When last I visited TeraCopy (the Pro version) I loved its features, but I discovered that version was not 100% stable. For a task as critical as copying and moving files, there’s no substitute for rock-solid. Happily, I had no problems with this more recent free Home version of the program and can honestly say that TeraCopy seems ready for prime time.
TeraCopy inserts itself in place of the Windows file handling functions, adding to the usual right-click option. TeraCopy’s pause function alone is worth the download if you regularly copy large amounts of files and need to stop the process to perform another disk-intensive task. Windows only lets you cancel–not pause–which makes it difficult to ascertain exactly where you left off. You may also choose up front whether you want to overwrite all files, older ones only, skip files that already exist, or rename the file being copied to avoid overwriting the existing files. TeraCopy seemed a tad faster than Windows in my tests with a large mix of small and large files though a little slower than the Windows native routine when copying a single very large file.
TeraCopy provides a lot more information about the files being copied, such as their size and original location. It may be invoked as a standalone so you can select files from diverse locations and copy them to a single location. It also checksums the files for use with its verification function–a great safeguard, especially when you’re copying files to less-reliable removable media. All told, TeraCopy is a great free upgrade for Windows’ reliable, but singularly under-powered, copying and moving routines.
–Jon L. Jacobi