Copy instead of Move, but only if the file does not exists

[remco]

I have a few photo/video sources which need to stay as they are and will be updated when new photos are made. I want to copy these to my library, but only if the file does not exist on the destination location. Is such possible?

[StarGeek]

Yes.  See the second paragraph under Notes on the Writing "FileName" and "Directory" tags page, which points to Example #5.  See also the -o (-out) option.

Exiftool won't overwrite existing files, it will just give an error.

Example: I have a directory with two files, Test3.jpg and Test4.jpg.  First, I try to create a copy of test4.jpg with the same name as Test3.jpg, but this gives an error.  Then I create a copy called Test5.jpg and that succeeds.

Code Select Expand

C:\Programs\My_Stuff>exiftool -G1 -a -s -filepath Y:\!temp\aaaa
======== Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test3.jpg
[System]        FilePath                        : Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test3.jpg
======== Y:/!temp/aaaa/test4.jpg
[System]        FilePath                        : Y:/!temp/aaaa/test4.jpg
    1 directories scanned
    2 image files read

C:\Programs\My_Stuff>exiftool -o . -Filename=y:\!temp\aaaa\Test3.jpg Y:\!temp\aaaa\Test4.jpg
Error: 'y:/!temp/aaaa/Test3.jpg' already exists - Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test4.jpg
    0 image files updated
    1 files weren't updated due to errors

C:\Programs\My_Stuff>exiftool -o . -Filename=y:\!temp\aaaa\Test5.jpg Y:\!temp\aaaa\Test4.jpg
    1 image files copied

C:\>exiftool -G1 -a -s -filepath Y:\!temp\aaaa
======== Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test5.jpg
[System]        FilePath                        : Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test5.jpg
======== Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test3.jpg
[System]        FilePath                        : Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test3.jpg
======== Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test4.jpg
[System]        FilePath                        : Y:/!temp/aaaa/Test4.jpg
    1 directories scanned
    3 image files read