Mouser

Is there an internet download which can identify duplicate programmes on a PC and remove whichever is not needed?

ChefDude

duplicate applications or files?

for files: you can search *.* and then sort by filename - you can then see and delete the duplicates

cottonfoo

Except that you'll also need to compare dates and file sizes, since it's easily possible to have two files named the same in different directories. They might even be the same size and still be different technically, however

ChefDude

you can select the columns in the search dialogue to help with that

Iain Young

It is possible to have two files with the same name and indentical sizes, but have different contents. The only way to verify they are duplicates is to do a binary compare. Just doing a directory comparison / search is not sufficient.

cottonfoo

UNIX systems come with a binary called md5sum, which is what's usually used for this.

ChefDude

surely the directory would give some context? eg;

c:\program files\vaio\setup\readme.txt
c:\program files\adobe\win32\readme.txt

search is not fool proof, but it's a 95%er and then go and manually check the rest.

it doesn't have to be complicated.

Mouser

Thanks guys, I thought there may be an easy alternative with a programme which would check for identical files etc.

HankScorpio

Yep, I use this:
Duplicate File Finder :: Home Page

Terrific and just this weekend helped my identify 3000 duplicates with different names in 15000 files across several dozen directories. Options to do names/sizes/contents.
Couldn't recomend it highly enough.

Mouser

Thanks Mr Scorpion! I remember you from the Simpsons (i think)

Iain Young

What about binary files though, (programs, dlls etc)? Search does not work with those, and you really don't want to go deleting them without knowing exactly what they are, (especially where shared dlls are concerned).

ChefDude

i was kind of assuming the duplicate files would be personal data; mp3s, etc.

I am very hot on keeping my systems slick and efficient (keep an eye on the registry start up stuff, disabling unused services, etc) and i don't really see the need to trim down duplicate application/system files, binary or otherwise - that can be dangerous, as you say iain.

HankScorpio

Just on ths one again.
Tonight the program abvove scanned 110000 files in 4400 folders and based on contents only, identified 62000 duplicates. All this in 37 minutes on an 1800Mhz pc.

ChefDude

it's all those Beatles re-releases isn't it lol