No decent duplicate file finder?

[MacBH928]

I can't believe this is hard to find.

I want an app that I would drop a folder/file in and it would look in another directory/volume if it has those similar files (INCLUDING SUBFOLDER CONTENT) . I want something that does "Search all files in this directory and tell me if a duplicate files exist in the other folder/disk I chose as a searched destination"

This does not seem to exist! All the ones I found would search the chosen folder for duplicate but it does not compare it to another disk/folder. If there is something to fiddle with in the settings please tell me.

Over the year I accumulated multiple "backup" folder and I have many similar files on many disk that I am trying to find and delete. I can't seem to find the right tool to do that.

I already tried TidyUp, Gemini, Clone Fighter, Duplicate File Finder, DupeGuru

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I just tried it in Tidy Up and it most certainly can do this. Just drop both folders in the app.

 

[Slartibart]

This is quite trivial from the terminal - just execute:

diff -qr /where/ever/folder-1/is/ /where/ever/folder-2/is/

The -q switch tells diff to report only when files differ; the -r switch tells diff to read the subdirectories as well.

If you prefer to compare and merge using a GUI, Meld is another solution (besides Tidy Up, as already pointed out by @Lifeisabeach ).

 

[bogdanw]

Similar thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/removing-duplicates.2384335/

 

[HDFan]

The professional Axis Merge will compare directory hierarchies.

 

[MacBH928]

This is quite trivial from the terminal - just execute:

diff -qr /where/ever/folder-1/is/ /where/ever/folder-2/is/

The -q switch tells diff to report only when files differ; the -r switch tells diff to read the subdirectories as well.

If you prefer to compare and merge using a GUI, Meld is another solution (besides Tidy Up, as already pointed out by @Lifeisabeach ).

Not supported on MacOS. I will try to play with the diff tool thing I will see where I get

I just tried it in Tidy Up and it most certainly can do this. Just drop both folders in the app.

I put two folders in there and it checked both for duplicates.

What it is doing : Check content of folders A and B for any duplicates

What I want: Check content of folder A and see if any are duplicated in folder B and its subdirectories

Similar thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/removing-duplicates.2384335/

Thats where I got Clone Fighter from

The professional Axis Merge will compare directory hierarchies.

I want it to find duplicate files not just compare directories but I will see what it can do thanks!

 

[Slartibart]

Not supported on MacOS. I will try to play with the diff tool thing I will see where I get

your screenshot actually points to how to run Meld on macOS 🤓

Otherwise this “how can I find duplicates” or “how can I find similar images” comes currently up here on MR a lot in one form or another. 😀
If you want to find duplicates in the file system and e.g. automatically delete all others but one, the best solution IMHO is fdupes. It involves Home Brew (like Meld) - at least for a convenient installation.
Otherwise there are plenty solutions for finding duplicates whereever, finding similar files - I am not talking images here - is a different can of worms. 🤜🤛😎

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I put two folders in there and it checked both for duplicates.

What it is doing : Check content of folders A and B for any duplicates

What I want: Check content of folder A and see if any are duplicated in folder B and its subdirectories

Yes. And it does that. I tried it. I literally took a folder full of pictures and made a copy of it. Then went into the copy and moved some of the pictures randomly into new subfolders inside the copy. Tidy Up found ALL of the dupes.

 

[Slartibart]

@MacBH928 you drag and drop/add into the Tidy Up GUI , select them, and then it finds the duplicates. Apparently wherever…

nota bene: obviously this works only for files and folders your user has access rights.

 

[MacBH928]

your screenshot actually points to how to run Meld on macOS 🤓

Otherwise this “how can I find duplicates” or “how can I find similar images” comes currently up here on MR a lot in one form or another. 😀

perhaps because finding the right solution is hard enough

If you want to find duplicates in the file system and e.g. automatically delete all others but one, the best solution IMHO is fdupes. It involves Home Brew (like Meld) - at least for a convenient installation.

Terminal masters think simple people are capable of running those commands. To us , a terminal is what a pilot cockpit to you. There are so many buttons and we are afraid to press the wrong one and the plane explodes somehow.

There is a reason why GUI Mac made computers main stream and is now the main way to interact with a computer over a blinking cursor in an empty screen. If you know how to control it, it can do great things...IF you know how to control it.

Yes. And it does that. I tried it. I literally took a folder full of pictures and made a copy of it. Then went into the copy and moved some of the pictures randomly into new subfolders inside the copy. Tidy Up found ALL of the dupes.

I will read their guide/docs to see how I can get what I want from it. maybe I am not competent enough to figure my way around it...yet

 

[HDFan]

I want it to find duplicate files not just compare directories but I will see what it can do thanks!

As you probably discovered it compares the complete hierarchy - directories and files.

 

[tornado99]

try this

GitHub - qarmin/czkawka: Multi functional app to find duplicates, empty folders, similar images etc.

Multi functional app to find duplicates, empty folders, similar images etc. - qarmin/czkawka

github.com

 

[ThunderSkunk]

try this

GitHub - qarmin/czkawka: Multi functional app to find duplicates, empty folders, similar images etc.

Multi functional app to find duplicates, empty folders, similar images etc. - qarmin/czkawka

github.com

The next question is going to be, “how in hades does one install that?” And then, “why do we have to spend days learning how github works and tinkering just trying to get a small app installed?“. Both are good questions in 2023.

Then on to: Why after 15 years of people building their own amateur websites, the engineers decided that progress means everyone needs to fork out for a web developer/company & 7 subscription services just to make yourself a simple site.

 

[tornado99]

The next question is going to be, “how in hades does one install that?” And then, “why do we have to spend days learning how github works and tinkering just trying to get a small app installed?“. Both are good questions in 2023.

It's free software, the developer owes you nothing!

I just followed the instructions here. Literally copy/paste a few terminal commands and wait a few minutes.

czkawka/instructions/Installation.md at master · qarmin/czkawka

Multi functional app to find duplicates, empty folders, similar images etc. - qarmin/czkawka

github.com

(This is assuming you have Homebrew which is super useful for many things)

 

[david95966]

I'm using czkawka. The install went well. Its long, drawn out and seemingly confusing, but it does work. Its good to now how to do that.

In czkawka, I'm not able to use the "select" features. I can't find anywhere else to post this question. The only way I can select files is manually, which kind of defeats the purposed of automation. I see the select features, they just don't seem to work. Any tricks or tips? Thanks.