Back in the day, Windows did not verify copy/move operations, and so any copy was problematic but big file transfers between disks were often disasters. XP, AFIK, still does not verify. This was one of the big complaints during the beta, and the MS folks conveniently sidestepped the issue whenever it arose. When the Vista beta got going, the issue was brought up again, but life got in the way, and I had to drop out, and so I don't know whether the issue was properly resolved. I have searched high and low, here and elsewhere, and have not found a definitive answer to this question: Does Win7 verify -- by md5 or other means -- that a copy or move has succeeded without error when using explorer? If it does verify, what is the means? Is it checksums, md5 hashing, bit-by-bit? Because I don't know, I've been using syncback to move files between machines, with verification on. This is clumsy, but effective. If MS has implemented verification in the OS, I'd be very happy. Thanks for your attention. Walter Hawn

it's difficult to say...according to this link then by default, Windows Explorer uses the VERIFY switch, whereas the COPY command in a command window does not user VERIFY (although it can be switched on). I'll ask around and see what comes back.

Thanks James, That is a step forward, then, more than I knew before. Question now is: is that the old 'verify' from DOS days that simply checked to see whether a file existed on the destination? Or is a new, modern, up-to-date 'verify' that actually performs some variety of error checking? I have discovered robocopy, which apparently does bit-wise checking, and richcopy, which seems to do the same in GUI style. Another question, asked repeatedly, I know: Why does MS write the docs to such an opaque standard? It wasn't always thus. Back in the dear old DOS days, the command reference was clear and concise and the theory of operation was nicely spelled out. (Maybe I'm thinking of CP/M.) \\'alt

Good question. I would like to know the answer also. I can tell you this ... Windows 7 Ultimate (64 bit) does NOT seem to be verifying files in Windows Explorer for me. I have a SanDisk 2gb USB Flash drive here. It (long) formats fine (I tried FAT32 and NTFS). It Error Checks fine, it CHKDSK fine. When I copy four 250mb files to it in Windows Explorer, they copy fine (without error), but they are actually corrupted. They are installer.exe files, so it's easy to tell when they are bad (they tell you). I ran an utility on the flash drive and it said there are some bad spots (which is fine, things break). My problem is why isn't Windows catching it? This is like going back to the CD/DVD burning days (you burnt it and hope it made it). I also just need a complete procedure that I can use to copy files to a flash drive and make sure they really made it. Doesn't have to be, but maybe a "Portable App" I can copy to my flash drives would be a good idea?

I think we have our answer, right there Vince. Win7 Explorer still does not really verify, despite the new 'default.' Back in the day, the /v switch on copy or move simple checked the FAT. If the entry there was correct, the copy was said to be 'verified.' Of course, it wasn't, but that's not MSs fault, is it? They excused themselves by saying that a true verify would take too long. It was floppies, after all. I think we can safely say that MS has still not corrected the problem. 'Way back, in the 80s, t was a real problem in that everything was on floppy -- real floppy, the 5-1/4 inch floppies -- and to be sure you had good copies, you had to run another utility to compare the two. Backups were a royal pain. Can you, with the same flash drive, test robocopy? Here's a link to info: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee851678.aspx \\'alt

Can you, with the same flash drive, test robocopy? I haven't tried RoboCopy yet. I have found FastCopy - http://ipmsg.org/tools/fastcopy.html.en It does Verify and has a GUI. Looks like it's portable also. It DOES warn me that the files don't verify. I think my search might be over. And this stupid broken flash drive IS useful for something after all ... testing file copy software :-)

I haven't tried RoboCopy yet. I have found FastCopy - http://ipmsg.org/tools/fastcopy.html.en Good find! Thanks.