How to merge trees/folders selecting only latest versions of files?

[Erik Andren]

I have XP pro. Word 2000 on a desktop, a laptop with W98
and a 250MB zip drive which I use between platforms. In
each location in Windows Explorer I now have tree
sructures, folders and files that differ slightly.(I have
just dicovered Briefcase and will use this in future!)
I want to merge these slightly differing versions of file
trees, folders and files together, adding any new folders
and files and selecting only the latest version of files
which have the same filename.
Basic merging seem easy. What I cannot get is ONLY THE
LATEST VERIONS. Each merge operations adds folders and
files with new names but overwrites things with the same
filename, not selecting the latest version.
Does anyone know how to get a merge operation to select
only the latest versions at each level? All help very
welcome. Thanks. Erik

[Raoul]

Don't know if this will help, but in the bowels of your original Windows 98
CD, there's a folder called Win98RK. Somewhere within there's a file named
WINDIFF.EXE and it does a pretty darn good job of folder and file comparing
and using the results, one can copy only new or different files to a
destination.

"Erik Andren" > wrote in message
...
> I have XP pro. Word 2000 on a desktop, a laptop with W98
> and a 250MB zip drive which I use between platforms. In
> each location in Windows Explorer I now have tree
> sructures, folders and files that differ slightly.(I have
> just dicovered Briefcase and will use this in future!)
> I want to merge these slightly differing versions of file
> trees, folders and files together, adding any new folders
> and files and selecting only the latest version of files
> which have the same filename.
> Basic merging seem easy. What I cannot get is ONLY THE
> LATEST VERIONS. Each merge operations adds folders and
> files with new names but overwrites things with the same
> filename, not selecting the latest version.
> Does anyone know how to get a merge operation to select
> only the latest versions at each level? All help very
> welcome. Thanks. Erik
>
>
>
>
>

[nospam.please@ualberta.ca]

For this sort of thing, I very much like the freeware available at the link
below:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~lploeger/TreeComp3.htm


In article >, "Erik Andren"
> wrote:
|I have XP pro. Word 2000 on a desktop, a laptop with W98
|and a 250MB zip drive which I use between platforms. In
|each location in Windows Explorer I now have tree
|sructures, folders and files that differ slightly.(I have
|just dicovered Briefcase and will use this in future!)
|I want to merge these slightly differing versions of file
|trees, folders and files together, adding any new folders
|and files and selecting only the latest version of files
|which have the same filename.
|Basic merging seem easy. What I cannot get is ONLY THE
|LATEST VERIONS. Each merge operations adds folders and
|files with new names but overwrites things with the same
|filename, not selecting the latest version.
|Does anyone know how to get a merge operation to select
|only the latest versions at each level? All help very
|welcome. Thanks. Erik

[Erik Andren]

Thanks Nospam,
I have been swept off my feet with other things and have
not yet got down to the merging, but I have got the
downloaded freeware and am looking forward to using it.
Thanks for helping a struggling computer user!
More later if I need help, but thanks so far.
Erik


>-----Original Message-----
>For this sort of thing, I very much like the freeware
available at the link
>below:
>
>http://www.xs4all.nl/~lploeger/TreeComp3.htm
>
>
>In article <038601c30d92$4bd51d30
>, "Erik Andren"
> wrote:
> |I have XP pro. Word 2000 on a desktop, a laptop with
W98
> |and a 250MB zip drive which I use between platforms. In
> |each location in Windows Explorer I now have tree
> |sructures, folders and files that differ slightly.(I
have
> |just dicovered Briefcase and will use this in future!)
> |I want to merge these slightly differing versions of
file
> |trees, folders and files together, adding any new
folders
> |and files and selecting only the latest version of
files
> |which have the same filename.
> |Basic merging seem easy. What I cannot get is ONLY THE
> |LATEST VERIONS. Each merge operations adds folders and
> |files with new names but overwrites things with the
same
> |filename, not selecting the latest version.
> |Does anyone know how to get a merge operation to select
> |only the latest versions at each level? All help very
> |welcome. Thanks. Erik
>.
>

[Erik Andren]

Thanks Raoul,
I have not had time to get the work done recently, but
will try your suggestion if the other one offered does not
do what I'm trying to do.
Thanks for responding. Much appreciated.
Erik
>-----Original Message-----
>Don't know if this will help, but in the bowels of your
original Windows 98
>CD, there's a folder called Win98RK. Somewhere within
there's a file named
>WINDIFF.EXE and it does a pretty darn good job of folder
and file comparing
>and using the results, one can copy only new or different
files to a
>destination.
>
>"Erik Andren" > wrote in message
...
>> I have XP pro. Word 2000 on a desktop, a laptop with W98
>> and a 250MB zip drive which I use between platforms. In
>> each location in Windows Explorer I now have tree
>> sructures, folders and files that differ slightly.(I
have
>> just dicovered Briefcase and will use this in future!)
>> I want to merge these slightly differing versions of
file
>> trees, folders and files together, adding any new
folders
>> and files and selecting only the latest version of files
>> which have the same filename.
>> Basic merging seem easy. What I cannot get is ONLY THE
>> LATEST VERIONS. Each merge operations adds folders and
>> files with new names but overwrites things with the same
>> filename, not selecting the latest version.
>> Does anyone know how to get a merge operation to select
>> only the latest versions at each level? All help very
>> welcome. Thanks. Erik
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>.
>

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Erik Andren wrote:

> I have XP pro. Word 2000 on a desktop, a laptop with W98
> and a 250MB zip drive which I use between platforms. In
> each location in Windows Explorer I now have tree
> sructures, folders and files that differ slightly.(I have
> just dicovered Briefcase and will use this in future!)
> I want to merge these slightly differing versions of file
> trees, folders and files together, adding any new folders
> and files and selecting only the latest version of files
> which have the same filename.
> Basic merging seem easy. What I cannot get is ONLY THE
> LATEST VERIONS. Each merge operations adds folders and
> files with new names but overwrites things with the same
> filename, not selecting the latest version.
> Does anyone know how to get a merge operation to select
> only the latest versions at each level?

Hi

Some options:

==================================================
GUI based:

WinMerge (Freeware)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/winmerge/


Synchronize It! (Shareware)
http://www.grigsoft.com/winsin.htm
Synchronize It! is a powerful directories synchronization tool.
Has a GUI, but can run from command line, including unattended mode.


==================================================
Command line based:

(1)
You could look into xcopy and it's /D parameter

C:\>xcopy /?
Copies files and directory trees.

XCOPY source [destination] [/A | /M] [/D[:date]] [/P] [/S [/E]] [/V] [/W]
[/C] [/I] [/Q] [/F] [/L] [/H] [/R] [/T] [/U]
[/K] [/N] [/O] [/X] [/Y] [/-Y] [/Z]
[/EXCLUDE:file1[+file2][+file3]...]
(snip)
/D:m-d-y Copies files changed on or after the specified date.
If no date is given, copies only those files whose
source time is newer than the destination time.


(2)
Robocopy.exe is also able to do this. You can find it in the Windows Server
2003 Resource Kit downloadable from

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd&DisplayLang=en

(The kit will install on WinXP or later)


(3)
XXCOPY: they have a freeware version for personal (non-commercial) use, and a
shareware version in other cases.

http://www.xxcopy.com/index.html

Switch help/listing
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy27.htm

A Feature Comparison: XXCOPY vs ROBOCOPY
http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy30.htm


==================================================
Viewers (not able to merge):

Windiff.exe on the Windows XP CD, in the Support Tools (at least on WinXP Pro).

Install "support Tools" by starting suptools.msi from <cd-drive>\Support\Tools\

After the install, you will find windiff.exe in %ProgramFiles%\Support Tools\

A better front end to WinDiff:
http://www.codeproject.com/tools/runwindiff.asp


Two other freeware/shareware file/folder difference analysis tools:

CSDIFF
http://www.componentsoftware.com/Products/CSDiff/index.htm

FCU File-Compare Utility
http://www.geherbert.de/fcumain.html

--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

Raoul wrote:

> Don't know if this will help, but in the bowels of your original Windows 98
> CD, there's a folder called Win98RK. Somewhere within there's a file named
> WINDIFF.EXE and it does a pretty darn good job of folder and file comparing
> and using the results, one can copy only new or different files to a
> destination.

Hi

It comes with WinXP as well.

Windiff.exe is on the Windows XP CD, in the Support Tools (at least on WinXP
Pro).

Install "support Tools" by starting suptools.msi from <cd-drive>\Support\Tools\

After the install, you will find windiff.exe in %ProgramFiles%\Support Tools\

A better front end to WinDiff:
http://www.codeproject.com/tools/runwindiff.asp


--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter