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Which files are saved on the basis of 'same name'?

Vagulus 80 Reputation points
2026-05-01T01:05:49.8966667+00:00

Operating System

Edition Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (64-bit)

Version (Build) 23H2 (10.0.22635)

When saving multiple files from a current into a backup archive folder I get notified that there are <however-many> files of the same name. Well, of course there are! What I want saved are files in the current archive which have been modified since the last backup.

I am offered the choice of skipping files on the same name.
How is that 'same name' defined? Is the timestamp taken into account?

If I select 'skip' will the modified files in the current archive be overwritten into the backup archive?

Thanks

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Recovery and backup

Answer accepted by question author

  1. Hendrix-V 14,075 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-01T06:03:26.8666667+00:00

    Hi Vagulus,

    Thanks for raising this. In File Explorer, “same name” means the file name match in the destination folder. It does not use the modified date to decide whether to copy the newer version automatically. Because of that, choosing Skip leaves the existing file unchanged, even if the source file is newer.

    If your goal is to keep a backup updated with new and changed files only, a more reliable workaround is to use Robocopy instead of the standard File Explorer copy prompt. You can kindly follow these steps:

    • Open Command Prompt, run this preview first: robocopy "C:\Source" "D:\Backup" /E /XO /L
    • /E includes subfolders, /XO skips source files that are older than the destination, and /L shows a preview only.
    • If the preview looks correct, run the same command again without /L: robocopy "C:\Source" "D:\Backup" /E /XO

    This will copy new files and update files where the source is newer. Avoid using /MIR unless you want the backup location to exactly match the source, because Microsoft notes it can also remove files from the destination.

    I hope this helps clarify how File Explorer handles files with the same name and gives you a simpler way to keep your backup current.

    Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-05-01T01:06:02.37+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    In Windows copy/backup dialogs, “same name” is based only on the file’s path and filename (including extension), for example:

    D:\Backup\Reports\Summary.pdf

    If a file with exactly that path and name already exists at the destination, Windows treats it as a “same name” conflict. The timestamp or file size is not part of the “same name” check; those are only shown to help decide whether to overwrite or skip.

    Regarding the specific choice:

    • If Skip is selected for conflicts, Windows will not copy any file whose destination already has a file with the same name and path.
    • That means modified files in the current archive will not overwrite the existing files in the backup archive when “Skip” is chosen.
    • To have newer/modified files replace older ones in the backup archive, the overwrite option must be chosen (for example, “Replace the file in the destination”).

    So:

    If I select 'skip' will the modified files in the current archive be overwritten into the backup archive?

    No. Selecting Skip prevents overwriting; the existing files in the backup archive remain unchanged.

    References:

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