compare shows same files left and right

Posts: 3 · larrylook 21 Sep 2023, 12:23

I just got a new PC. I have attached my old hard drive via USB as an external drive I've copy a majority of files from old to new, but, I'm trying to identify any files that I missed. I'm trying to compare the files between the old hard drive (attached as USB) and the new internal hard drive. All the same files are showing up on both the left and right sides on different lines. I am trying to compare "C:\Users\Larry\OneDrive\Documents\ to "F:\Users\Larry\Documents\ FFS first shows all the same files on both sides as not existing on the other side. The filenames, dates and sizes look to be the same to me. The only difference I can detect is that the date/time on the folders are different, but the files are the same. I attached a screen print with the issue.

Posts: 3624 · xCSxXenon 21 Sep 2023, 14:39

That's weird. The paths look correct to me, but it is saying that some files only exist on the left side and the same files also only exist on the right side lol
Try this:
Click a single file (ex. Arthur Lifsitz,jpg)
Push ENTER to sync that file alone
Once it syncs, click the '=' icon to show equivalent files, which show allow you to see this file you just synced
Right click it and 'show in explorer'
Find the "Arthur Lifsitz.jpg" that is shown as 'only exists on right side' and show in explorer also
Compare the two locations that open in the File Explorer windows

Posts: 7058 · Zenju 21 Sep 2023, 15:47

The file names on the left start with a blank, e.g. " Arthur Lifsitz.jpg".

Posts: 3 · larrylook 21 Sep 2023, 15:53

WOW! You are right. THANKS! I didn't notice that. The files on the left do begin with a space, the ones on the right don't. Any idea how I can ignore that space? Thanks

Posts: 7058 · Zenju 21 Sep 2023, 15:57

A tailor-made job for: https://freefilesync.org/manual.php?topic=tips-and-tricks#multi-rename

Posts: 3 · larrylook 21 Sep 2023, 16:14

I actually came up with another solution. Some of the files being compared are data files created by software programs installed on my PC. I excluded those folders in the compare filters. I am only concerned with files that I created myself. I'm just lookiing to insure that any of my own files that existed on my old PC get copied to the new one. With the filters updated, I am now seeing what I need to see. THANKS!

Posts: 945 · therube 21 Sep 2023, 16:16

If you wanted to remove the spaces from the source file names, you could use Everything.

1. find file names that begin with 1 or more spaces
1a. Old/New Format before any changes, you can "see" the spaces in the file names

2. in this case, you want to (manually) change Old/New Format: to something like shown, which says to remove any opening spaces & keep all else.
(Note, I also enabled, Regex: in 2. [that was not enabled in 1.].)

(There is Undo, in 1.5, but no real "checks" - that is up to you.)
(I'd imagine, a file renamer could do similar.)
.

: Everything remove opening spaces from file name.png (41.49 KiB) Viewed 2842 times

Posts: 7058 · Zenju 21 Sep 2023, 16:26

If you wanted to remove the spaces from the source file names, you could use Everything. therube, 21 Sep 2023, 16:16

Would you seriously prefer Everything over FreeFileSync to remove the spaces in this case?

Posts: 3624 · xCSxXenon 21 Sep 2023, 16:29

The file names on the left start with a blank, e.g. " Arthur Lifsitz.jpg". Zenju, 21 Sep 2023, 15:47

How do you even notice that... Amazing

Posts: 945 · therube 21 Sep 2023, 16:45

Would you seriously prefer Everything over FreeFileSync to remove the spaces in this case?

Well, I didn't see where FFS has ability to remove the proceeding spaces?

A file name that starts with opening spaces, " abc123" is shown as "abc123" in the (FFS) Rename dialog, & the 'Rename' button is grayed out.

Posts: 945 · therube 21 Sep 2023, 16:47

Ah, if you append (or otherwise change the file name), then effect the Rename, opening spaces are discarded (on the Rename), so in that respect it can "work".

Posts: 7058 · Zenju 21 Sep 2023, 18:33

A file name that starts with opening spaces, " abc123" is shown as "abc123" in the (FFS) Rename dialog, & the 'Rename' button is grayed out. therube, 21 Sep 2023, 16:45

That's a bug: Fixed for the next version! (But FFS will still not allow to add leading trailing spaces, because this probably doesn't make sense!(?)

Posts: 945 · therube 22 Sep 2023, 15:38

For a Rename, here, I suppose (silently) removing opening spaces would be OK.
(Better, would be to "display" those spaces, & let the user decide.)

Though it should obviously respect opening spacing for a compare/sync.

---

You select a set of files, & you're not likely to even be aware that there are preceding spaces.

In the (Rename) dialog, you see "Old name" & "New name", but again, one is not apt to realize that there is difference in what is being displayed. (The same as the spaces where not "seen" in the screenshot above.)

Would a user want proceeding spaces?
I know my father used them in cases where he wanted particular items to be listed before the rest (in an alpha listed directory).

(I have no clue how he even knew how to "create" such a filename?
Windows doesn't allow it "normally".
ZIP wouldn't ordinarily [if at all?] respect opening spaces.
7-zip does.
File, Save As, if you quote the name seems to work.
He might have picked up on that, somewhere along the line?
That is truly odd.

And I find it odd that Save As allows this [which I hadn't realized].)