📱 A Windows command-line utility for copying files from phones and other media devices connected as MTP devices.
Media Device Copier is a Windows command-line utility for copying files to and from phones and other devices connected via MTP (Media Transfer Protocol).
Easily list connected devices, upload files to your device, or download files from your device—all from the command line.
--move to delete the source after a successful transfer (download or upload).PS C:\Program Files\MediaDeviceCopier> .\MediaDeviceCopier.exe -h Description: MediaDeviceCopier
Usage: MediaDeviceCopier [command] [options]
Options: –version Show version information -?, -h, –help Show help and usage information
Commands: l, list-devices List the available MTP devices. u, upload-files Upload files to the MTP device. d, download-files Download files from the MTP device.
Use the `list-devices` command to determine the device name you need to pass for the following operations.
Downloading files options:
PS C:\Program Files\MediaDeviceCopier> .\MediaDeviceCopier.exe d -h Description: Download files from the MTP device.
Usage: MediaDeviceCopier download-files [options]
Options:
-n, –device-name
Uploading files options:
PS C:\Program Files\MediaDeviceCopier> .\MediaDeviceCopier.exe u -h Description: Upload files to the MTP device.
Usage: MediaDeviceCopier upload-files [options]
Options:
-n, –device-name
## Examples
### Basic Operations
Copy pictures from an iPhone recursively and skip already-copied images:
MediaDeviceCopier.exe download-files -n “Apple iPhone” -s “Internal Storage” -t “D:\MyPictureFolder” -se -r
Move (download then delete from device) all videos after archiving:
MediaDeviceCopier.exe download-files -n “Apple iPhone” -s “Internal Storage\DCIM\100APPLE” -t “D:\Archive” -se -r –move
### Filtering Examples
Copy only MP4 files from a flat folder (non-recursive):
MediaDeviceCopier.exe download-files -n “Apple iPhone” -s “Internal Storage\DCIM\100APPLE” -t “D:\Videos” -se -f “.mp4$”
Recursive copy filtering subfolders starting with 2025 and copying only JPG/PNG files:
MediaDeviceCopier.exe download-files -n “Apple iPhone” -s “Internal Storage” -t “D:\MyPictureFolder” -se -r -sf “^2025.*” -f “.(jpg|png)$”
Upload example using file filter to copy only PDF files:
MediaDeviceCopier.exe upload-files -n “Android Device” -s “C:\Documents” -t “Internal Storage\Documents” -se -r -f “.pdf$”
### Version Information
The tool reports its version information using `--version` or `-h` flags.
PS C:\Program Files\MediaDeviceCopier> .\MediaDeviceCopier.exe –version 0.5.0
PS C:\Program Files\MediaDeviceCopier> .\MediaDeviceCopier.exe -h Description: MediaDeviceCopier
Usage: MediaDeviceCopier [command] [options]
## Filtering
The filtering system uses two independent regex patterns that are evaluated in this order:
1. **Subfolder filters** (`-sf`) are applied during folder recursion before descending into subfolders
2. **File filters** (`-f`) are applied to the file list within each processed folder
Both filters are independent - you can use one or both together. If no filters are specified, all subfolders and files are included by default.
## Deprecated
**Note:** The previous `-p` / `--filter-subfolder-regex-pattern` option has been replaced by `-sf` / `--filter-subfolders`. Users must migrate to the new option.
## Tips
- Always use `list-devices` first to get the correct device name.
- Use double quotes around folder names if they contain spaces.
- Regular expressions in `-sf` and `-f` follow standard .NET regex syntax.
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## Resilient Download Architecture
MediaDeviceCopier implements a sophisticated multi-strategy download system to handle problematic MTP file transfers reliably. Some file types (particularly THM thumbnails, WAV audio, and certain metadata files) can fail with standard MTP download methods due to device firmware quirks, timing issues, or protocol limitations.
### Download Strategy Pipeline
When downloading files, the system automatically tries multiple strategies in sequence until one succeeds:
1. **Standard Download** - Direct MTP transfer using the MediaDevices library
2. **Stream Retry** - Retry with a small delay (100ms) for timing-sensitive files
3. **Chunked Retry** - Retry with longer delay (200ms) for buffer-related issues
4. **Metadata Probe** - Extended delay retry (500ms) as a last resort
Each strategy logs detailed diagnostics including:
- Strategy name
- Execution time in milliseconds
- COM error codes (HResult) for failures
- Success/failure status
### Universal Application
The strategy pipeline applies to **all file types** universally, without hardcoded extension checks. This extension-agnostic design ensures:
- Consistent behavior across all file types
- No special-case logic that could become outdated
- Easy extensibility for future device quirks
- Comprehensive diagnostic logging for troubleshooting
### File Classification
Files are automatically classified by extension for potential future optimizations:
- **Image**: jpg, jpeg, png, gif, bmp, tiff, raw, cr2, nef, arw, dng
- **Video**: mp4, mov, avi, mkv, wmv, m4v, mpg, mpeg, flv, webm, 3gp
- **Audio**: wav, mp3, flac, aac, m4a, wma, ogg, opus, alac
- **Metadata**: thm, lrv, xmp, sidecar
- **Document**: pdf, txt, doc, docx, xls, xlsx
- **Unknown**: all other extensions
This classification is currently informational but provides hooks for future strategy customization per file class.
### Failure Handling
If all strategies fail, the file is:
- Marked as `SkippedBecauseUnsupported`
- Logged with a warning message
- Not deleted from source (if using `--move`)
- Reported in the final summary
### Example Diagnostic Output
[Standard] COM-Error:0x80004005 (0ms) [StreamRetry] COM-Error:0x80004005 (105ms) [ChunkedRetry] Success (204ms) ```
This shows the Standard strategy failed immediately, StreamRetry failed after 105ms, and ChunkedRetry succeeded after 204ms.
The strategy system is designed for easy extension:
For implementation details, see ARCHITECTURE_MTP_STRATEGIES.md.
MIT License. See LICENSE for details.
Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome!
If you encounter issues or need help, please open an issue on the repository.
Happy copying!