GatherBird Copy Large
Files (CLF) allows you to copy files over unreliable and slow
network connections and devices. It is particularly useful when
copying files with Window Explorer fails due to the size of the file
and instability of the network. CLF copies files up to 2 TB
(Terabytes) in size (250 times as large as what a DVD can hold). CLF
insures the copied file(s) are identical to the original. CLF is
relentless in its attempts to copy your files, recover from errors,
and automatically retries when necessary. CLF supports a resume
feature and requires no intervention on your part to recover from
problems. CLF also works great for over USB drive connections and
other devices. CLF supports command line parameters for automation.
Just select the file you
want to copy, the destination directory, and hit the Copy button.
Why
you need Copy Large Files?
Sometimes copying files to
network drives, especially large files, can work intermittently or
lock up your Windows Explorer. Typically, in a business environment,
some network drives and directories can be located anywhere across
the country and be on a slower (cheaper) type connection. Copying
large files can be impossible or take multiple attempts because of
network glitches that cancel the operation before the copy is
finished. In these unstable environments corrupt files are commonly
produced. Copy Large Files overcomes all these problems. The files
get there and are exactly the same as the original.
Why
you Don’t need Copy Large Files
Copy Large Files is not a
file splitter.
Over reliable networks
Copy Large Files copies files more slowly than Windows Explorer.
Copy Large File can not
overcome Operating System limitations for the maximum allowed file
sizes.
Getting Started
To copy a file or files
first hit one of the Add File buttons. The Add File(s) ...
browse button allows you to select files from the standard
Windows file selection box. You can select one or more files that
you would like added to the copy list.
Once files have been added
to the list then the Subtract button can be used to remove a
file if you made a mistake.
Hint: You can drag
files or directories from Windows Explorer to the Source File
list box.
The Add File(s) ...
directory button allows you to type in a file or directory name.
This is useful when a file can’t currently be selected from a
browse window because the file does not yet exist or the file
resides on a network drive that is temporarily inaccessible. Copy
Large Files will automatically begin to copy a file when the network
becomes available or when the file appears (meaning another
application just created the file or copied the file to your source
directory).
Hint: Use the combo
box to select file names you have entered previously.
Hint: Use the
Browse button to help select a directory without needing to type it
in.
It is possible to select
multiple files from this screen by using a wild card character. When
a wild card character is used then the include sub directories
option can be selected. CLF will search the subdirectories for files
that match the wild card parameter and select those files to be
copied. CLF will create a matching sub directory structure under
your destination directory when it is copying multiple files from
different source directories.
The Destination
Directory can be typed or selected with help of the browse
button. Only the directory name should be entered. There is no
reason to enter a file name in the Destination Directory field
because copied files are always named after the original source
files.
Hint: You can drag
a directory from Windows Explorer to the Destination Directory
field.
Hint: A history of
your previous choices made in the Destination Directory field
is kept and can be selected again in the drop down list box.
After the file name and
destination directory have been entered, hit the Copy button.
Hint: When a copy
is in progress you can add additional files to be copied. Just add
more files to the Source File list as you did before, select a
destination directory, and hit the Copy button again.
After experiencing
problems, such as a long network outage, Copy Large File may only be
retrying the copy at one minute intervals. If you are testing and
know the network problem has been corrected it may take Copy Large
Files up to a minute to resume. The same is true when Copy Large
Files is waiting for a source file to “arrive”. It may
take one minute for Copy Large Files to see the file and begin the
copy.
Hint: This screen
and columns are re-sizable. Your preferences are retained each time
the program is run.
Real
Time Display
As each file is being
copied the status information is continually updated and displayed
in a status list box.
Hint: When the
copying is in progress you can minimize the Copy Large Files
application and it will continue to copy the files.
The Pause, Resume, and
Remove features can be used individually for each copy session. Each
copy session is displayed in the status list box. To use these
features select the copy session from the list then hit one of the
buttons.
The Pause button
will temporarily stop the file from being copied. You may want to do
this if you feel other tasks on your computer temporarily need the
extra attention from the processor. When a copy is in pause mode
then the Resume button will be enabled and will allow you to
continue the copy. After a file has a status of Finished then use
the Remove button to remove it from the list.
The Remove button
will also cancel a copy that is in progress. If you choose that
option while a copy is in progress the following warning message
will appear.
Options
When the Beep when
finished copying option is selected then CLF will beep
periodically and flash the window when a copy has completed. When
the copy status line is removed the beeping will stop.
When the Enable Logging
option is selected then CLF will create a text log file in the
directory specified in the Logging Directory text box. The
log file will be named CopyLargeFilesLog.txt and will contain
information about files that were copied successfully or information
about error conditions. Using a local logging directory (no a
network drive) is recommended.
Hint: When viewing
the CopyLargeFilesLog.txt with a text editor search for the key
words “SUCCESS” and “ERROR” to quickly see
the most valuable information.
If the Don’t copy
if identically named destination file with same or later date
already exists is checked then CLF will check for the existence
of the destination file before attempting the copy. If a file with
the identical name of the source file already exists and that file
is dated the same or newer than the source file CLF will NOT copy
the file. If NOT checked then the file will always be copied, time
and date checking will not take place.
When “Overwrite
identically named destination files” is selected CLF will
copy over files with the same name if they exist in the destination
directory. If the other option Create “Copy (2) of”
file if identically named destination file exists is selected
then existing files with the same name will not be replaced.
Instead, the source file will be copied and named with the standard
Windows “Copy (2)” convention.
Enable Fast Mode
can increase copy speed up to 15% under some circumstances. Some
systems may experience delays in other applications running in
Windows when CLF is in fast mode. Also, closing CLF or using the
pause feature while a copy is in progress may take longer to
complete when files are being copied in fast mode.
When the CRC option
is checked CLF will read back the copied file during the copy
process and check its accuracy against the original. This is a
“double check” that Windows accurately reported a
successful copy and is not usually needed. Checking this option will
reduce the speed of CLF by half.
When the “Other
programs may change the source files” option is checked
CLF verifies that the source files have not been changed by another
program while the copy is taking place. Most people do not have this
problem. Note: If the destination file is deleted by another
application during the copy then CLF will restart the copy
regardless of this setting.
You have the option to
disable many message boxes at the time they are viewed. This is
useful when you feel that
you no longer need to see an informational or warning message. The
Enable all “Don’t ask me again” warning
messages option allows you to see all the message boxes again
when you have previously chosen “Don’t ask me again”.
Here is an example of one of the “Don’t ask me again”
warnings:
Command
Line
Copy Large Files supports
command line options which allow Copy Large Files to be called from
an automated or batch process. When Copy Large Files is run in this
manner it will automatically exit when the copy has finished. The
command line supports two different styles of copies. The first is
copying a single file and the second is copying multiple files from
a directory. The syntax for the first is:
The <file name>,
<destination directory>, <options>, and <directory
name> must be fully enclosed with quotes. The < and >
characters are shown above for notation purposes, do not include
them in your command line. There is no space between the – and
the SOURCE:, DESTINATION:, OPTIONS:, or
LOGDIRECTORY: keywords.
Example 1:
CopyLargeFiles.exe -SOURCE:"c:\backup1\backup_9.zip"
-DESTINATION:"N:\" -LOGDIRECTORY:"c:\"
Example 2: CopyLargeFiles.exe
-SOURCE:"d:\GatherBird_data.mdb"
-DESTINATION:"c:\dev\data" –OPTIONS:"DVFCP"
The <directory
name>, <wildcard extension>,<destination
directory>, and <options> must be fully enclosed
with quotes. The < and > characters are shown above for
notation purposes, do not include them in your command line. There
is no space between the – and the
SOURCEDIRECTORY:,EXTENSION:,-DESTINATION:,
OPTIONS:, or LOGDIRECTORY: keywords.
The -EXTENSION can contain
one or more wildcard extensions separated by commas. Example of
valid extensions are –EXTENSION:”*.zip” and
–EXTENSION:”*.zip,*.doc”
The -OPTIONS parameter is
optional. The option choices mirror the choices available in the
options screen of CLF. If –OPTIONS is not specified the
default behavior is used.
"D" will select
the option Don’t copy if identically named destination file
with same or later date already exists. If not specified
(default) always copy the file.
"V" will select
the option to Overwrite identically named destination files.
If missing (default) then Create “Copy (2) of” file
if identically named destination file exists will be selected.
“F” will Enable
Fast Mode.
“C” will enable CRC
checking.
“P” will check the “Other
programs may change the source files” option.
“S” will tell CLF to copy
all files in subdirectories.
The “S”
parameter indicates that Copy Large Files should not only copy files
from the source directory but all of it’s subdirectories as
well. The SUB parameter (subdirectories) defaults to NO if not
specified.
Example 1:
CopyLargeFiles.exe -SOURCEDIRECTORY:"c:\my documents"
-EXTENSION:"*.doc" -DESTINATION:"N:\docsbackup"
Example 2:
CopyLargeFiles.exe -SOURCEDIRECTORY:"c:\backup"
-EXTENSION:"*.doc,*.zip,*.txt” -DESTINATION:"c:\dev\data"
–OPTIONS:”DSVFCP”
The -LOGGINGDIRECTORY
parameter is optional. The option specifies the directory where CLF
should create a log file.
Resume
If a copy was in progress
and for some reason was interrupted then the next time you run Copy
Large Files a prompt will ask you whether you would like to resume
those copies.
Behind
the scenes
This easy to use interface
hides the extensive work done by Copy Large Files which ensures the
copy is the same as the original. Copy Large Files and does not
require your attention to employ any of its error recovery
algorithms. There are many network problems overcome by Copy Large
Files that you don’t need to know about but might be of
interest.
Some of these behind the scenes features are:
(If enabled) A CRC check
of all data written to the destination file ensures file integrity.
Depending on the network
errors encountered and the speed of the network Copy Large Files
automatically adjusts the size of the data packets that travel over
the network to avoid repeating those errors.
Copy Large Files
automatically adjusts the speed of the copy to allow Windows to
perform other tasks smoothly while the copy takes place.
The resume feature
recovers from Windows lockup problems or when Windows was shutdown
while Copy Large Files is copying.
Copy Large Files recovers
even when the network goes down in total. When the network becomes
usable again Copy Large Files continues to copy where it left off
without any intervention required on your part.
(If enabled) Copy Large
files detects if other programs have changed the source file or the
destination file while it is copying.
Update
History
Version 2.5 Released January 2nd, 2009
A potential problem was fixed were the status column on the main
page could display uninitialized memory. This potential problem was
not reported by any users.
Version 2.4
released April 13th , 2008
Problems can occur when
other applications change the source file while it is being copied
by CLF. This situation was not handled perfectly even when the
“Other programs might be changing the source files during the
copy” option was checked. In some cases the copy would stall
at 99.99%. The problem has been fixed.
A warning has been added if the logging directory is on a network
drive.
System
Requirements
Compatible operating
system versions: Windows 98/ME, Windows NT/2000/XP/2003
Server/Vista
Disk space needed to
install: 2 megabytes
Difference between the
free trial and the registered version
The free trial version
expires after 45 days. After 45 day you must register to copy files
larger than 1 megabyte.
How
to Register
You can register by going to
www.gatherbird.com
and choosing the register option for
GatherBird Copy Large Files. The payment procedure is handled by
PayPal. PayPal is a popular service owned by eBay that handles
credit card and other transactions on a secure server. After paying
you will immediately
receive a registration key by email
which will enable all the features of the software.
After paying you will also
immediately be emailed a login name and password that allows
access to our website member’s area. From the member’s
area you will be able to retrieve new registration keys at any time.
The registration keys will allow you to re-install the application
in the event you upgrade your computer or you would like to upgrade
to a newer version of the software.
License
Agreement
Copy Large Files
GatherBird
All Rights Reserved
License Agreement
You should carefully read
the following terms and conditions before using this software.
Unless you have a
different license agreement signed by GatherBird your use of this
software indicates your acceptance of this license agreement and
warranty.
Registered Version
One registered copy of
Copy Large Files may be used by a single person and immediate family
for non business use on up to 5 computers or installed on a single
workstation used non-simultaneously by multiple people in a business
environment, or both.
You may access the
registered version of Copy Large Files through a network, provided
that you have obtained individual licenses for the software covering
all workstations that will access the software through the network.
For instance, if 8 different workstations will access Copy Large
Files on the network, each workstation must have its own Copy Large
Files license, regardless of whether they use Copy Large Files at
different times or concurrently.
Governing Law
This agreement shall be
governed by the laws of the State of Kansas.
Disclaimer of Warranty
THIS SOFTWARE AND THE
ACCOMPANYING FILES ARE SOLD ""AS IS"" AND
WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO
PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. Because of the various hardware and software
environments into which Copy Large Files may be put, NO WARRANTY OF
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. Good data processing
procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with
non-critical data before relying on it. The user must assume the
entire risk of using the program. ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL
BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE
PRICE.
Demo Version.
This is not free software.
Subject to the terms below, you are hereby licensed to use this
software for evaluation purposes without charge for a period of 45
days. If you use this software after the 45 day evaluation period a
registration fee is required. Unregistered use of Copy Large Files
after the 45-day evaluation period is in violation of U.S. and
international copyright laws.
Distribution
Provided that you verify
that you are distributing the evaluation version you are hereby
licensed to make as many copies of the evaluation version of this
software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the
original evaluation version to anyone; and distribute the evaluation
version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via
electronic means. There is no charge for any of the above.
You are specifically
prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such
copies, however made; and from distributing the software and/or
documentation with other products (commercial or otherwise) without
prior written permission.
I am
copying a file from a Windows 2000 computer to a Windows 98 computer
and Copy Large Files stops copying the file at 2 GB.
Windows Operating Systems
have a maximum file size limitation which can vary depending on how
the hard drive is formatted and the BIOS setting of the computer.
CLF can not workaround this Operating System limitation.
Basically, Windows 98
computers have a maximum file size limitation of either 2GB or 4 GB
depending on if the hard drive is formatted as FAT16 or FAT32. The
BIOS on the computer can also affect the limit. Windows NT based
systems will have a have a maximum file size limitation of either
4GB or 2 TB (which is huge) depending on whether the hard drive is
formatted as FAT32 or NTFS.
