Copy a directory using NSIS .

Question

I can't seem to find any information about how to copy a directory using NSIS ?, i know there is a file command but is there any command to copy a directory .

nawfal · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-30T06:15:46.720

41

The syntax is same for both directory and file, except that you need to specify a directory by providing a \ at the end. File command copies the directory if the specified argument is a directory. For eg, you can do:

SetOutPath "outputPath"
File "myDirectory\" #note back slash at the end

But that copies only the top level directory. To recursively do it, you have /r switch

SetOutPath "outputPath"
File /nonfatal /a /r "myDirectory\" #note back slash at the end

which copies the contents of myDirectory (but not myDirectory folder itself). /nonfatal ignores without an error if there is no particular directory. /a copies file attributes as well. /x switch is used to exclude files.

Otherwise,

SetOutPath "outputPath\myDirectory"
File /nonfatal /a /r "myDirectory\" #note back slash at the end

copies all the contents of myDirectory including myDirectory folder to outputPath.

edited Jul 30 '13 at 06:15

answered Jul 23 '13 at 16:40

nawfal

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Thanks! The last example doesn't seem to work though... To create the folder, I have to use SetOutPath $INSTDIR\myDirectory and then File /a /r "myDirectory\" – werner Jan 30 '15 at 16:30
@nawfal, THANK YOU so much for stressing the '\' at the end. It was driving me CRAZY!! I didn't see anything referencing that in the NSIS documentation. – Damian May 30 '16 at 02:43
Important to say it will have a side effect as does pack the directory inside the installer executable on compilation stage. – Andry Sep 14 '17 at 13:59

score 5 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 13 '12 at 11:39

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I found how to do it , sorry for the trouble .

Extract the files to a directory which can't exist beforehand

CreateDirectory $Installdir\extracting

SetOutPath $Installdir\extracting

File Directory\*

answered Jun 13 '12 at 11:39

rajat

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`SetOutPath` already creates the passed directory and subdirectories, so calling CreateDirectory first is not necessary. – Claudi Oct 23 '13 at 06:51

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 13 '12 at 12:19

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The File instruction extracts files from your installer and CopyFiles copies files and/or directories that already exist on the end-users system (You can use $EXEDIR if you need to copy files off a dvd where your installer is also located...)

answered Jun 13 '12 at 12:19

Anders

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Fabien Ducat · Answer 4 · 2019-10-08T20:11:45.743

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The star to match the whole content after the back slash is mandatory. The syntax is the following.

See the manual section 4.9.1.6

SetOutPath "outputPath\myDirectory"
File /nonfatal /a /r "myDirectory\*"

edited Oct 08 '19 at 20:11

answered Oct 04 '19 at 15:22

Fabien Ducat

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Why do you mention the star is mandatory after the backslash, but it's not in the code sample you provide? – Jeff B Oct 04 '19 at 15:52

Copy a directory using NSIS .

4 Answers4