---
title: "Start-VBRTapeCopy"
description: "Starts tape copy jobs. Product Edition: Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, Veeam Universal License This cmdlet starts tape copy jobs."
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/vbr/powershell/start-vbrtapecopy.html"
breadcrumb: "Veeam PowerShell Reference > Veeam PowerShell Reference > Tape Devices > Managing Tapes > Start-VBRTapeCopy"
dateModified: "2026-08-19"
---

# Start-VBRTapeCopy

## Short Description
Starts tape copy jobs.

**Product Edition**: Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, Veeam Universal License

## Syntax
```
Start-VBRTapeCopy -TapeMedium <VBRTapeMedium[]> [-Wait] [-DependentTapeMedium <VBRTapeMedium[]>]
 [-EnableHardwareCompression] [-SkipDependencyCheck] [-SkipEncryptedBackups] [-AddDependentMediumAutomatically]
 [-PreserveOriginalRetention] [-ExportSourceTape] [-ExportTargetTape] -TargetMediaPool <VBRTapeMediaPoolBase>
 [-TargetLibrary <VBRTapeLibrary>] [<CommonParameters>]
```

## Detailed Description
This cmdlet starts tape copy jobs.

## Parameters

<table style="width:100%;" class="Blue_Table">
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Parameter</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Description</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Type</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Required</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Position</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Accept Pipeline Input</p>
        </th>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">AddDependentMediumAutomatically</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the cmdlet will add dependent tapes to the tape copy job automatically.</p><p>If you do not provide this parameter and there are dependent tapes, the cmdlet cannot copy files written to dependent tapes and will return a warning.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">DependentTapeMedium</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies an array of dependent tapes. The cmdlet will add this array of dependent tapes to the tape copy job.</p><p>When a backup file does not fit on one tape, it is divided into parts and written to several tapes. These tapes are considered dependent.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: If you do not specify the <code>DependentTapeMedium</code> and <code>SkipDependencyCheck</code> parameters, but dependent media exist, you will get the warning about that with the prompt to add these media to the tape copy job.</p><p>Accepts the <a href="vbrtapemedium.md"><code>VBRTapeMedium[]</code></a> object. To get this object, run the <a href="get-vbrtapecopydependentmedium.md"><code>Get-VBRTapeCopyDependentMedium</code></a> cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><a href="vbrtapemedium.md"><code>VBRTapeMedium[]</code></a></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">EnableHardwareCompression</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Enables the hardware compression option. If set to <code>False</code>, the the hardware compression option is disabled.</p><p>If you do not provide this parameter, the hardware compression option is still enabled.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">ExportSourceTape</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the source tapes will be exported after the tape copy job finishes.</p><p>If you do not provide this parameter, the source tapes will not be exported after the tape copy job finishes.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">ExportTargetTape</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the target tapes will be exported after the tape copy job finishes.</p><p>If you do not provide this parameter, the target tapes will not be exported after the tape copy job finishes.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">PreserveOriginalRetention</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that retention settings of the source media pool are copied to the target media pool. If set to <code>False</code>, the target media pool will use its own retention settings.</p><p>If you do not provide this parameter, retention settings are still copied from the source media pool to the target media pool.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">SkipDependencyCheck</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the existence of dependent tapes is not checked.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: If you do not specify the <code>DependentTapeMedium</code> and <code>SkipDependencyCheck</code> parameters, but dependent media exist, you will get the warning about that with the prompt to add these media to the tape copy job.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">SkipEncryptedBackups</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the cmdlet will skip encrypted backups stored on the source tape from the tape copy job.</p><p>If you do not provide this parameter and there are encrypted backups on tapes to copy, the cmdlet cannot copy these encrypted backups and will return a warning.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">TapeMedium</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies an array of tapes. The cmdlet will add this array of tapes to the tape copy job.</p><p>Accepts the <a href="vbrtapemedium.md"><code>VBRTapeMedium[]</code></a> object. To get this object, run the <a href="get-vbrtapemedium.md"><code>Get-VBRTapeMedium</code></a> cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><a href="vbrtapemedium.md"><code>VBRTapeMedium[]</code></a></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">TargetLibrary</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a tape library. The cmdlet will copy the tape data to this tape library.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: This parameter is required if the target media pool contains several tape libraries.</p><p>Accepts the <a href="vbrtapelibrary.md"><code>VBRTapeLibrary</code></a> object. To get this object, run the <a href="get-vbrtapelibrary.md"><code>Get-VBRTapeLibrary</code></a> cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><a href="vbrtapelibrary.md"><code>VBRTapeLibrary</code></a></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">TargetMediaPool</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a media pool. The cmdlet will copy the tape data to this media pool.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: If the target media pool contains several tape libraries, the <code>TargetLibrary</code> parameter is required.</p><p>Accepts the <a href="vbrtapemediapoolbase.md"><code>VBRTapeMediaPoolBase</code></a> object. To get this object, run the <a href="get-vbrtapemediapool.md"><code>Get-VBRTapeMediaPool</code></a> cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><a href="vbrtapemediapoolbase.md"><code>VBRTapeMediaPoolBase</code></a></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Wait</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the command waits for the process to complete before accepting more input.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>

`<CommonParameters>`

This cmdlet supports Microsoft PowerShell common parameters. For more information on common parameters, see [ Microsoft Docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/about/about_commonparameters?view=powershell-7).

## Examples

::: example
### Starting Tape Copy Job

This example shows how to start a tape copy job with the following settings:

- The copy job will process data that is stored on the `0021000C` tape and all dependent tapes.
- The copy job will copy data to the `Copy` media pool.
- The copy job will apply retention settings of the original medial pool to the target media pool.
- The copy job will run with the enabled hardware compression option.

```
$tape = Get-VBRTapeMedium -Name "0021000C"
$pool = Get-VBRTapeMediaPool -Name "Copy"
Start-VBRTapeCopy -TapeMedium $tape -TargetMediaPool $pool -Wait -EnableHardwareCompression -AddDependentMediumAutomatically -PreserveOriginalRetention
```

Perform the following steps:

1. Run the [`Get-VBRTapeMedium`](get-vbrtapemedium.md) cmdlet. Specify the `Name` parameter value. Save the result to the `$tape` variable.
2. Run the [`Get-VBRTapeMediaPool`](get-vbrtapemediapool.md) cmdlet. Specify the `Name` parameter value. Save the result to the `$pool` variable.
3. Run the `Start-VBRTapeCopy` cmdlet. Specify the following settings:

   - Set the `$tape` variable as the `TapeMedium` parameter value.
   - Set the `$pool` variable as the `TargetMediaPool` parameter value.
   - Provide the `Wait` parameter.
   - Provide the `EnableHardwareCompression` parameter.
   - Provide the `AddDependentMediumAutomatically` parameter.
   - Provide the `PreserveOriginalRetention` parameter.

:::

## Related Commands

- [`Get-VBRTapeMedium`](get-vbrtapemedium.md)
- [`Get-VBRTapeMediaPool`](get-vbrtapemediapool.md)