By default, in DOS batch files running under Windows XP, whenever the COPY command is executed, it will automatically overwrite existing files without a prompt.

For example, if you have two text files in a directory named 1.txt and 2.txt, if the following command was executed in a batch file, the contents of 2.txt would be overwritten by 1.txt:

copy 1.txt 2.txt

This can be dangerous, especially when testing new batch files or when running batch files in directories containing important information.

However, if you add the /-y parameter, the COPY command will prompt you when trying to overwrite existing files. For example, if the following line is run inside a batch file:

copy /-y 1.txt 2.txt

You will be prompted:

Overwrite 2.txt? (Yes/No/All):

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