Duplicate File Finder User Manual

Part 3:
The Main Window

Figure 1: The Duplicate File Finder Main Window

Figure 2: The File Chooser

Double clicking on a directory name will enter and display that directory. Double clicking on a file will add that file to the search path and close the file chooser.

Multiple files and directories can be selected from the currently displayed directory. To select multiple individual files, hold down the control key and select the files and directories you want to examine. To select a number of directories and/or files consecutively, select the entry you want to start with, hold down the shift key and click the last entry you want. After you have selected the files and directories you want to examine from this directory, click the add button. Your selections will be added to the Search Path List. If you are making multiple selections, do not be concerned by there being only one entry in the "File name:" field, all your selections will be added.

To select additional files, repeat the process until you have all files and directories you want to examine.

Remember, when you add a directory to your search path list, all files and sub directories inside will be automatically examined.

Remove Button
If you find you have one or more entries in your Search Path List that you don't want, select them and click the Remove button. Your selections will be immediately removed from the search path.

Note there is no undo for this operation, if you incorrectly remove an entry, you must add it again.

Use Database Checkbox, the Selected Database field, and the Select Button
The database is currently stores file names, checksums and sizes, and using the database makes reference to that information if the same database file is used at a later point in time. Note that at the moment the database isn't really a database as such, it is only a file that stores information. This concept will be more appropriately developed in a future version. Checking this box enables the database functionality. This then allows you to either create a new database, or select an existing one to compare files in the search path against.

To select a database name, you must click the Select button. This will present you with a file chooser similar to that which is shown for selecting files into the search path, however the "Add" button is replaces by a "Use" button.

Figure 3: Database Selection

You may now select an existing database or enter the name of a new database that you want to create.

Double clicking on a directory name will enter and display that directory, as in the process of adding files and directories to the search path. Double clicking on a file will select that file as the chosen database.

If you wish to create a new database, navigate to your desired location to store the new database, enter its name in the "File name:" field, and click the Use button.

In both cases, once your selection is made the chooser window will close and your selected or entered name will be shown in the Selected Database field in the main window.

If you have chosen a new database, you will be prompted if you really want to create the new database. Clicking "Yes" will create the database, clicking "No" will not and you will need to make a new selection if you still want to use the database for this search.

If you decide you don't want to use the database for this particular search, uncheck the "Use Database" checkbox. The "Select" button will be disabled and the Selected Database field will be cleared. Your selected database name will be stored, so if you later check the "Use Database" checkbox again, your most recent database selection will be redisplayed and used in the Selected Database field.

The "Check Files By" Options
The check files by options allow you to choose what criteria should be used in determining which files should be listed as being duplicates. It is possible to choose more than one criteria to use in determining if two or more files might be the same. All chosen criteria are used in determining if some files might be the same. For example, if you check by the default method of checksum and file size, then for two files to generate a match, both checksums must be identical and both file sizes must be identical.

Additionally, you can choose if links, both symbolic and hard, and empty files should be ignored during the search.

Checksum
In simple terms, making a checksum of a file is similar to taking its fingerprint. It provides a highly accurate way of identifying a file without needing to examine the entire file every time you want to compare another file to it.

Recursive
The Recursive check box sets if subdirectories encountered during the search should also be descended into and the files and directories inside searched too. If checked, Duplicate File Finder will descend into all directories it finds and examine the files and directories contained within.

If this checkbox is not checked, Duplicate File Finder will not descend into the directories it encounters. Note that if you specifically select a directory in the Search Path and the Recursive option is turned off, the files inside that directory will be examined, but any subsequently found subdirectories in those directories will be ignored.