Need a safe duplicate file finding app

On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:12:33 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

1. You have to manually select the duplicates to delete, and,
[]
How would you automate the selection?

Hi JP Gilliver,

Good question.

Look at these three sets of screenshots I just made for you.
o WiseDuplicateFinder crippleware (tested on over 600 files):
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=5035427wisedupcleaner01.jpg
o CCleaner duplicate finder tested on those same files
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=6677838ccleanerdupfinder01.jpg
o Digital Volcano Duplicate Finder Free tested on those same files
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=2872843dupcleaner01.jpg

Do you see the problem with the WiseDuplicateFinder crippleware?
(For 600 files, you have to literally manually check over 300 checkboxes!)
Same with CCleaner. They both suck (AFAICT) for duplicate cleaning.

Let me caveat this with AFAIK ...
o Let's say you have a thousand duplicates where some are triplicates,
quadruplicates, pentuplicets, etc., in addition to duplicates.
o Let's say that's, oh, I don't know, say 1,500 files you need to delete

With WDF free (AFAICT)... (version 1.2.5.27 is what I tested)...
o You will literally need to click one thousand fifteen hundred check boxes

With Volcano duplicate finder free (version 4.0.5 is what I tested)...
o You literally click a single check box (all but one file in each group)

You can pick _which_ one you one to select as that one check box
o Newest file in each group by Modified Date/Time
o Oldest file in each group by Modified Date/Time
o Newest file in each group by created date/time
o Oldest file in each group by created date/time

There is also a dialog box for "Mark by location", which, I didn't explore
but which I presume could give preference to certain folder trees.

[There are some other choices that make no sense to me for an exact MD5
hash selection such as "largest file in each group" but they must be for
simple name clashes.]

When I ran that same experiment with WDF, I could find no way to just check
one box, and worse, there was no finer granularity as to which box would
get checked (as far as I could tell, even after looking in "Advanced
Settings").

My quick assessment?
WiseDuplicateFinder freeware is classic crippleware.

Luckily, the Volcano Duplicate Finder freeware works just fine.

I'm sure the Ccleaner freeware works fine too (where, as you know, you have
to use the OLDER versions to keep from being spied upon).

Unfortunately, I'm on CCleaner version 5.39 where, I think, I have to find
a version closer to v5.36 (October 2017) to not be spied upon.

When I tested just now CCleaner 5.39 on those same 600 files, it was just
as cripped (AFAICT) as was the WDF freeware in that you literally have to
manually check 300 checkboxes - which is just ridiculous.

Of the three, only the Digital Volcano freeware was not crippleware.
Here's the head of my log file for that freeware so that others benefit.

Webaddr: http://download.cnet.com/Duplicate-C...-10584403.html
Archive: \\network\software\cleaner\dupleaner
Default: C:\Program Files (x86)\Duplicate Cleaner Free
Install: C:\app\cleaner\dupcleaner
Symlink: C:\app\cleaner\dupcleaner\DuplicateCleaner.exe
Version: Duplicate Cleaner Free 4.0.5 (2017 DigitalVolcano Software Ltd)
Depends: none
Warning: Before running the app for the first time, unplug the net.
Then tell it to NOT check for updates in the settings.
The app phones home to digitalvolcano.co.uk 162.253.33.144
Even with that IP address in the hosts file, it _still_ phoned home!
It says "A new version of Duplicate Cleaner is available
(v4.1.0). Go to Download Page? (yes)(no)

On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:12:33 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message , arlen holder
writes:
[]
After a couple of manufactured tests, I don't recommend the "free" version
simply because of two reasons:
1. You have to manually select the duplicates to delete, and,
[]
How would you automate the selection?

Duplicate Cleaner Free 4.1.0 has a pretty helpful and easy to use
"selection assistant" for cases where it's not practical to just
manually walk down the list of dupes and select all but one from each
group.

Here's a cut/paste from the Help file, but it's also important to point
out that when you select your locations for comparison, you can
designate one or more of those locations as "Protected", so that nothing
you do later will delete any files in those locations, thereby making
the automated selections safer. For example, if you're comparing files
on C:\data with files on D:\data and you know you want to protect
everything on C:\data, just "Protect" C:\data when you add it to the
comparison location list.

From the Help file:

Selection assistant
The Selection Assistant sidebar is located to the left of the Duplicate
Files Tab. Click on the left arrow button to hide it.
If it isn't shown, click on the assistant silhouette button to display
it:

1 - Undo last select operation
This will undo the last selection assistant operation, returning the
marks on the list to the state they were previously.

2 - Display Groups with all files marked tool
Marking all the files in group may lead to all copies of a file being
deleted. This tool helps prevent that by displaying a list of any groups
which have had all the files marked for removal. Selecting a group
number and clicking 'Jump to Group' or double clicking will jump to the
group in the list view.

3 - Display Mark by Location tool
Brings up the Mark by Location window.

4 - Display Mark by text pattern tool
Brings up the Mark by Text Pattern window.

5 - Invert marked files
Inverts (reverses) the marks. (i.e. marked files are unmarked, unmarked
files are marked).

6 - Unmark all
Removes all the marks on the files.

7 - Work only on currently selected rows (Option)
When checked, Selection Assistant operations will only affect the rows
selected (highlighted) in the duplicate files list.
Note, this currently excludes 'Select by Location' operations.

8 - Work on unmarked groups only (Option)
When checked, Selection Assistant operations will only mark groups which
don't currently have any marked files.
This is useful to allow several Selection Assistant operations to be
combined.

9 - Mark all but one file in each group
Selects all but one file in each group.
Note this process is based on the order of the files, and while a quick
way of marking duplicates, it will be up to you to decide if these are
the best copies to delete.

10 - Mark only one file in each group
Marks just one file in each group.

11 - Mark all but one in the same group and folder
Similar to 'All but one file in each group', but ensures that there is
also one file left unmarked in each folder in the group as well.

12 - Audio - Keep longest length
Audio files - keeps the longest length (time) in each group and marks
the shortest.

13 - Audio - Keep highest sample rate
Audio files - keeps the highest sample rate in each group and marks the
lowest.

14 - Audio - Keep highest bit rate
Audio files - keeps the highest bit rate in each group and marks the
lowest.

15 - Image - Mark smallest width / height
Marks the smallest size (width * height) images in each group.

16 - Image - Mark largest width / height
Marks the largest size (width * height) images in each group.

17 - Newest modified files in each group
Marks the newest by modified date

18 - Oldest modified files in each group
Marks the oldest by modified date

19 - Newest created files in each group
Marks the newest by created date

20 - Oldest created files in each group
Marks the oldest by created date

21 - Largest files in each group
Marks the largest files by file size

22 - Smallest files in each group
Marks the smallest files by file size

23 - "Copy of" style file names
Will mark all files which have "Copy" style prefixes and suffixes added
by Windows Explorer.
For instance:
File - Copy.txt
Copy Of File.txt
File (1).txt
File (2).txt
Etc.

24 - Longest file names in each group
Mark the longest file names in each group. If the file names are all the
same length then nothing in the group will be marked.

25 - Shortest file names in each group
Mark the shortest file names in each group. If the file names are all
the same length then nothing in the group will be marked.

26 - Longest folder names in each group
Mark the files with the longest folder names in each group. If the
folder names are all the same length then nothing in the group will be
marked.

27 - Shortest folder names in each group
Mark the files with the shortest folder names in each group. If the
folder names are all the same length then nothing in the group will be
marked.

In message , arlen holder
writes:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:12:33 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

1. You have to manually select the duplicates to delete, and,
[]
How would you automate the selection?

Hi JP Gilliver,

Good question.

Look at these three sets of screenshots I just made for you.
[shows first two no good.]
[]
With Volcano duplicate finder free (version 4.0.5 is what I tested)...
o You literally click a single check box (all but one file in each group)
[]
Of the three, only the Digital Volcano freeware was not crippleware.
Here's the head of my log file for that freeware so that others benefit.
[]
Thanks Char as well.

Looks like the volcano one is the most _versatile_ by far.

Always does assume you actually have a clear idea of what you _want_
anyway. It's probably unfair to expect a duplicate finder to help you
make your mind up on that sort of thing anyway. But in a lot of people's
cases (certainly mine), if they had a clearer idea of what they wanted,
they might not have got into the situation of having lots of duplicates
anyway (-:.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Do ministers do more than lay people?

On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 20:42:51 -0600, Char Jackson
wrote:

On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:12:33 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message , arlen holder
writes:
[]
After a couple of manufactured tests, I don't recommend the "free" version
simply because of two reasons:
1. You have to manually select the duplicates to delete, and,
[]
How would you automate the selection?

Duplicate Cleaner Free 4.1.0 has a pretty helpful and easy to use
"selection assistant" for cases where it's not practical to just
manually walk down the list of dupes and select all but one from each
group.

Here's a cut/paste from the Help file, but it's also important to point
out that when you select your locations for comparison, you can
designate one or more of those locations as "Protected", so that nothing
you do later will delete any files in those locations, thereby making
the automated selections safer. For example, if you're comparing files
on C:\data with files on D:\data and you know you want to protect
everything on C:\data, just "Protect" C:\data when you add it to the
comparison location list.

From the Help file:

Selection assistant
The Selection Assistant sidebar is located to the left of the Duplicate
Files Tab. Click on the left arrow button to hide it.
If it isn't shown, click on the assistant silhouette button to display
it:

1 - Undo last select operation
This will undo the last selection assistant operation, returning the
marks on the list to the state they were previously.

2 - Display Groups with all files marked tool
Marking all the files in group may lead to all copies of a file being
deleted. This tool helps prevent that by displaying a list of any groups
which have had all the files marked for removal. Selecting a group
number and clicking 'Jump to Group' or double clicking will jump to the
group in the list view.

3 - Display Mark by Location tool
Brings up the Mark by Location window.

4 - Display Mark by text pattern tool
Brings up the Mark by Text Pattern window.

5 - Invert marked files
Inverts (reverses) the marks. (i.e. marked files are unmarked, unmarked
files are marked).

6 - Unmark all
Removes all the marks on the files.

7 - Work only on currently selected rows (Option)
When checked, Selection Assistant operations will only affect the rows
selected (highlighted) in the duplicate files list.
Note, this currently excludes 'Select by Location' operations.

8 - Work on unmarked groups only (Option)
When checked, Selection Assistant operations will only mark groups which
don't currently have any marked files.
This is useful to allow several Selection Assistant operations to be
combined.

9 - Mark all but one file in each group
Selects all but one file in each group.
Note this process is based on the order of the files, and while a quick
way of marking duplicates, it will be up to you to decide if these are
the best copies to delete.

10 - Mark only one file in each group
Marks just one file in each group.

11 - Mark all but one in the same group and folder
Similar to 'All but one file in each group', but ensures that there is
also one file left unmarked in each folder in the group as well.

12 - Audio - Keep longest length
Audio files - keeps the longest length (time) in each group and marks
the shortest.

13 - Audio - Keep highest sample rate
Audio files - keeps the highest sample rate in each group and marks the
lowest.

14 - Audio - Keep highest bit rate
Audio files - keeps the highest bit rate in each group and marks the
lowest.

15 - Image - Mark smallest width / height
Marks the smallest size (width * height) images in each group.

16 - Image - Mark largest width / height
Marks the largest size (width * height) images in each group.

17 - Newest modified files in each group
Marks the newest by modified date

18 - Oldest modified files in each group
Marks the oldest by modified date

19 - Newest created files in each group
Marks the newest by created date

20 - Oldest created files in each group
Marks the oldest by created date

21 - Largest files in each group
Marks the largest files by file size

22 - Smallest files in each group
Marks the smallest files by file size

23 - "Copy of" style file names
Will mark all files which have "Copy" style prefixes and suffixes added
by Windows Explorer.
For instance:
File - Copy.txt
Copy Of File.txt
File (1).txt
File (2).txt
Etc.

24 - Longest file names in each group
Mark the longest file names in each group. If the file names are all the
same length then nothing in the group will be marked.

25 - Shortest file names in each group
Mark the shortest file names in each group. If the file names are all
the same length then nothing in the group will be marked.

26 - Longest folder names in each group
Mark the files with the longest folder names in each group. If the
folder names are all the same length then nothing in the group will be
marked.

27 - Shortest folder names in each group
Mark the files with the shortest folder names in each group. If the
folder names are all the same length then nothing in the group will be
marked.


I do small daily data backups and bigger weekly data
backups(FreeFileSync), then run Duplicate Cleaner Free keeping one
copy of each duplicate. I set it to remove empty folders.
Takes under 5 minutes and I can clean out 5GB or so of
duplicates. The result fits on a DVD.
The latest Wise Duplicate Cleaner (you can install it on top
of the giveaway) is just as reliable, but NEVER ALLOW IT to phone
home, or it will write an expiry to the registry and nag you forever.
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:22:09 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

Looks like the volcano one is the most _versatile_ by far.

Always does assume you actually have a clear idea of what you _want_
anyway. It's probably unfair to expect a duplicate finder to help you
make your mind up on that sort of thing anyway. But in a lot of people's
cases (certainly mine), if they had a clearer idea of what they wanted,
they might not have got into the situation of having lots of duplicates
anyway (-:.

Hi J.P. Gilliver,

The expensive part of freeware is finding the best ones.

I'm glad you made me run that test as I had never bothered with the others.
I just use the Digital Volcano Duplicate Finder Free so I didn't know more.

As you noted from the screenshots,
1. o WiseDuplicateFinder free is crippleware
o CCleaner duplicate finder is no better
o Digital Volcano Duplicate Finder Free is more functional than both

Duplicates happen.

For example, I have all the family cellphones on WiFi where I back them up
periodically, and then, I archive them to external media less periodically,
where I remove the duplicates in one fell swoop before final archival.

At other times, I work on temporary files in c:\tmp where often those are
copies, and where I periodically clean up c:\tmp in one fell swoop.

Also, when an OS crashes, I tend to simply add a new hard drive, so that
the new OS starts clean, where I slowly bring over the old data over a
peroid of my choosing, often months in length (as there is no rush).

After a year or so, I can run a duplicate finder on the two hard drives, to
delete, en masse, all the duplicates on the original hard drive that have
over time been moved to the new hard drive.

That's where those tree, creation date, and modified date selections of the
Digital Volcano product are helpful.

The expensive part of freeware is the required testing to find the best.

Knowing that the Wise Duplicate Finder & CCleaner duplicate finders
are, essentially, crap, helps others to lower the expense of freeware.

I'm always happy that every post of mine is intended to add value
to our overall tribal knowledge - where it's unfortunate that the only
known archives for these two newsgroups (literally) sucks.

http://alt.windows7.general.narkive.com
http://alt.comp.os.windows-10.narkive.com

http://tinyurl.com/alt-windows7-general
http://tinyurl.com/alt-comp-os-windows-10

It would have been better archived had we the WinXP folks on this thread.
http://tinyurl.com/windowsxp-general
http://tinyurl.com/microsoft-public-winxp-gen (30-char limit)

On 12/16/2018 6:42 PM, Char Jackson wrote:
On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:12:33 +0000, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message , arlen holder
writes:
[]
After a couple of manufactured tests, I don't recommend the "free" version
simply because of two reasons:
1. You have to manually select the duplicates to delete, and,
[]
How would you automate the selection?

Duplicate Cleaner Free 4.1.0 has a pretty helpful and easy to use
"selection assistant" for cases where it's not practical to just
manually walk down the list of dupes and select all but one from each
group.

Here's a cut/paste from the Help file, but it's also important to point
out that when you select your locations for comparison, you can
designate one or more of those locations as "Protected", so that nothing
you do later will delete any files in those locations, thereby making
the automated selections safer. For example, if you're comparing files
on C:\data with files on D:\data and you know you want to protect
everything on C:\data, just "Protect" C:\data when you add it to the
comparison location list.

From the Help file:

Selection assistant
The Selection Assistant sidebar is located to the left of the Duplicate
Files Tab. Click on the left arrow button to hide it.
If it isn't shown, click on the assistant silhouette button to display
it:

1 - Undo last select operation
This will undo the last selection assistant operation, returning the
marks on the list to the state they were previously.

2 - Display Groups with all files marked tool
Marking all the files in group may lead to all copies of a file being
deleted. This tool helps prevent that by displaying a list of any groups
which have had all the files marked for removal. Selecting a group
number and clicking 'Jump to Group' or double clicking will jump to the
group in the list view.

3 - Display Mark by Location tool
Brings up the Mark by Location window.

4 - Display Mark by text pattern tool
Brings up the Mark by Text Pattern window.

5 - Invert marked files
Inverts (reverses) the marks. (i.e. marked files are unmarked, unmarked
files are marked).

6 - Unmark all
Removes all the marks on the files.

7 - Work only on currently selected rows (Option)
When checked, Selection Assistant operations will only affect the rows
selected (highlighted) in the duplicate files list.
Note, this currently excludes 'Select by Location' operations.

8 - Work on unmarked groups only (Option)
When checked, Selection Assistant operations will only mark groups which
don't currently have any marked files.
This is useful to allow several Selection Assistant operations to be
combined.

9 - Mark all but one file in each group
Selects all but one file in each group.
Note this process is based on the order of the files, and while a quick
way of marking duplicates, it will be up to you to decide if these are
the best copies to delete.

10 - Mark only one file in each group
Marks just one file in each group.

11 - Mark all but one in the same group and folder
Similar to 'All but one file in each group', but ensures that there is
also one file left unmarked in each folder in the group as well.

12 - Audio - Keep longest length
Audio files - keeps the longest length (time) in each group and marks
the shortest.

13 - Audio - Keep highest sample rate
Audio files - keeps the highest sample rate in each group and marks the
lowest.

14 - Audio - Keep highest bit rate
Audio files - keeps the highest bit rate in each group and marks the
lowest.

15 - Image - Mark smallest width / height
Marks the smallest size (width * height) images in each group.

16 - Image - Mark largest width / height
Marks the largest size (width * height) images in each group.

17 - Newest modified files in each group
Marks the newest by modified date

18 - Oldest modified files in each group
Marks the oldest by modified date

19 - Newest created files in each group
Marks the newest by created date

20 - Oldest created files in each group
Marks the oldest by created date

21 - Largest files in each group
Marks the largest files by file size

22 - Smallest files in each group
Marks the smallest files by file size

23 - "Copy of" style file names
Will mark all files which have "Copy" style prefixes and suffixes added
by Windows Explorer.
For instance:
File - Copy.txt
Copy Of File.txt
File (1).txt
File (2).txt
Etc.

24 - Longest file names in each group
Mark the longest file names in each group. If the file names are all the
same length then nothing in the group will be marked.

25 - Shortest file names in each group
Mark the shortest file names in each group. If the file names are all
the same length then nothing in the group will be marked.

26 - Longest folder names in each group
Mark the files with the longest folder names in each group. If the
folder names are all the same length then nothing in the group will be
marked.

27 - Shortest folder names in each group
Mark the files with the shortest folder names in each group. If the
folder names are all the same length then nothing in the group will be
marked.

I just ran it first time, on Windows 7 laptop. It's amazing how quickly
could scan thousand of files and list them in highlighted groups of
identical file names. It took only a couple seconds. Even for an SSD
drive it is still very fast. The GUI is also so self-explanatory that I
didn't need to read any instructions before running it. Maybe later I
might do it just out of curiosity what else it is capable of, but the
free version seems capable enough to accomplish what most users need.
Next I'll install & run it on my Windows 10 laptop.

So thanks, guys, for recommending this software.

On Sun, 16 Dec 2018 10:31:44 -0800, pyotr filipivich wrote:

CCleaner has one as part of its tool collection.

Unless CCleaner has a method to select all but one of any duplicate group,
the CCleaner duplicate cleaner is as worthless as is the WDF duplicate
cleaner free version, as explained in these three screenshots.

o WiseDuplicateFinder crippleware (tested on over 600 files):
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=5035427wisedupcleaner01.jpg
o CCleaner duplicate finder tested on those same 600 files
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=6677838ccleanerdupfinder01.jpg
o Digital Volcano Duplicate Finder Free tested on those same files
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=2872843dupcleaner01.jpg

Of the three "free" solutions, only the last provides a single-click method
to select all but one of all groups of duplicates.

By way of contrast the other two are, IMHO, utterly worthless as freeware
for the purpose of cleaning up anything but tiny numbers of duplicate
files.

On Mon, 17 Dec 2018 09:46:05 -0200, Shadow wrote:

The latest Wise Duplicate Cleaner (you can install it on top
of the giveaway) is just as reliable, but NEVER ALLOW IT to phone
home, or it will write an expiry to the registry and nag you forever.

1. I installed the Wise Duplicate Finder freeware & tested it
2. IMHO, it's worthless crippleware (IMHO) for reasons already explained.
3. Worse I just uninstalled it - and it phones home when you uninstall it!

http://www.wisecleaner.net/uninstallfeedback/index.php?product=wdf&ver=1.2.5