File Compare

Chances are you need to copy a handful of files from one location to the other often enough to become frustrating. However, if you’re only looking to perform this operation on files based on folder differences, then applications like File Compare can help you scan two directories for inconsistencies, and copy files accordingly.

Running the application brings up a simple interface, with organized elements that make it easy to identify requirements, and where results are shown. However, the name might trick you into believing you get to work with specific files, but the general function revolves more around folder synchronization.

The first thing you need to do is decide what directories you want to compare, with master and compare folder requirement fields at your disposal. Although dragging them over the main window has no effect, working with the browse dialog isn’t that difficult.

Before you begin, there’s the possibility to decide whether or not to include sub-folders, match file size and date, and show files that match. To narrow down results, you can either include or exclude custom file extensions by simply writing them down in a corresponding field.

Initiating the process doesn’t take too long, with the list getting filled with files that don’t match, unless you chose to show those that do, in which case all files are shown. However, files that match mean they’re duplicates, with no option to have them removed, nor any file related operations to perform.

It would have been useful to be able to have matching files removed from one of the two folders. In case you want to analyze the list, it can be saved as a plain text file. What’s more, you can choose to reconcile, which copies all non-matching files from the master folder to the compare directory.

Bottom line is that file management bundles up quite a variety of operations, and monitoring for duplicates is one of them. Although it gets the job done right, File Compare feels rather odd in its approach, letting you find duplicates, but not remove them, while synchronization is an optional operation, which can’t even be scheduled.