geoff.yates
03-16-2009, 06:33 AM
Hello everyone - this is my first post here...
I am looking for software that will compare two paths and check to ensure that for each file in path one or one of its subdirectories there is a file with the same contents in path two or one of its subdirectories, even if the corresponding file has a different name, or the directory the file is in has a different name, or the position of that directory in the directory structure is different.
For example, suppose I had a 'hard disk drive sort out' - I might be moving files around, renaming them, moving directories around and renaming them. After all that there might be the questions have I lost anything? Did any files become corrupt whilst being moved or copied? If any files have gone are those the ones I wanted to get rid of? Did I just make an absent-minded mistake?
Supposing that the drive to be 'sorted out' was Drive D: and that was an internal hard disk that contained only 'data' and not any installations of programs ( those would be on Drive C: ). One option would be that before starting the 'sort out' to copy the entire unchanged contents of Drive D: onto another hard disk drive that could be external ( say Drive H: ). Then after the ‘sort out’ has finished use a program as I have described above where 'source' = H:\path one and 'target' = D:\path two to check that for each file that existed on Drive D: before the ‘sort out’ ( all now copied to Drive H: ) there is still a file with the same contents present on Drive D: after the hard disk ‘sort out’ has completed, even if the corresponding file has a different name, or the directory the corresponding file is in has a different name, or the position of that directory in the directory structure is different.
Of course if any files were found to be missing these could be listed by the program. It would then be possible to check to ensure that these files are no longer wanted and if an error were detected there would still be the chance to restore the files concerned from Drive H: ( which in effect is the back up made before doing the 'sort out' on Drive D: ).
After all that does anyone know of any computer program/s that would offer this functionality?
Thanks in advance for any help!
I am looking for software that will compare two paths and check to ensure that for each file in path one or one of its subdirectories there is a file with the same contents in path two or one of its subdirectories, even if the corresponding file has a different name, or the directory the file is in has a different name, or the position of that directory in the directory structure is different.
For example, suppose I had a 'hard disk drive sort out' - I might be moving files around, renaming them, moving directories around and renaming them. After all that there might be the questions have I lost anything? Did any files become corrupt whilst being moved or copied? If any files have gone are those the ones I wanted to get rid of? Did I just make an absent-minded mistake?
Supposing that the drive to be 'sorted out' was Drive D: and that was an internal hard disk that contained only 'data' and not any installations of programs ( those would be on Drive C: ). One option would be that before starting the 'sort out' to copy the entire unchanged contents of Drive D: onto another hard disk drive that could be external ( say Drive H: ). Then after the ‘sort out’ has finished use a program as I have described above where 'source' = H:\path one and 'target' = D:\path two to check that for each file that existed on Drive D: before the ‘sort out’ ( all now copied to Drive H: ) there is still a file with the same contents present on Drive D: after the hard disk ‘sort out’ has completed, even if the corresponding file has a different name, or the directory the corresponding file is in has a different name, or the position of that directory in the directory structure is different.
Of course if any files were found to be missing these could be listed by the program. It would then be possible to check to ensure that these files are no longer wanted and if an error were detected there would still be the chance to restore the files concerned from Drive H: ( which in effect is the back up made before doing the 'sort out' on Drive D: ).
After all that does anyone know of any computer program/s that would offer this functionality?
Thanks in advance for any help!