# Freeware to hash thousands of files?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freeware-to-hash-thousands-of-files/663015>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 9, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freeware-to-hash-thousands-of-files/663015 "2013-07-09T06:23:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freeware-to-hash-thousands-of-files/663015/1 "2013-07-09T06:23:44Z")

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I’m trying to create a single directory with photos and videos on four different hard drives, some are renamed duplicates. Is there freeware that can create a hash so I know if I’ve got a duplicate?

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**Author:** ![Space\_Vegetable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Space\_Vegetable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Space_Vegetable)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freeware-to-hash-thousands-of-files/663015/2 "2013-07-09T07:20:44Z")

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There are various freeware programs for detecting duplicate files. Here are [two](http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032515/how-to-find-and-remove-duplicate-files.html) [articles](http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-tools-for-getting-rid-of-duplicate-files/1248) listing some programs for Windows, many free. If you’re not using Windows, try googling “find duplicate files” plus the name of your OS.

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**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freeware-to-hash-thousands-of-files/663015/3 "2013-07-09T07:36:59Z")

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Well yea I have heard of this thing called google, I was hoping to tap into the collective experience here 🙂

I know that I’ve spent many an hour trying out freeware program after program, with one or two I’d actually want to use in the end.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/freeware-to-hash-thousands-of-files/663015/4 "2013-07-09T08:26:24Z")

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Some time ago I used [HashMyFiles](http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/hash_my_files.html) to try to find some misplaced files at work. Didn’t work as they had been archived off but the utility was easy to use. I note at the link they have another program SearchMyFiles with a Duplicate Search Mode.

ETA I should mention [Gizmo’s Freeware](http://www.techsupportalert.com/) which I use all the time for stuff. Everything is reviewed by someone who is a genuine user.