Robocopy fails to copy files having .url extension

Brian Hart 21

I backup my computer to a NAS using a batch file that runs robocopy and logs all activity to .txt files.

I just discovered while reviewing log files that many files, but nowhere near the majority of files, have been failing with this error:

There is not enough space on the disk.
ERROR: RETRY LIMIT EXCEEDED.

When I looked more deeply, I found that every file that failed this way was a file having the extension ".url". There is nothing else I can see that the failed files have in common: some are short paths, some are long paths. Some have only one work and no spaces (e.g. "Login.url"); others have multiple words with one or more spaces between the words (e.g. "Support Forums - Dell Community.url").

Is there something inherent in robocopy preventing copying of .url files, or is it possible the NAS is denying the copy due to the .url suffix? Is there some way to get a more exact error message from robocopy? I know there is sufficient space, since it copies all the other (and much larger) files than the .url files.

The NAS is a WesternDigital MyCloud device, so probably Linux OS.

3086Here 1 Reputation point

2022-04-06T21:52:21.857+00:00

Experimentation showed me the following:

Some *.url files copy without problem.
Some *.url files generate the Insufficient disk space message using Robocopy, copy, or xcopy commands. These files are under 1k in length and there is gigabytes of available space on NAS disk. The errors not only occur copying to a NAS, but also to a Fat32 partition on my same system.

The origin files are on NTFS file system. I would guess that there is some problem copying these .url files to a foreign file system. Is there anything special about .url files?

I zipped them, and the zip'd file copied without problem. I unziped them back to a fat32 partition, without problem. The fat32 files now existed, and (FC) compared exactly to the original NTFS files. Surprisingly now these fat32 .url files can be copied to the NAS.

What is happening? Any options available to copy these files more directly?

Thanks you in advance for any guidance that you can offer.
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2022-04-06T22:17:14.953+00:00
What are the contents of one of these files? Of the one's that I have found, they are just plain text files. Is it pointing to some malicious HTTP address? Maybe your antivirus software is detecting something.

C:\>type C:\Users\Admin\Favorites\Bing.url [{000214A0-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}] Prop3=19,2 [InternetShortcut] IDList= URL=http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=255142 IconIndex=0 IconFile=%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\Images\bing.ico
Brian Hart 21 Reputation points

2022-04-18T21:52:31.937+00:00

OP here. My big problem in all of this is that this is in a scheduled task that invokes a single batch file that, in turn, calls two separate batch files: one that robocopies my business files to the NAS and one that robocopies my family's personal files to the NAS, like this:

Call CopyMyBusinessFiles.bat
Call CopyMyFamilyFiles.bat

Yes, I want it that way because I log them separately, and they are in separate locations on the backed-up computer. But the first/business robocopy returns 0xB because of the failing .url files. And I just found that this, in turn, prevents the second batch file from ever being run. So all my children's QuickBooks and other business files have not been being backed up because of this.

And I have dozens of .url files scattered about my business files where I store them as pointers to various solutions to past problems for my clients. So it is no small matter, as it may have been for some other posters, to move these files elsewhere; I need to retain the specific location of each within my Windows folder structure.

So I need a systemic solution here: either a way to prevent those .url files from generating errors, or I would be just as happy to be able to have my task scheduler batch file ignore the 0xB return code from the first Call above so that my batch file can do the second call instead of failing after the first. For now, I split them into two tasks so that my children's critical business files are not lost in the event of a computer failure.
Da Tore 1 Reputation point

2022-11-16T07:32:22.713+00:00

I found the problem in my system

I had the same problem copying some URL files to my newer NAS both manually in explorer or with robocopy, found that there was no problem copying to my old NAS.
For some reason I had set to use SMB 2 and 3 in my newer NAS, when I changed to SMB 3 there is no problem copying these URL files that didn't work before the change to SMB.

So, check and change the settings in your NAS under network to only SMB 3 if you use SMB 1 or 2 or combined.
GERALD DOLAN 0 Reputation points

2024-10-29T03:37:22.6833333+00:00

I get the same robocopy error 112 copying URL internet shortcuts files from Windows 11 laptop or Windows 10 Desktop to Western Digital MyCloud NAS drives running Linux. Changing NAS from SMB2/3 to SMB 3 only did not solve the problem for me. Does anyone have any other solutions?

12 answers

3086Here 1 Reputation point

2022-04-07T17:57:20.067+00:00

Created a test1.log file with the same contents of the url file using notepad..
Copied the test1.url file to a test1.test file
used FC to compare the three files. All compared OK.
copied the three files to my NAS. test.log copied fine, the .url and .txt file did not copy.
other .txt and .log files always copy to nas fine.
Something is special about the .url file, even if you copy it to a different name, but the comtents are the same
(Note the original .url files were created/copied from the address bar of the chrome web explorer, by dragging it to the desktop.)

here are the details:

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>dir
Volume in drive C is Win10(SSD64)
Volume Serial Number is 1070-4520

Directory of C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1

2022-04-07 12:34 PM <DIR> .
2022-04-07 12:34 PM <DIR> ..
2022-04-07 12:24 PM 312 Test1.log
2018-10-04 11:41 AM 312 test1.url
2022-04-07 12:27 PM <DIR> testit
2 File(s) 624 bytes
3 Dir(s) 4,885,045,248 bytes free

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>copy test1.url test1.txt
1 file(s) copied.

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>fc test1.log test1.url
Comparing files Test1.log and TEST1.URL
FC: no differences encountered

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>fc test1.log test1.txt
Comparing files Test1.log and TEST1.TXT
FC: no differences encountered

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>copy * \mycloudex2\2\testit
Test1.log
test1.txt
There is not enough space on the disk.
test1.url
There is not enough space on the disk.
1 file(s) copied.

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>dir \mycloudex2\2\testit
Volume in drive \mycloudex2\2 is 2
Volume Serial Number is 61A9-5128

Directory of \mycloudex2\2\testit

2022-04-07 12:35 PM <DIR> .
2022-04-05 05:41 PM <DIR> ..
2022-04-07 12:24 PM 312 Test1.log
1 File(s) 312 bytes
2 Dir(s) 5,741,343,797,248 bytes free
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MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2022-04-07T18:39:19.227+00:00

Instead of copying to \mycloudex2\2\testit what happens if you perform the same copies to c:\temp\testit? Or do you have a share on a Windows server that you can copy to?

Have you talked to your NAS administrator and asked him to check whatever logs are available on the NAS? Does the NAS have any trace functionality?

MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2022-04-07T19:18:26.943+00:00

As you've proven, there isn't much to a .url file, just some text. Forum users like me would have no idea what's going on in your environment that would cause such a problem. The best that I can offer are suggestions to help you try to isolate the issue.

That's why I suggested that you copy to another folder on the same pc and to a different Windows machine. That would be evidence that there is some issue with the NAS.

At the same time, use a different Windows client. Is it able to copy .url files to the NAS?
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3086Here 1 Reputation point

2022-04-08T01:21:15.413+00:00

WOW, good suggestion, but with surprising results.

Copy original three files from my pc to another ntfs disk on my pc works fine.
copy original three files from my ps to a FAT partition on my pc, works fine
copy original three (NTFS) files to NAS fails with no space error.

COPY FAT32 PARTITION FILES TO THE NAS WORKS PERFECTLY. (.TXT .LOG & .URL)

So I keep thinking that there is something special about a NTFS .url file or a ntfs url file that is renamed, that gets lost when copied to a fat even though the files are identical:

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>fc test1.url d:\test1.url
Comparing files test1.url and D:\TEST1.URL
FC: no differences encountered

see details:

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>dir *
Volume in drive C is Win10(SSD64)
Volume Serial Number is 1070-4520

Directory of C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1

2022-04-07 07:30 PM <DIR> .
2022-04-07 07:30 PM <DIR> ..
2022-04-07 07:29 PM 312 test1.log
2022-04-07 07:30 PM 312 test1.txt
2018-10-04 11:41 AM 312 test1.url
2022-04-07 07:19 PM <DIR> testit
3 File(s) 936 bytes
3 Dir(s) 5,973,393,408 bytes free

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>copy * \mycloudex2\2\testit\
test1.log
There is not enough space on the disk.
test1.txt
test1.url
There is not enough space on the disk.
1 file(s) copied.

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>copy * d:\
test1.log
test1.txt
test1.url
3 file(s) copied.

C:\Users\Terry\Desktop\test1>copy d:\test1.* \mycloudex2\2\testit\
d:\test1.log
d:\test1.txt
Overwrite \mycloudex2\2\testit\test1.txt? (Yes/No/All): y
d:\test1.url
3 file(s) copied.
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MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2022-04-08T02:19:33.63+00:00

The obvious: file attributes, alternate streams (as @Pavel A pointed out), potentially NTFS permissions and file content.

This is why I asked you to copy these files to a share on another Windows PC/server. If that works, then it would seem to indicate that there is issue with the NAS.

And also copy the files from a different Windows PC to the NAS. If that also fails, then it again points to the NAS. If it works, then would indicate the problem is with the first PC.

Just put a bunch of xxxxxxxxxx's in a .url file and try to copy to the NAS. If that works, then it would seem to indicate that some AV software is detecting the URL=HTTP text and blocking it.

Are the Windows machines members of an Active Directory domain? If yes, have you reviewed group policy settings with your admin?

Has your NAS administrator reviewed the logs on the NAS?
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3086Here 1 Reputation point

2022-04-08T03:56:49.907+00:00

A URL in Windows is a pointer, like a link to a file. Is it possible that the copy operation is trying to find the linked entity to copy vs the pointer link itself.

That may be why when I create a .url file using the text from the .url pointer (end) file , that the copy completes without error. Is it possible to have robocopy copy the pointer, itself, and not the data that the url is pointing to??

That may be the problem, hopefully.
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MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2022-04-08T12:52:24.22+00:00

and not the data that the url is pointing to??

The "link" in a url file is pointing to an HTTP address. How would robocopy process http://www.yahoo.com? Where would it put it? What would it try to copy? The entire web site?

Even if it tried to copy the icon file, those files are small and shouldn't run you out of disk space. And again, where would it put the file? Because it's not in the source folder.
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3086Here 1 Reputation point

2022-04-09T15:37:32.603+00:00

Simple solution: copy offending file to fat32 partition on my computer. delete the source, and copy it back to the source.

easily done by checking log for error 112, doing the copies, and restart robocopy.

Works Perfectly on lots of deadly url's ! There has to be something special about web copied url's that can not be seen, and is only hidden in NTFS files.

My problem is resolved, thanks
(I'm going to pipe the robocopy output to a function to check the error code, do the copies, and hopefully get them done before the robocopy retry timeout expires. that will let things backup in one robocopy operation. )
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MotoX80 37,156

The return code from the robocopy in the first call should not stop the second bat file from being called. Add some echo statements in each bat file and make sure that the scheduled task captures both stdout and stderr.

Have the task run cmd.exe with arguments:

/c C:\Scripts\MyScript.bat 1>C:\Scripts\MyScript.log 2>&1

The basic problem with copying the .url files is that I can't recreate your problem. I can't tell you what to fix because I don't know what is wrong.

Try copying the files with Powershell.

$Source = 'C:\'  
$Dest = 'D:\UrlTest\'  
$files = Get-ChildItem -Path $Source -Recurse -Filter '*.url' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue  
foreach ($f in $files) {  
    $NewName = $f.FullName.Replace($Source,$Dest)  
    $NewFolder = $f.DirectoryName.Replace($Source,$Dest)  
    New-Item $NewFolder -ItemType Directory -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue  
    Copy-Item  $f.FullName -Destination $NewName -force  
}

@Pavel A suggestion of using the streams utility still would appear to be the most likely solution to the .url file problem.

C:\Users\madne\Downloads>streams VisualStudioSetup.exe  
  
streams v1.60 - Reveal NTFS alternate streams.  
Copyright (C) 2005-2016 Mark Russinovich  
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com  
  
C:\Users\madne\Downloads\VisualStudioSetup.exe:  
     :SmartScreen:$DATA 7  
   :Zone.Identifier:$DATA       378  
  
C:\Users\madne\Downloads>streams -d  VisualStudioSetup.exe  
  
streams v1.60 - Reveal NTFS alternate streams.  
Copyright (C) 2005-2016 Mark Russinovich  
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com  
  
C:\Users\madne\Downloads\VisualStudioSetup.exe:  
   Deleted :SmartScreen:$DATA  
   Deleted :Zone.Identifier:$DATA

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Robocopy fails to copy files having .url extension

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