Project Wizard
The Duplicate File Detective Project Wizard is designed to provide you with a quick starting point for duplicate file searches.
Start the Project Wizard by clicking the appropriate button in the application Ribbon Bar.
Step 1 - File Matching
The first screen of the wizard helps you to define the type of scan to execute. Select one of the project template cards; a description of the selected template, including its matching basis and a confidence note, is shown beneath the cards.
- Quick (name · extension · size) - The fastest way to reclaim space. Matches on file name, extension and size - ideal for a first sweep. Matches are not content-verified, so review results carefully before deleting.
- Checksum (name · size · contents) - Adds a 128-bit content checksum to file name and size matching. Fairly quick, with very high accuracy; matched files have identical contents.
- Strong Checksum (size · contents) - Matches by file size and a 256-bit content checksum, allowing file names to vary. Slower, but extremely accurate; matched files have identical contents even when their names differ.
- Duplicate Songs (audio tags) - Finds duplicate songs by comparing the audio tags of supported music formats - title and artist by default - even when the audio files themselves differ. Review results before deleting.
- Duplicate Photos - Finds duplicate photos using your choice of basis, selected with the Match photos by option:
- Image metadata - Compares embedded metadata (date taken, dimensions and camera model), even when re-encoding has altered the image files.
- Visual comparison - Compares decoded image content, matching visually identical photos even when format conversion, recompression, or resizing has altered the files. Matched photos may differ in quality or detail - review results before deleting.
- Duplicate Documents (extension · size · contents) - Finds duplicate documents by matching file size and a 256-bit content checksum across common document formats - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF and more.
All of these starting points can be refined later using the Comparison Options window. Click Next to proceed.
Step 2 - Search Paths
The next screen of the Project Wizard allows you to determine which file system paths should be searched for duplicate files. You will be presented a file system tree (on the left) that shows available drives and folders (similar to Windows Explorer), and a listing of search paths (on the right).
To include a drive or folder in the search, select it in the file system browser pane and click the right-pointing blue arrow button.
The Search Paths editor on the right is also a full-fledged path editor; you can use its toolbar buttons to add, edit, or re-order paths that appear in this pane. For example, you can click the New toolbar button in the Search Paths editor and enter a fully qualified UNC network path (e.g. "\\computer\share").
Add as many paths as you require during this step in the project wizard, then click Next.
Step 3 - File Types
The Project Wizard file types screen allows you to specify precisely what kinds of files should be included in the duplicate search process. For example, if you'd like the duplicate search to include only certain types of multimedia files, you can do so here.
The default values on this screen are determined automatically based upon the project type specified in Step 1 (above).
The file types input field uses Duplicate File Detective's filename masking system, which supports both wildcards and regular expressions.
Click Next to proceed.
Step 4 - Results Report
This step of the Project Wizard allows you to specify which data columns will be visible within the final duplicate search results report.
The default values on this screen are determined automatically based upon the project type specified in Step 1 (above). Please note that you can always change the visibility of columns within the duplicate search results report later.
Click Next to proceed.
Step 5 - Ready to Begin
Duplicate File Detective is now ready to begin scanning for duplicates! Click the Finish button, and watch as Duplicate File Detective goes to work!
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