Synchronizing files, duplicate files already in different destination folders

V

Vis1/0N

Expert Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
2,751
Reaction score
557
Location
Durban
I have copied files from my secondary hard drive to USB drive in January and have not done a back up in the past few months. In the secondary drive I have renamed files to meaningful names, and organized them into a better folder structure.

I need to synchronize this 1TB drive with my 1TB backup USB drive (which has files that do not exist on the secondary drive). I also need to delete/rename/move duplicate files of the same or different filename that may be in the same or different directory on the destination drive, and this point is an ongoing requirement as the source drive gets structured over time.

Can anyone suggest a tool that will allow me to synchronize a drive, whilst moving or deleting existing files (under same or different filename name and folder) on the destination drive?
 
Posted in wrong forum, should have been the software forum. Still, I expect I might have to do the development but I am still hoping someone found a tool out there. I can rule out Fast Duplicate File Finder, I do use that tool and it does not cut in in general.

I will have to copy the directory tree across to the destination drive - but ignore all folders ending with _files - these are usually saved web pages. Then build a file list of those existing on the destination drive, then do a compare (size then contents, maybe date) with the file list on the source drive (ignoring the saved web pages and their folders). Create a list of actions that would be performed and allow me to deselect the actions. Thereafter move the files on the destination directory to match the location on the source directory, and rename the file where necessary. Then deal with the html files and their folders - which would have a lot of wanted duplicates.

Thereafter run a regular tool like Synkron, and finally locate and delete empty folders.

Any feedback appreciated.
 
Try out DuplicateFilesDeleter. It's very usefull is cases like this! Cheers! :)
 
It's already built into Windows.

Have you looked at XCOPY and ROBOCOPY?

Open a Command Prompt. Or even better, write a simple batch file.

Your fave search engine can explain how.
 
Dunno about all the other stuff but to keep two locations in sync I use FreeFileSync (I think that's the name). I use it at work to keep a localized directory of nuget packages for when the server is down etc.)
 
I don't know but I think Vis1/on could have solved the problem during 2012. :D
 
30 months later and I have not fully resolved the issue. I use a combination of Free File Sync, Duplicate Cleaner and a 3rd drive. Which on day two of its life coincided with a colleague bringing in his 2TB collection and there went that space.
 
Arthur said:
It's already built into Windows.

Have you looked at XCOPY and ROBOCOPY?

Open a Command Prompt. Or even better, write a simple batch file.

Your fave search engine can explain how.
Click to expand...

xcopy is too easy. Some folks prefer to spend money on software with sexy logo, lots of button icons and a complicated Preferences setup etc
 
I know. I gave up myself when rereading my OP. My brain has always been a muddle and I often post between background tasks.

I think an aggressive use of the delete key would give me breathing room.
 
Here's a cmd file you can use to do the job for you. Simply copy the contents into a Notepad, make the changes to the filespec/drives (in line 12) to suit your system, save as MYFILESYNC.CMD (or whatever filename you choose, ending with the extension .cmd), and then execute. The history of syncs is stored in C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG (or whatever you decide to call the file):

Code: 
@echo off
cls
@echo SYNCING ALL FILES ON DRIVE D TO DRIVE E ...
@echo. 
@echo. 
set varline=***********************************************
@echo. >> C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
echo %varline% >> C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
set varstart=START COPY: %date% %time%
echo %varstart% >> C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
@echo. >> C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
robocopy D:\ E:\ /EFSRAW /XO /TIMFIX /NDL /MIR /R:5 /NP /TEE /NJH /NJS /LOG+:C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
set varend=END COPY: %date% %time%
@echo. >> C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
echo %varend% >> C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG

You can of course leave off everything other than this line:
Code: 
robocopy D:\ E:\ /EFSRAW /XO /TIMFIX /NDL /MIR /R:5 /NP /TEE /NJH /NJS /LOG+:C:\SYNC_HISTORY.LOG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X