Windows 10: How to copy a folder into same folder without creating copy of folder?

How do I do this in Windows 10? I have a folder of files, and I want to copy the folder and all of its contents onto an external hardisk which already contains a folder of the same name, and also contains some of the files that I am now trying to copy. Prior to Windows 10, a dialog would open up asking me what I wanted to do with files and folders that already existed in the target directory, and I had the option to skip copying the ones that existed. Now it seems that Windows 10 doesn't ask me anything, and just makes a new copy of my root directory, tacking on the extra " copy" to the name.

I definitely do not want this. I am manually making an incremental backup, and I need the old behavior, where I get asked if I want to skip the files and folders that already exist. Is there any way to still do this?

Thanks!

:)

 

How to copy a list of subfolders from a folder to a system folder

I finally found the solution myself. There is a box available beside the heading "name" above the list of subfolders and files that appear when the main folder is clicked. When this box is checked, the list of subfolders and any files appear highlighted
with preceding checked boxes. If all files are not needed, the required folders and files to be dragged and dropped to the receiving folder can be selected by unchecking the files that are not needed.

However, if the box to be checked does not appear beside "name", another box must be checked that is found in the View tab. I find that to check a hidden box (revealed by clicking the View tab) to reveal another box to be checked is not intuitive.

 

How to copy a list of subfolders from a folder to a system folder

Apologies if I did not provide adequate information.

This PC is a video editing support quad core PC with 4 drives. The moved system files are on the E drive "E:\Backup(Windows10ReinstallExtras)".

 

I have no idea how to change this, or in your case, restore this, but by default, Windows 10 handles file copying exactly the same as previous versions of Windows.

 

Something has gone amiss in your computer.

Mine works just like you wanted to .................
I purposely copy my music folder to a flash drive which already has the folder with the same contents.
Here is what happened...........................

 

Well, I wish I knew what is wrong. I have tried several times, with several different root folders, and each time the same happened ... I didn't get prompted for what I wished to have done, and the new "copy" version of the root folder was created. I would suspect that somehow my PC has been told that this is the default behavior that I would like to have happen, and because of that I am no longer asked. If this is the case, then I have to figure out how to undo authorizing this default behavior. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Ah I found it! I Googled what the message is given as on my Windows 7 laptop, where the desired behavior still occurs, and I found this link that explains it all:

How to Enable Folder Merge Conflict Message in Windows 8 and Later? - AskVG

As I assumed, Windows 10 (and in fact Windows 8 and above) have irritatingly made as default the behavior I am now observing on my Windows 10 machine. The link above explains how to revert things back to how it worked in Windows 7.

 

Congrats.
Now mark your thread as Solved so others with the same question will know there is an answer in this thread.
Thank you.

 

Just in case Askvg.com does not stand the test of time this is the solution @stevei was looking for