Finding dissimilar files.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Luz
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L

Luz

Hello all. Apologies for showing our ignorance, however we would like
to check a number of folders for files that are not duplicated.

Previous employees have backed up and copied all over the place to the
stage we are not sure what is duplicated a number of times and files
that appear once in one of the many folders.

What methods or programs are available which would list all of the
single instances rather than show all the dupes.

We have finding similar files capability, but this process is rather
cumbersome for our needs.

Probably so obvious, but not to us.

Thanks for you time.

Luz and Chrisy.
 
In Luz had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
Hello all. Apologies for showing our ignorance, however we would like
to check a number of folders for files that are not duplicated.

Previous employees have backed up and copied all over the place to the
stage we are not sure what is duplicated a number of times and files
that appear once in one of the many folders.

What methods or programs are available which would list all of the
single instances rather than show all the dupes.

We have finding similar files capability, but this process is rather
cumbersome for our needs.

Probably so obvious, but not to us.

Thanks for you time.

Luz and Chrisy.
Click to expand...

You're on the right track but, as you said, it's slow and cumbersome...
Err... Actually you're on the right track but going the wrong direction.
Really... The best /only/ method to do this is to (logically) find the
duplicated files with an automated tool. The choices are a myriad of
freeware and payware offerings with varied capacity but you seem to already
have something in place for this. Find the duplicates, remove the
duplicates, and all that will be left are unique files... (Good software
will let you ignore certain folders like system folders, special backup
folders where multiple copies SHOULD be made, etc...) It's not easy but,
well, it's by far faster than it would be to find the ones that aren't
alike.

--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
http://kgiii.info/

"We approached the case, you remember, with an absolutely blank mind,
which is always an advantage. We had formed no theories. We were simply
there to observe and to draw inferences from our observations." -
Sherlock Holmes
 
Luz said:
Hello all. Apologies for showing our ignorance, however we would like
to check a number of folders for files that are not duplicated.

Previous employees have backed up and copied all over the place to the
stage we are not sure what is duplicated a number of times and files
that appear once in one of the many folders.

What methods or programs are available which would list all of the
single instances rather than show all the dupes.

We have finding similar files capability, but this process is rather
cumbersome for our needs.

Probably so obvious, but not to us.

Thanks for you time.

Luz and Chrisy.
Click to expand...
The free program Winmerge will let you compare directories and show you
whats identical and whats unique Then have choices of deleting,copying
etc. Works great,even tells if dates are different sizes etc on similar
name files
http://winmerge.sourceforge.net/

Dave
 
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