Combine all files from multiple folders with the same Windows directory structure

Combining Files from Multiple Folders with a Similar Directory Structure in Windows

If you’re managing photos and files divided into multiple folders by month, you might find yourself with a repetitive task: combining those month-specific folders into a single, well-organized directory for the year. Fortunately, if your folders have identical structures, there’s a streamlined way to achieve this using built-in Windows tools without the need for third-party applications.

Understanding the Structure

Assume you have 12 folders labeled January, February, March, and so on. Each of these monthly folders contains the same set of subfolders (e.g., vacations, birthdays, events) with relevant photos in them. The goal is to maintain this directory structure when consolidating all your photos into a single folder labeled “2023” or whatever year you’re working on.

Step-by-Step Method

1. Create a New Main Folder:
   Start by creating a new folder on your desktop or in your desired location. This will be your main folder (e.g., “2023”).
2. Replicate the Directory Structure:
   You can manually create the folder structure within your new main folder to mirror the monthly folders, or you can use a simple command prompt trick to save time. If you’re comfortable with the command line, open Command Prompt (type cmd in the Start menu) and navigate to the location of your monthly folders. Use the robocopy command to create the structure. For example:

   robocopy "C:\Path\To\January" "C:\Path\To\2023" /E /CREATE

You would repeat this for each month’s folder. This command will create an identical structure in your “2023” folder without copying any files.

3. Merge Files using Command Prompt:
   After the structure is set up, you can use robocopy again to combine files from each month into the corresponding subfolder of your new main folder. To copy files from January, you would use:

   robocopy "C:\Path\To\January\*" "C:\Path\To\2023\*" /E

Repeat this for each subsequent month while specifying the correct path for each. The /E switch ensures all subdirectories are copied.

4. Dealing with Duplicate Files:
   If there are files with the same name across different months, you’ll need to handle that manually; robocopy will overwrite files without prompting. One way to mitigate this is to rename files that could potentially conflict during the copying process.
5. Cleanup:
   After successfully consolidating your files, take some time to review your new folder structure. Ensure all photos exist in the correct subfolders. You can also delete the older monthly folders if you’re confident you’ve captured everything correctly.

Conclusion

By leveraging tools available in Windows, it’s entirely feasible to combine multiple folders with identical directory structures quickly and effectively. This method not only saves time but also helps maintain an organized digital archive system for your files. Whether you’re dealing with photographs or other types of files, following these steps will ensure that your yearly archives are both comprehensive and orderly.