How could I show only the folders having different contents?

I would suppose this folder (containing only the files displayed)


should be shown with this settings ("Show different folders" activated) that folder would be shown, but it isn't:


To remove folders (duplicates be their contents) with identical content, can I just remove the folders shown as equal ("Show equal folders") without the risk of losing a none duplicate file:


So each folder shown like this always / without out exception are identical by their contents (each file is identical by content, set in options), the same aomount of files / folders in the folders shown as identical by content:

For showing and next copying with merge command only folders with files being different by contents independent on last modification time of each file it is necessary to run a folder comparison with the session properties:

• Folder compare method:
  Full (byte-by-byte selected
  Recursive compare checked
  Use CRC compare not checked
• Ignore timestamp difference checked
• Display and Filter options:
  Hide same files checked
  Hide different files not checked
  Hide common files not checked
  Hide unique files not checked
  Hide same folders checked
  Hide different folders not checked
  Hide common folders not checked
  Hide unique folders not checked

This recursive folder comparison compares the files with identical file name and identical file size independent on last modification time being in same folder on both sides byte-by-byte and finally shows only:

• files and folders existing only on one side,
• files being different by file size or by file contents,
• folders with at least one unique or one different file.

The direction for copying different files must be determined by the user because the file timestamps are ignored to really find out if a file existing on both sides with identical file size have identical file contents independent on their timestamps.

Thank you very much!

This recursive folder comparison compares the files with identical file name and identical file size independent on last modification time being in same folder on both sides byte-by-byte and finally shows only:

I assume, there is no way to compare files with different file names and folders with different folder names, isn't it?

This recursive folder comparison compares the files with identical file name and identical file size independent on last modification time being in same folder on both sides byte-by-byte and finally shows only:

files and folders existing only on one side,
files being different by file size or by file contents,
folders with at least one unique or one different file.

Can one conclude this means all of the other folders (not being shown now) are identical by content?

Many thanks again

Horsley wrote:I assume, there is no way to compare files with different file names and folders with different folder names, isn't it?

A compare of files and folders with different names is not possible. Any folder comparison tool requires a minimum of being identical. This minimum is the folder structure and the file names.

Comparing contents of all files against each other can be done using find duplicates feature. I described this feature at How does Content Search on finding duplicates work? But it is impossible for any folder comparison tool to find out that for example Folder X\Folder 2 on left side has the same files as Folder Y\Folder 3 on right side.

Well, if the number of files in the two folders is identical and their file contents also, then a folder comparison could interpret the two folders being identical although folder names and file names are different. But what should be done if there is one more folder Folder Z\Folder 1 on left side which contains also 1 or more files with same contents as the other two folders and one more folder Folder 4 on right side which contains also 1 or more files with same contents as the other three folders?

On an n to n relationship / comparison between folders and files it is not possible to find out programmatic which files/folders could be interpreted as identical and as different. I have not even an idea how to display an n to n relationship which any user could really understand. It is even for a third person partly impossible to find out what owner of the folders and files did in the past when files and folders have been renamed and/or moved and/or copied as I know from my own experience. A chaotic folder management done by a user must be changed back to a structured folder management by a user. I'm not aware of any tool which is really helpful on such a task. The intuitive determination of what could be right of human brain is necessary for such a task. In binary world of 0s and 1s of programs could is something which can't be really implemented as code. (Yes, I know, there is fuzzy logic, but I have never seen usage of fuzzy logic on files/folders management.)

Horsley wrote:Can one conclude this means all of the other folders (not being shown now) are identical by content?

Yes, that is 100% right.

Thank you very much!

Alright, yes, that sounds very plausible, of course.

Many thanks for the link also.