Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: robocopy time to resume after CRC error

Robocopy CRC error resume time optimization.

Quick Answer: Use the /MIR option to mirror the source directory, and consider using a more robust file copy tool like xcopy or 7zip.

Robocopy encounters a corrupt file, resulting in a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) error due to hardware failure on the old external USB drive. This issue affects users who are using Robocopy to copy files from an old drive to a new one.

This situation can be frustrating as it causes the job to pause and wait for a considerable amount of time before resuming, leading to delays in completing the task.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • Robocopy's default behavior is designed to prioritize data integrity over speed. When a CRC error occurs, Robocopy temporarily pauses the copy process to ensure that the corrupted file is not copied further. This pause allows the system to recover from the error and continue copying files once the issue is resolved.
  • The added registry value for Session Timeout (15 seconds) only affects the time taken between sessions, rather than the time spent on each individual operation. As a result, the CRC error still requires Robocopy to wait before resuming its job.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Optimizing Robocopy Settings

  1. Step 1: Open the Command Prompt and navigate to the directory where you are running the Robocopy command. Add the following switches to your command: /B (batch mode) and /MIR (mirror, including files that have been modified on the source but not on the destination). This will allow Robocopy to skip files with CRC errors and resume the job more quickly.
  2. Step 2: Run the updated Robocopy command: robocopy.exe "G: v series 3" \Game1 g v series 3/*.* /B /MIR /S /E /V /R:0 /W:0 /XN /XO
  3. Step 3: Verify that the updated command is working as expected by running it again and monitoring its progress.

Using an Alternative Copy Tool

  1. Step 1: Consider using alternative copy tools like Xcopy or PowerShell's Copy-Item cmdlet, which may be more efficient at handling CRC errors. These tools can often skip corrupted files and resume the job without requiring additional configuration.
  2. Step 2: For example, you can use the following PowerShell command to replicate your Robocopy command: Get-ChildItem -Path \Game1 g v series 3\\

🎯 Final Words

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