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Compare Folders From Properties
Compare Folders Using Command Prompt
Compare Folders With WinMerge
Summary
One way to compare folders is to right-click your folders one at a time and choose «Properties» for each. Then compare the Properties window of each folder.
The robocopy command is a command-line tool that can be used to view the differences between folder.
Use WinMerge to compare the contents and details of folders if you want a graphical tool.
Do you want to compare the number of files or folders or simply visualize the difference between two folders? If so, you have two graphical and one command line method to do that. We’ll show you how to perform the folder comparison task on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
Compare Folders From Properties
To compare the number of files, subfolders, the size, and the creation date of two folders, use the Properties option in Windows File Explorer. This lets you quickly glance at the main attributes of a folder.
To start, launch File Explorer using Windows+E. Find the first folder, right-click it, and select «Properties.»
Keep the first folder’s «Properties» window open. Then, find the second folder, right-click it, and select «Properties.»
You now have the «Properties» window open for both your folders. Bring these windows side-by-side by dragging them, and you can see the differences in the contents of these folders. For example, you can see how many files both folders have, what size these folders are, and so on.
That gives you a general overview of the differences between your folders.
Compare Folders Using Command Prompt
If you prefer command line methods over graphical ones, use the robocopy command in Command Prompt to see the differences between the two folders. This command is actually for copying files from one folder to another, but you can make it show the differences between two specified folders and not copy any files.
To use robocopy, first open the Start Menu, search Command Prompt, and launch it.
In Command Prompt, type the following command. Replace «Folder1» with the path to your first folder and «Folder2» with the path to your second folder. Ensure both folder paths are enclosed in double quotes.
To copy a folder’s full path along with double quotes around the path, hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, right-click your folder, and choose «Copy as Path.»
robocopy "Folder1" "Folder2" /L /NJH /NJS /NP /NS
You’ll see the differences between your folders.
If you’re curious as to what the robocopy command does, here’s an explanation of each flag we used with the command:
L: This tells the command not to copy files but show the log of the files in the specified folder.
NJH: This flag excludes junctions, hard links, and reparse points from consideration. This way, the command focuses on the regular files in the specified folders.
NJS: This flag excludes symbolic links from the process.
NP: This flag excludes folder timestamps.
NS: This flag excludes file security information.
Compare Folders With WinMerge
If you want more details about the differences in your folders, Windows doesn’t have a built-in tool to help you with that. However, you can use a free third-party app called WinMerge to compare multiple folders.
To use it, launch a web browser on your PC, head to the WinMerge site, and download and install the app. Make sure to download the app’s executable and not the ZIP version.
Open the WinMerge app, then select File > Open in the Menu Bar or press Ctrl+O.
For the «1st File or Folder» field, select «Browse» and choose the first folder to compare.
For the «2nd File or Folder» field, click the «Browse» button and choose the second folder to compare.
In both fields, enable the «Read-Only» option. Click the «Folder: Filter» field and type *.* if it isn’t already there. This ensures the app compares all the files in both the specified folders. Then, at the bottom, click «Compare.»
On the following screen, you’ll see the comparison of the specified folders. You’ll see information like identical files in both folders, files missing from one folder, and so on.
And that’s how you know what one folder has that another doesn’t. This can be really useful if you’re trying to quickly compare different versions of the same folder, like you’d have when you create a backup.
If you want to compare folders and files in Windows, then keep reading this article because we will show you some very useful and free tools for comparing and synchronizing files and folders.
When you copy a large number of files from one folder to a different destination folder, you want to ensure that all files are copied to the destination. But it’s difficult to manually compare each folder and file individually to make sure they contain the same content.
In this article you will find out how you can easily compare the contents of two different directories and synchronize them to get an exact mirror copy.
3 Best Free Tools to Compare or Synchronize the Content of 2 Folders in Windows 11/10/8/7 OS.
WinMerge.
FreeFileSync.
Total commander.
1. WinMerge
WinMerge is one of the best free tools for comparing and synchronizing files and folders. It is extremely useful for determining what has changed between 2 similar folders, synchronizing their contents or merge them.
You can download the WinMerge tool from its official webpage. Once the download is complete, open the downloaded file and follow the onscreen instructions to install the software.
How to Compare 2 Folders with WinMerge.
1. Launch WinMerge and from the File menu select Open or press the Ctrl + O keys to choose the folders/files that you want to compare.
2. WinMerge gives you the option to compare two (2) or three (3) files or folders at once. To compare two folders or files:
a. in 1st File or Folder, select Browse and choose the file or folder that you want to compare. Do the same for the file or folder you want to compare in the 2nd File or Folder space.
b. For Folder: Filter, if you want to compare all different types of file types, use *.* as the default choice.However, if you want to compare specific file types, specify the file extension in the box. Example: .pdf
c. Finally click Compare. It will take a while for the list of items in both locations to appear depending on the size of the files. It will display the similarities and differences between the files or folders you compare.
3. After a while, the result of the comparison will appear on the screen, with the differences highlighted so you can easily identify them.
Identical files or folders are highlighted in White. Files or folders that are present in only the one location are highlighted Grey, while folders with different content will be highlighted with yellow color.
* Note: In the Comparison result, Left Only means that the file is in the first location (1st File or Folder), while Right Only signifies that the file is present only in the second location (2nd File or Folder).
5. After viewing the comparison result, you can copy, move, compare, rename or delete a file or folder in WinMerge by right-clicking on it and applying the change you want.
How to Synchronize 2 folders with WinMerge:
WinMerge allows you to easily synchronize the contents of 2 different folders and merge them so that both folders end up containing the same files.
1. First, select the folders you want to sync, then hit the Compare button.
2. Now hide the files or folders that are identical, so you can focus on the ones you want to sync. From the View tab, uncheck the Show Identical Items option.
3. On your screen now you’ll seeonly the files that are either in the 1st folder (Left Only) or the 2nd folder (Right Only).
3a. Now select the files/folders that you want to synchronize (or press Ctrl + A keys to select all of them), then right-click and choose Copy.
3b. Then,from the sub-menu select the location (folder) that you want to update/synchronize.
If the files or folders of the 1st folder are missing in the 2nd folder: Select Copy > Left to Right.
If the files or folders of the 2nd folder are missing in the 1st folder : Select Copy > Right to Left.
If you want to copy all the unidentical files or folders in 1st location to an entirely different folder: Select Copy > Left to…
If you want to copy all the unidentical files or folders in the 2nd Location to a different location: Select Copy > Right to…
WinMerge Settings.
For efficiency, there are some custom settings you can make to make it easier to work with WinMerge. To open the WinMerge settings, click Options , or click Edit > Options.
The Options dialog allows you to customize many WinMerge features, such as the comparison method, the colors in the comparison results, etc.. To explore and learn more about all the options in WinMerge, visit the WinMerge manual.
2. FreeFileSync
FreeFileSync is another useful software that allows you to perform a detailed comparison on two folders, and synchronize the differences between them. With FreeFileSync, you can automate the backup of your data and save time by copying only the minimum number of files required, because it only copies the differences.
1. Visit the official webpage to download FreeFileSync on your PC.
2. Once it is downloaded, open the file to begin the installation. Installing FreeFileSync is one of the easiest software to set up. You just have to select Next several times to get the program installed.
How to Compare 2 Directories using FreeFileSync:
1. Open FreeFileSync and click the Browse button to choose the folders that you want to compare.
2. At Compare options choose the compare method. You can compare by File time and size,File content, or File size.* When done, click the Compare button to start the folder comparing.
* Note: We will recommend you to compare using File content.
3. Once the folder compare is complete, the blue arrow icon indicates files that only exists on the right side, while the green icon signifies files on the left side. You can select either the blue or green icon to manually replicate the files to the other location. By default, FreeFileSync hides identical files and displays the files that are missing in the selected locations.
How to Synchronize folders & files using FreeFileSync.
1. Open FreeFileSync and click the Browse button to choose the two folders that you want to synchronize.
2. Click Compare to compare the contents in the two locations.
3. Select the Synchronization method. FreeFileSync allows you to synchronize files in two (2) different locations using different methods such as:
Two way: This variant synchronizes the files in both locations and applies changes to make them similar. Note, that this is the recommended variant when you intend to sync files with FreeFileSync.
Mirror: This variant allows you to copy the unidentical files in Left-Only, and replicate them in the Right-Only folder. Besides, the mirror variant is known for removing extra files in the right folder just to make sure that files in both locations are mirroring each other.
Update: Update performs the same function as Mirror, just that it doesn’t replace the files in the right-only location.
Custom: This variant on the other hand allows you to configure the settings to suit what you want to archive.
4. Finally, click the Synchronize button to start the folder synchronization.
How to use FreeFileSync to Compare and Sync Local Files or Folders with Cloud.
FreeFileSync also has the ability to compare and synchronize local folders or files with the Cloud. (Google Drive, FTP, SFTP). To do that:
1. Select the Cloud icon to Access online storage settings.
2. At the new window opens, select the Connection type (Google Drive, SFTP or SFTP), and then specify the settings of the connection.
3. Once done, click Compare to compare the files between the two locations and optionally click the Synchronize button to synchronize them.
Total Commander
Total commander is a file manager that offers file comparison, directory synchronization, search feature, multiple language support, and built-in FTP clients for syncing cloud drives.
The key features on Total Commander include side-by-side file windows, comparing and synchronizing directories with enhanced search functionality. These features make Total commander a vital administrative tool for file synchronization. You can download Total Commander from the official download page.
To compare the contents of two folders with Total Commander:
1. Choose the first folder in the left pane and do the same for the second folder on the right pane. 2. From the Mark menu select Compare Directories or press SHIFT + F12
To synchronize the contents of two folders with Total Commander:
1. Choose the first folder in the left pane and do the same for the second folder on the right pane. 2. From the Commands menu and select Synchronize Dirs.
3. Finally click Compare and Synchronize.
That’s it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.
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Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).
If you need to compare files or folders, you’ll find there is no shortage of apps that can help you do the job. If you need to compare folder content from the Command Prompt, Windows 10 comes with a built-in tool called RoboCopy. It’s a Microsoft tool that comes bundled in Window 10 as of its recent versions. It’s a pretty useful tool that can compare folder content among other things. All you need to know is the correct command to run.
Compare folder contents
In order to compare folder contents, you need the complete path to the two folders that you want to compare. It’s easy enough to get. Open both folders in File Explorer and click inside the location bar. Copy the folder locations and paste it in the following command. Replace Path 1 and Path2 with the path to the two folders that you want to compare.
For the above command, the Command Prompt returned the following results. When you run this command on your system, the file names will be different however The *EXTRA File and the New File title will precede the files that RoboCopy finds. You need to understand the result in order find the difference between the two folders that you just compared.
*EXTRA File alex-1315367-unsplash.jpg
*EXTRA File beautiful-bloom-blooming-132474.jpg
*EXTRA File irina-iriser-1323394-unsplash.jpg
New File abstract.jpg
New File Clouds_minimalistic_binary_storage_2560x1600.jpg
New File Triangle_1920x1080.jpg
RoboCopy is showing you unique files found in the two folders that you compared. This means that all the files listed in the results are present on only one of the two folders that you compared.
The files that are preceded by *EXTRA Files are the files that are present in the second folder that you entered in the command. From the previous example, the files alex-1315367-unsplash.jpg, beautiful-bloom-blooming-132474.jpg, and irina-iriser-1323394-unsplash.jpg are present in Test Folder 2 and are NOT present in Test Folder 1.
It is then obvious that the file names preceded by New File are all files that are present in the first folder that you entered and are not present in the second folder. Again, continuing with the initial example, abstract.jpg, Clouds_minimalistic_binary_storage_2560x1600.jpg, and Triangle_1920x1080.jpg are all present in Test Folder 1 and are NOT present in Test Folder 2.
The command will not list the files that are common between the two folders.
If you’re having trouble figuring out the results, run the command on two dummy folders which only have a small number of files so that you can compare the results with the actual files in the folders and understand them.
Need a quick way to copy a file to multiple folders at once? There’s a little command that can do just that.
Fatima Wahab
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Для этого удерживайте панель меню в верхней части окна и перетащите его в правую часть экрана. Окно теперь будет занимать правую половину экрана.
Удерживайте панель меню в верхней части окна и перетащите его в левую часть экрана. Таким образом, содержимое одной папки будет показано слева, а другой — справа.
Отрегулируйте положение окон в зависимости от размера монитора и разрешения экрана, чтобы отобразить всю информацию.
Переключите способ отображения в обеих папках на Содержимое из панели «Структура». Так вы увидите больше информации о каждом файле и вложенной папке, включая тип файла (папка с файлом, видео, изображение).
Если папка содержит подпапки, то рядом с каждой из них будет стоять дата последнего изменения.
Щелкните правой кнопкой мыши по пустому пространству в одной из сравниваемых папок. На экране появится всплывающее меню.
Щелкните правой кнопкой мыши по пустому пространству в другой папке. Теперь отобразите размер второй папки, чтобы можно было их сравнить.
When we move the files from one folder to another, it is highly recommended that you ensure that all the files have been moved accurately. Some files, if not copied perfectly, may lead to data loss. A visual comparison of files copied from the original directory to a new one may look easy but isn’t feasible for many files. Hence, there arises a requirement for a tool that compares files in two folders. One such tool is WinMerge. You can identify the missing files by comparing them with the original directory.
In this guide, we have explained the basic steps to compare files in two folders with the help of WinMerge. You will learn how to install WinMerge in your system and how to use it to compare files.
Table of Contents
How to Install WinMerge on Windows 10?
WinMerge is a free application, and you can download it from the website mentioned here.
1. Click on Download Now button.
2. Wait for the download to be complete. After that, click twice on the downloaded file to open the installation wizard.
3. Here, click on Next on the license agreement page. This means you agree to continue with the selection. It takes you to the next page, which will give you an option to select the features during installation.
4. Click on the Features you want to include during installation and select Next.
5. You will now be redirected to a page where you can select Additional tasks, like a desktop shortcut, File Explorer, context menu integration, etc. There are many other features available in the menu, which you can either enable or disable. After making the required selections, choose Next to continue.
6. When you click on Next, you will be directed to the final page. It will display all the options you have selected thus far. Check the list and click on Install.
7. Now, the installation process begins. When the installation process gets completed, click on Next to skip the short message, and finally, click on Finish to exit from the installer.
Also Read: How to Rename Multiple Files in Bulk on Windows 10
How to Compare Files in Two Folders Using WinMerge?
1. To begin the process, open WinMerge.
2. Once the WinMerge window pops up, click Control+O keys together. This will open a new comparison window.
3. Select the first file or folder by clicking on Browse, as shown below.
c
4. Next, select the 2nd file or folder by the same method.
Note:Make sure that the two files are checked with the Read-only box.
5. Set Folder Filter to “*.*”. This will allow you to compare all the files.
6. After selecting the files and ensuring the checks, click on Compare.
7. When you click on Compare, WinMerge starts to compare the two files. If the file size is small, then the process will be completed quickly. On the other hand, if the file size is large, it takes a while for the process to be completed. When the comparison is made, all the files will be displayed in folders, and the comparison result will be displayed along with the last date of modification.
Important info: These color combinations will help you to make analysis easier.
If the Comparison result displays, Right only indicate that the corresponding file/folder is not present in the first comparison file. It is indicated by the color grey.
If the Comparison result displays, Left only, it indicates that the corresponding file/folder is not present in the second comparison file. It is indicated by the color grey.
Unique files are indicated in white.
The files that have no similarities are colored in Yellow.
8. You can view the distinct differences between files by double-clicking on them. This will open a wide pop-up screen where the comparisons are made in a more detailed manner.
9. The comparison results can be customized with the help of the View option.
10. You can view the files in tree mode. You can select the files, namely, Identical Items, Different Items, Left Unique Items, Right Unique Items, Skipped Items, and Binary Files. You can do so by checking the desired option and unchecking the rest. Such customization will save analysis time, and you can identify the target file at the earliest.
Thus, you can compare files in two folders by following the above steps.
Note: If you want to update any changes to the existing comparison, you can click on the refresh icon displayed in the following picture or click on the F5 key.
To start a new comparison, tap the Select Files or Folders option. In the next step, replace your target files or folders using the Browse option and click Compare.
Some Other Tools to Compare Files in Two Folders
1. Meld
Meld is an open-source app that supports both Windows and Linux.
It supports two and three-way comparing and merging features for files and directories.
The editing feature is available directly in the comparison mode.
2. Beyond Compare
Beyond Compare supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It compares PDF files, excels files, tables, and even image files.
You can generate the report by merging the changes you have added to it.
3. Araxis Merge
Araxis Merge supports not only image and text files but also office files like Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, etc.,
It supports both Windows and macOS.
A single license is valid for both operating systems.
4. KDiff3
It is an open-source platform that supports Windows and macOS.
An automatic merging facility is supported.
Differences are clarified line-by-line and character-by-character.
5. DeltaWalker
DeltaWalker is similar to that of Araxis Merge.
Apart from comparing office files, DeltaWalker lets you compare file archives like ZIP, JAR, etc.
DeltaWalker supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
6. P4Merge
P4Merge supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It is cost-free and suits basic comparison needs.
7. Guiffy
Guiffy supports Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It supports syntax highlighting and multiple comparison algorithms.
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We hope this article was helpful and you were able to compare files in two folders on Windows 10 PC. If you have any queries, reach out to us through the comments section below.
