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Over the years as I have moved computers / upgraded computers / swapped laptops etc. I have created a backup copy (using a copy/paste) of the the old data from Documents /Desktop / whole drives etc.
Now I have multiple copies of various files in various states spread across NAS drives and other hard disks.
I have folders with backups like;
Backup-5-10-12
BigYin Backup @ 2010-03-32
BigYin Backup 2009-12-07
Laptop Backup - 09-01-24
Laptop_Backup_14_10_12
Win7_Recovery
Ex-DMA-XP-MAchine
ZZZ - Data / BigYin Backup 2009-12-07
ZZZ - Data / Daves-Laptop-6935-Backup
Backup_03_05_2013
and of course there is the current files with the automatic versioning / backup maintained by windows.
Has anybody got any [free] software recommendations (as in stuff you have actually used) that can help de-dupe/sort/restructure automatically/check for bit level difference/date info/filenames etc.etc.etc.
Or will I have to fire up VS and start to write my own, which I really couldn't be bothered with at the moment. 
There must be many of you who are in this state and have been through similar exercises.
Cheers,
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DaveAuld wrote: ZZZ - Data / BigYin Backup 2009-12-07
ZZZ - Data / Daves-Laptop-6935-Backup
ZZ Top is written with double Z 
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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Yeah, but this is a different band: ZZZTOP - similar music, but bigger beards.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Totalcommander can be of great help (check similar files/directory by content).
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb
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What's wrong with WinMerge?
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I took it for a spin, it almost fits the bill, but not quite.
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Difficult to explain, but you need to compare left to right paths etc. I just want to point it at a drive and hit the 'shakedown' button.
It would then tell me, the files that are binary duplicates, same file names, last modified dates etc.
It would also then be good to automatically sieve all these files to a new location where only uniques were retained based on rules e.g. shortest path, keep newest, or something else I haven't thought of yet!
I'm thinking custom write may be order of the day.....  Maybe a project for another day. 
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A couple of simple command line utilities will help clear up that disk space:
del *.*
...or...
format d:
All dupes will magically disappear - in fact all the files will disappear.
Come on, you don't really need all those old, out of date files do you? Get ruthless with "delete" and most of the problems will go away.
A couple of years ago I decided to have a vicious clear out of old stuff I was only really keeping for nostalgia purposes and I freed up a ton of disk resource!
...of course, I am still crying a little every time I wanted to reference some old code "that just worked" and had taken me days of work to produce and test at the time. However, be brave! Stop looking back! Move forward to new and better things! Nooooooooo! Don't do it! You'll regret it for the rest of your life!
I'm a little conflicted about this, you can probably tell.
Seriously, look at deleting a lot of old stuff you don't really need - the regrets will be few and organising what is left will be easier.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I did the whole delete old stuff thing. I had folders like 'old win xp' and 'old win 2k' that I was not using for anything. I deleted them. Emptied the recycle bin just to be sure. And then I realized that my main excel spread sheet that I use all the time was in one of those folders. I had to recreate the sheet and lost years of data as thode folders were not in regular backup path. 
Within you lies the power for good - Use it!
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Install your favorite source control application. Commit the backups sequentially by date made.
Have a few ![Beer | [beer]](https://codeproject.freetls.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/beer.gif) to celebrate the time you saved by not writing a custom app.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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Tomorrow my wedding day  Will be back after honeymoon (dance)
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Mohamad M. Mohamad wrote: (dance)
You mean ![Jig | [Dance]](https://codeproject.freetls.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/jig.gif) !
Congrats !
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb
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Mohamad M. Mohamad wrote: (dance)
Or it's a euphemism 
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He never said if it was horizontal or vertical. 
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Congratulations!
The signature is in building process.. Please wait...
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Thank you 
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Oh, the poor fella, I am terribly sorry for your horrible fate. Well it depends from your future wife if you will be back after your honeymoon, don't disappoint her. Just don't! 
Good luck with your married life 
Microsoft ... the only place where VARIANT_TRUE != true
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Thank you
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A man is not complete until he's married. Then, he's finished.
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Just remember that marriage is the sole cause of divorce.
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Wedding : Being 2 to solve problems you'd never have had if you had remained single.
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb
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Heard for the first time.
.AK.
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