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How to copy or move files from one folder to another based on a list in Excel? 

Author Xiaoyang Last modified

If you have a list of file names in a column in a worksheet, and the files locate in a folder in your computor. But, now, you need to move or copy these files which names are listed into the worksheet from their original folder to another one as following screenshot shown. How could you finish this task as quickly as you can in Excel?

Copy or move files from one folder to another based on a list in Excel with VBA code

copy files from one folder to another based on a list


Copy or move files from one folder to another based on a list in Excel with VBA code

To move the files from one folder to another based on a list of files names, the following VBA code may do you a favor, please do as this:

1. Hold down the Alt + F11 keys in Excel, and it opens the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. Click Insert > Module, and paste the following VBA code in the Module Window.

VBA code: Move files from one folder to another based on a list in Excel

Sub movefiles()
'Updateby Extendoffice
    Dim xRg As Range, xCell As Range
    Dim xSFileDlg As FileDialog, xDFileDlg As FileDialog
    Dim xSPathStr As Variant, xDPathStr As Variant
    Dim xVal As String
    On Error Resume Next
    Set xRg = Application.InputBox("Please select the file names:", "KuTools For Excel", ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Address, , , , , 8)
    If xRg Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    Set xSFileDlg = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    xSFileDlg.Title = " Please select the original folder:"
    If xSFileDlg.Show <> -1 Then Exit Sub
    xSPathStr = xSFileDlg.SelectedItems.Item(1) & "\"
    Set xDFileDlg = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    xDFileDlg.Title = " Please select the destination folder:"
    If xDFileDlg.Show <> -1 Then Exit Sub
    xDPathStr = xDFileDlg.SelectedItems.Item(1) & "\"
    For Each xCell In xRg
        xVal = xCell.Value
        If TypeName(xVal) = "String" And xVal <> "" Then
            FileCopy xSPathStr & xVal, xDPathStr & xVal
            Kill xSPathStr & xVal
        End If
    Next
End Sub

3. And then press F5 key to run this code, and a prompt box will pop out to remind you selecting the cells which contain the file names, see screenshot:

 select the cells which contain the file names

4. Then click OK button, and in the popped out window, please select the folder which contains the files that you want to move from, see screenshot:

select the folder which contains the files to move from

5. And then click OK, go on selecting the destination folder where you want to locate the files in another popped out window, see screenshot:

select the destination folder  to locate the files

6. Finally, click OK to close the window, and now, the files have been moved into another folder you specified based on the file names in worksheet list, see screenshot:

the files have been moved into another folder

Note: If you just want to copy the files to another folder, but keep the original files, please apply the below VBA code:

VBA code: Copy files from one folder to another based on a list in Excel

Sub copyfiles()
'Updateby Extendoffice
    Dim xRg As Range, xCell As Range
    Dim xSFileDlg As FileDialog, xDFileDlg As FileDialog
    Dim xSPathStr As Variant, xDPathStr As Variant
    Dim xVal As String
    On Error Resume Next
    Set xRg = Application.InputBox("Please select the file names:", "KuTools For Excel", ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Address, , , , , 8)
    If xRg Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    Set xSFileDlg = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    xSFileDlg.Title = "Please select the original folder:"
    If xSFileDlg.Show <> -1 Then Exit Sub
    xSPathStr = xSFileDlg.SelectedItems.Item(1) & "\"
    Set xDFileDlg = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    xDFileDlg.Title = "Please select the destination folder:"
    If xDFileDlg.Show <> -1 Then Exit Sub
    xDPathStr = xDFileDlg.SelectedItems.Item(1) & "\"
    For Each xCell In xRg
        xVal = xCell.Value
        If TypeName(xVal) = "String" And xVal <> "" Then
            FileCopy xSPathStr & xVal, xDPathStr & xVal
        End If
    Next
End Sub
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