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Duplicate File Finder?
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ghporter
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Aug 12, 2014, 08:04 PM
 
After syncing my iPhone, I remembered that every time it syncs, it also downloads all the pictures on the Camera Roll. And it doesn't care if it duplicates all the pictures every time. But I do - and I have a LOT of those duplicated pictures. Probably a lot of other duplicated files as well, come to think of it.

Please recommend an app that a) identifies duplicate files, b) preferably can identify duplicate files with different names, c) doesn't delete files unless I select them and d) is as close to free as possible.

And now I'm off to see if I can keep the automatic downloading from making so darn many duplicates! There's GOTTA be a way...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
reader50
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Aug 12, 2014, 08:15 PM
 
I use DupScan on the Mac. It can do a full file-content match, to catch dupes with different names.
     
ghporter  (op)
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Aug 14, 2014, 07:11 AM
 
There are just too many names out there, and not nearly enough solid information to base any sort of decision on. Thanks for the suggestion.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
ibook_steve
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Aug 15, 2014, 02:19 PM
 
You're not using iPhoto? iPhoto always asks what to do if it sees that you are importing duplicates.

Steve
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angelmb
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Aug 16, 2014, 08:58 AM
 
I like Gemini. It’s fast, works well, looks great, and it even got a sense of humor.

Then, I got Singlemizer from the Mac App Store cause, unlike Gemini, it can replace duplicates with aliases, symbolic links or hard links.

Neither of these are free but trial version is available.
     
ghporter  (op)
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Aug 17, 2014, 10:00 AM
 
iPhoto also likes to manage my photos differently from the way I want them managed, so no, I'm not. I use a System Prefs gadget called "Cameras" that allows a lot of options, most of which I hadn't played with yet, thus the dupes. I also feel that I have downloaded a lot of reference material many times, but can't find it when I want so I re-download it...which is an organizational issue on my part, of course, but it's still left me with a gazillion files that I'm sure are at least duplicated once or twice.

I've sort of thought out the "what to do with this camera" part, and pretty well thought out the reference materials part. I just need to clean up the mess I've made.

I'll look into Gemini as well, thanks.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
donaldkepler
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Aug 25, 2014, 04:29 AM
 
I use Stellar Smart Finder to locate duplicate files and remove them as I require.
Stellar Smart Finder – OS X Mac Duplicate file remover
     
ghporter  (op)
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Aug 25, 2014, 07:34 AM
 
DupScan was quite helpful; I found that most of my iPhone picture imports were duplicated, and I used the app to not only find them but delete the dupes. I also got the opportunity through this to see where I needed to reorganize everything else - records and documents for different things were scattered around like confetti, so I was able to consolidate, organize, and simplify most of that stuff.

When I was in charge of an office, in the Air Force, all the records we needed to keep were detailed in a "file plan," which not only identified the records to keep, but how long to keep them, how to organize them, and so on. In my paper file cabinet, I DO have such a plan, but for some reason I never thought about that sort of thing for my computer storage - thus duplicates, scattered information, and lots of cussing while looking for something - or re-re-redownloading something I had somewhere else but which I couldn't find when I needed it. I sort of need that kind of tool now; where to put what, how to organize it, and when to archive or delete it. I doubt there's a software solution for that problem that isn't essentially an enterprise solution, but that doesn't mean I can't start working on it manually. In all of my copious free time, of course...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
stephanrok
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Oct 9, 2014, 07:58 AM
 
I definitely recommend DuplicateFilesFinder. It works great.
     
   
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