Options available to consolidate files

zbook · 11 Jan 2020

There are two old windows HDs that have health (SMART) or chkdsk problems that have some duplicate files that may have been modified over time.

Each Windows internal HD is 750 GB.

There is an external 4 TB drive with 2 GB free space.

One HD has had it's users folders copied and pasted to the external HD.

The other had a recent failure to boot that was fixed by a system restore.

What methods are available to consolidate the files from the two problematic drives?

Are they the same or different if the drive did not have problems?

Is it a tedious process where you need to compare each file side by side?
Or do you end up having thousands of duplicate files and keep getting larger drives?

Should the users folder of the second problematic drive be copied and pasted to the external HD?
There is no Macrium backup image yet. Is there a role for a backup image if the Windows drive is being converted to a non windows drive (saving files without the operating system)? Or should it be done anyway as an extra backup step?

Berton · 11 Jan 2020

You could simply Copy all files involved into the same folder on the largest drive since the folder can't contain 2 or more files of the same name. But one could Copy each folder into a main folder as a sub folder. Or maybe use a program such as Easy Duplicate Finder [there's others on the 'net] but even that can take some time to sort what to keep.

zbook · 11 Jan 2020

For computer 1 the files were copied and pasted to the external HD by creating a new folder and moving the users folders into this folder.

For computer 2 the files were not yet copied and there is no backup image.

For a 750 GB HD this takes many hours and a substantial portion can be performed overnight.

There will be two folders on the 4 TB HD, one from each computer?

There are no other steps to perform before the copy and paste?

Is this typically the most efficient / effective method?

If there were Macrium backup images would they make the process any easier?

Callender · 11 Jan 2020

When I've restored a system image backup I first make a copy of the existing system then restore backup.

I copy only changed files from previously existing system backup to restored image backup using this:

TSR Copy Changed Files Software - Free software for logging changed and modified files.
You can also test copy (no files are moved but you can see what will be changed)

zbook · 11 Jan 2020

On computer #2 there is no Macrium backup image.
One could be made if it is useful in backing up files without the operating system.

The drive has not yet failed and could be used as a spare computer for internet access.

I'm using a newer computer model with a SSD that is 250 GB.
So the files from the problematic internal HDs need to be moved to the external HD.
The files can grow exponentially unless there is an easy method to clean duplicate files.

Callender · 11 Jan 2020

If folder structure is the same on all drives then TSR Copy Changed Files shhould handle it.

If folder structure is different then it's complicated. I've had luck with this:

Download DSynchronize - MajorGeeks

You'd have to go though all folders that don't use the same path on all drives.

Then there is this duplicate removal tool that is handy:

AllDup - Duplicate File Search Software

x509 · 11 Jan 2020

Callender said:

If folder structure is the same on all drives then TSR Copy Changed Files shhould handle it.

If folder structure is different then it's complicated. I've had luck with this:

Download DSynchronize - MajorGeeks

You'd have to go though all folders that don't use the same path on all drives.

Then there is this duplicate removal tool that is handy:

AllDup - Duplicate File Search Software

For a great comparison tool try this: Scooter Software: Home of Beyond Compare 30-day free trial.

Callender · 11 Jan 2020

x509 said:

For a great comparison tool try this: Scooter Software: Home of Beyond Compare 30-day free trial.

Thanks. I've used it in the past. I don't really need it though because I really only ever needing to restore missing personal files if I've restored a backup and also sometimes find duplicate copies of personal files.