Find duplicates between two source folders

[Marek]

My question arises from what I want to do, i.e. I want to compare two huge sets of files treated as two wholes and saved in two different parent folders each of them with many subfolders. So far, so good as it seems because there is a relevant option in AllDup.

However, the results show that AllDup has come up with duplicates found in different subfolders within each parent folder. Not only does such solution display a pile of useless information for me (i.e. duplicates within a single set of files), but also, I presume, considerably extends the time of seach. I am aware that with all those selection tools for manipulating the results I eventually may get rid of duplicates I need to delete. But time has its price and watining 3 – 4 hrs in order to get a list that needs somewhat tedious processing and checking is not an optimal solution.

My "dream" does not seem so unique as many of my collegues (lawyers, translators, lexicographers, researchers etc.) who need to work using huge archives often need to get rid of duplicates in different sets of files each of them treated as a whole and stored in a relevant parent folder and its subfolders.

My suggestion is that the option compare between different folders should be supplied with an option that could provide an option "compare only between folder X and Y and ignore duplicates WITHIN these folders and their subfolders.

Is it feasible to consider such solution?
Regads

[Administrator]

Please try out the source folder compare method "Compare only files between different source folders".

[therube]

He's asking that each node in a tree be only compared against the same node in a different tree.


Maybe AllSync can do something like that, or at least point out where differences lie (even if you might then need a different tool to get the two in "sync")? (I'm not familiar with AS [AllSync], though I am familiar with AS [Altap Salamander].)


Salamander has a Compare Directories feature that might do as you want - with limitations.





What this is showing, is that the highlighted directories differ - by the specified parameters.

Directories 1 2 3 & 4 differ.
1 2 & 3 are missing from 3.mirror.
4 is in each, but something within 4 is different between the two.

*Limitations.

The compare highlights directory trees & does not differentiate between possible subdirectories within a tree.

So 1\4 might just be that 1\4 with no further subdirectories.
But 3.mirror\4 might contain subdirectories, so 3.mirror\4\_subdirY.

From what you're given, you can only know that they differ.
To find out more, you have to drill down into each specific \4\ directory to know how.


Something like that might work for you, or it could be part of a starting point, to be used in conjunction with other tools, to get the end result you want.


Likewise, there could be other directory comparison utilities that might work better.