\temp\file1.txt c:\backups\file1.txt', but can't even get that to work.
Any advice much appreciated.

[Erland Sommarskog]

SJM (na) writes:

Howdy, hope someone can help me out with this. I want to run a job each
night that copies files from one server to another. I cant even get a
simple copy one file from one directory to another, statement to work.
When I try :

@cmd 'copy c:\temp\file1.txt c:\backups\file1.txt'
master.dbo.xp_cmdshell @cmd

I get the msg: 'c' is not recognised as an internal command, program or
batch file, Null.

What I ideally want to do is pass xp_cmdshell variables for the 2 file's
path+names. I have tried numerous variations of single and double quotes
without success, which is why I decided to work up form the simple 'copy
c:\temp\file1.txt c:\backups\file1.txt', but can't even get that to work.
Any advice much appreciated.

I would guess you have made a mistake in the declaration of @cmd:

DECLARE @cmd varchar

this is the same as

DECLARE @cmd varchar(1)

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, es****@sommarskog.se

Books Online for SQL Server 2005 at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro...ads/books.mspx
Books Online for SQL Server 2000 at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinf...ons/books.mspx

[Madhivanan]

On Nov 18, 3:15 pm, Erland Sommarskog <[e-mail]:

SJM (na) writes:

Howdy, hope someone can help me out with this. I want to run a job each
night that copies files from one server to another. I cant even get a
simple copy one file from one directory to another, statement to work.
When I try :

@cmd 'copy c:\temp\file1.txt c:\backups\file1.txt'
master.dbo.xp_cmdshell @cmd

I get the msg: 'c' is not recognised as an internal command, program or
batch file, Null.

What I ideally want to do is pass xp_cmdshell variables for the 2 file's
path+names. I have tried numerous variations of single and double quotes
without success, which is why I decided to work up form the simple 'copy
c:\temp\file1.txt c:\backups\file1.txt', but can't even get that to work.
Any advice much appreciated.

I would guess you have made a mistake in the declaration of @cmd:

DECLARE @cmd varchar

this is the same as

DECLARE @cmd varchar(1)

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, [e-mail]

Books Online for SQL Server 2005 athttp://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/downloads/books...
Books Online for SQL Server 2000 athttp://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/books.mspx- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

IMO, it should throw error saying "Length is not specified"
Sometimes it becomes tedius to debug if you forget to specify column
width

[Erland Sommarskog]

Madhivanan (ma************@gmail.com) writes:

IMO, it should throw error saying "Length is not specified"
Sometimes it becomes tedius to debug if you forget to specify column
width

Yes, the default of 1 is silly.

While not explicitly mentioned, this is typically something that should
be flagged when SET STRICT_CHECKS ON is in effect, a SET option which I
have suggested in
https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLSer...dbackID=260762.

Votes are welcome!

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, es****@sommarskog.se

Books Online for SQL Server 2005 at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro...ads/books.mspx
Books Online for SQL Server 2000 at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinf...ons/books.mspx