14 DAY TRIAL // When you have almost one terra of space on your computer it is almost impossible to keep track of every single file you have copied on your hard drives. Sometimes you forget you already have a certain software or file and you download it again in a different location. Or - instead of removing the files from one drive to another - you accidentally hit the F5 key instead of F6. These are just a few examples of how duplicate files are created.
Of course, upon installing a software, duplicate files are also created. So what can you do about it? I used to manually delete the duplicates on my computer, but the chances of cleaning it in one month were so slim, that I decided to look for an automatic solution. I found it in Duplicate File Detector.
The software is a development of AL-Software team. The trial period for the software is 30 days, so you will have plenty of time to test it. After the 30 days expire, the user will have to pay $29 for further use of the application.
The interface of the application is something you do not see everyday in a software. If you do not like it, you have the option of choosing some other skin, either more soothing to your eyes or with a little more spice. But there are five skins that will definitely hurt your eyes upon longer exposure (Office XP Barbie, Gold, Green, Gold and Silver).
When you first open the application, you will notice that the window is split in two. The window on the left is a regular explorer window. The user can toggle between Explorer and Folder view. In the latter you can scan for duplicates in specified folders of the drive, while in the former the user can subject to scan entire drives.
The right side of the application window is occupied with the Settings and Results windows. In the Settings section, the user can set the duplicate parameters. Thus, you can choose the match by filename, size or contents. For more skilled users, there is a total of 11 cryptographic hash functions to choose from.
The presets in the Include files window allow you to choose the type of files (graphics, audio, video, archives, executables etc.) and you will also benefit from a Presets Editor that provides the means to customize the files to look for.
The Filter on date feature enables searching for files created, modified or opened between, after or before a certain time interval defined by the user. Size sometimes matters, so the application is equipped with a size filter. Thus, you can set the size parameters for the files. The Attributes (read only, hidden, archive and system) of the files can also be configured and it is enough to tick the boxes for the software to record your wish.
After all the settings have been made, all there is left to do is press the Search file duplicates now! button. Another window will appear, supplying you the folders you have selected to look into. If you have mis-chosen a folder, now is your last chance to de-select it. Search now! will "unleash" the software's search engine.
During the scan, the software performs three operations: searches for the files that fit the user given profile (match the settings), calculates the checksums and the final step is comparing the files for duplicates.
The scanning window will display on the spot information about the number of folders and files scanned and skipped and the number of duplicates found on your machine, according to the specified settings provided by the user.
If you are tired of waiting for the scan to complete or if the scan is slowing your computer and you have some more pressing job to do, then now is the time to use the Suspend or Stop buttons. After the whole scan has been performed (or the Stop button has been pressed) the application will display the results window and beneath it there will be the duplicate files it has found.
The Actions button gives you access to a menu that contains among others, the (un)marking options (mark dupes/all files), deleting options (the selected file, all marked and all files). Sometimes, you may not want to delete the files and the software has anticipated your wish and provides copying and moving options to user defined folders.
The third window in the Results section is a Preview window. It was a surprise for me to see such a feature in a duplicate files finder. The application will autodetect the mode on opening. The modes you have in here are: Text/Encoding (ANSI and OEM), Binary, Hex, Multimedia, Internet, Unicode and RTF/UTF-8.
In the Tools menu, the user can choose File Hash Calculator or Batch File Rename. The first option is to be used for calculating the checksum for a file using the 11 algorithms mentioned above. The second tool needs no presentation, as the name says it all.
If you need further details about how the software works you can check the Help menu. Unfortunately, it is online, so you are going to need an Internet connection. There is also a .chm file, but I could not open that.
The Good
The whole software is a good thing. When I first opened the application and saw all the options it had, I could not believe my eyes. The accuracy with which it detects the duplicates is something that many similar softwares would envy.
The Bad
I was hoping I did not have anything to write in here, but unfortunately the software used a little more computer memory than I expected.
Although the software is beautifully skinned, there are some of them that are simply injuring the user's eyes. It's a good thing that they are not the only ones available and milder colors are also accessible.
The Truth
I was impressed by the software and I have not found one that can be set on the same level with it. The price may seem a little spicy, but if you consider all the options and features the program is equipped with, $29 look like a bargain.
The 30 days trial period will make you decide if the software is an asset or not. What's more to it is that there is no restriction and you can "abuse" all the options with no limitation.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
