Using dupfinder

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gtints

how do you determine which files can be eliminated - I have downloaded
dupfinder, run the scan and have pages of supposedly duplicate files - what
now?
 
gtints said:
how do you determine which files can be eliminated - I have
downloaded dupfinder, run the scan and have pages of supposedly
duplicate files - what now?
Click to expand...

Go through them?
Read the manual/faqs for whatever duplicate finder you have installed...
 
There's no set of rules to follow. You have to do your research and make
your decision.

If you're so desperate for disk space that you're considering deleting
allegedly duplicate files, what you really need is a bigger hard disk.

And if you think that removing allegedly duplicate files is going to
make your computer run any better, you're wrong.
 
There's no set of rules to follow. You have to do your research and make
your decision.

If you're so desperate for disk space that you're considering deleting
allegedly duplicate files, what you really need is a bigger hard disk.

And if you think that removing allegedly duplicate files is going to
make your computer run any better, you're wrong.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est




- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Right! It can also "crash" the Windows. Removing files that "you"
think are duplicates may infact not be. Not sure how the duplicate
detector works but files with the same name not not be 100% the same.
 
"...files with the same name [may] not be 100% the same."

Good point. That's why you need to be real sure before deleting
something. I leave 'em be.
 
gtints said:
have pages of supposedly duplicate files - what
now?
Click to expand...

GT, I use dupfinder allot on my data files. When i edit and make new folders
and transfer alot of files around, then eventually there are duplicates.
Mostly it's due to my cranium limitations! A computer could remember ALL
actions, but I can't.

Anyway, dupfinder lets you limit WHERE you search for duplicates. So start
at the root of your data files. In XP it would be C:\documents and
settings\username\my documents, and under that you have "My Music", so these
can get duplicated to allot of locations.

You can expand the folder column, to let you see the locations. I usually
sort by SIZE and then look at the largest. As an example: 2 video clips have
the same title, and the bigger one is older. This may make sense to me, and
the folder for each. Then i can decide which to delete.

When deleting your data, see if they end up in the Recycle Bin. If they are
NOT then this deletion is very final! [dupfinder should send them to your
RB.] You can filter dupfinder so you only look at JPG's, or only .DOC files,
only PDF.

When you sort by size and see allot of large DLL, or other binary files -
actually anyfiles which you didn't download or create - then leave these
alone. If you know you have 3 copies of a downloaded EXE, then yes, delete.
But other EXE's, - NO - leave them alone.

The files ripped into "My Music" can get renamed and moved to other users
[if this applies.] You could just use XP's file searcher, search your entire
hard drive for MP3 only and then sort by size. If the "date/time" matches,
then regardless of the NAME, you have a match. I see this alot: at first
they are "5 - Track 5" but I rename them to something better for my MP3
player. However the originals are a total waste.

Hope this helps.
 
gtints said:
have pages of supposedly duplicate files - what
now?
Click to expand...

GT, I use dupfinder allot on my data files. When i edit and make new folders
and transfer alot of files around, then eventually there are duplicates.
Mostly it's due to my cranium limitations!  A computer could remember ALL
actions, but I can't.

Anyway, dupfinder lets you limit WHERE you search for duplicates. So start
at the root of your data files. In XP it would be C:\documents and
settings\username\my documents, and under that you have "My Music", so these
can get duplicated to allot of locations.

 You can expand the folder column, to let you see the locations. I usually
sort by SIZE and then look at the largest.  As an example: 2 video clipshave
the same title, and the bigger one is older.  This may make sense to me,and
the folder for each. Then i can decide which to delete.

When deleting your data, see if they end up in the Recycle Bin.  If theyare
NOT then this deletion is very final!  [dupfinder should send them to your
RB.]  You can filter dupfinder so you only look at JPG's, or only .DOC files,
only PDF.  

When you sort by size and see allot of large DLL, or other binary files -
actually anyfiles which you didn't download or create - then leave these
alone.  If you know you have 3 copies of a downloaded EXE, then yes, delete.  
But other EXE's, - NO - leave them alone.

The files ripped into "My Music" can get renamed and moved to other users
[if this applies.] You could just use XP's file searcher, search your entire
hard drive for MP3 only and then sort by size. If the "date/time" matches,
then regardless of the NAME, you have a match.  I see this alot: at first
they are "5 - Track 5" but I rename them to something better for my MP3
player.  However the originals are a total waste.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Dupfinder is just find every duplicate file on the system. Unless the
person is extremely computer "savvy" they will find duplicate files
with the core file of Windows XP. If they remove the "wrong" file
(duplicate file within the Windows "core" folders) they will crash
Windows and render it not bootable. Removing duplicate files are
just too risky for the general XP users.
 
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