# Comparing two folders in Windows?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-two-folders-in-windows/227919>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 6, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-two-folders-in-windows/227919 "2004-02-06T23:46:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-two-folders-in-windows/227919/1 "2004-02-06T23:46:17Z")

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I want to copy the My Documents folder to another physical drive on my WinXP system and then periodically run a utility that will identify differences between the two folders (changed or new files) and synchronize them. Can you recommend a good, preferably free, utility to do this? I know that I can Google to find something like this, but I’m hoping someone can recommend something that works well. I also want to use this sort of thing on a folder containing tens of gigabytes, so something really fast would be nice.

If I’m not mistaken, there is nothing built into Windows to do this, but there should be.

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**Author:** ![autobulb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@autobulb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/autobulb)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-two-folders-in-windows/227919/2 "2004-02-07T00:07:09Z")

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I believe the Briefcase in Windows is supposed to do this. It might just be between two computers but you can still try. I never learned how to use it though.

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**Author:** ![Whiskey-Hotel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e68b1a/32.png) [@Whiskey-Hotel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey-Hotel)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-two-folders-in-windows/227919/3 "2004-02-07T00:08:12Z")

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The Windows Briefcase is the built-in utility for doing this type of thing [right-click, New, Briefcase]. It’s not all that fast, though. Especially when you’re talking multi-GB syncs.

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comparing-two-folders-in-windows/227919/4 "2004-02-07T01:47:51Z")

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[PowerDesk](http://www.v-com.com/product/pd_ind.html), at least in its Pro version, can compare and synchronize between two folders (Tools \> Synchronize). You can download a [free](http://www.v-com.com/product/pd_free_trial.html) (non-pro) copy, and if it has that feature as well, then you’re set.