How to get one copy of each file from many backups

BrentMc

Reputable
Jun 15, 2015
73
0
4,630
Hello, I just did a clean install of Windows 10 on my machine and I would like to move my files back. I have several external hard drives and I was wondering if any of you had any tricks to move over one copy of each file when I have many backups on several drives.
 
Solution
After you copy the first "batch" of files to your drive, and then copy the second batch, I believe Windows will detect the duplicates and ask you if you want to replace the first file with the second. You can say Yes, or Yes to All, or no. You just have to pay attention to the date on the file to make sure you have the latest in the event one file has new data added to it (like an updated Word or Excel doc). For mp3 files and photo's, it shouldn't matter.
After you copy the first "batch" of files to your drive, and then copy the second batch, I believe Windows will detect the duplicates and ask you if you want to replace the first file with the second. You can say Yes, or Yes to All, or no. You just have to pay attention to the date on the file to make sure you have the latest in the event one file has new data added to it (like an updated Word or Excel doc). For mp3 files and photo's, it shouldn't matter.
 
Solution
OK thank you. I have seen that box pop up when using Windows before, but I was wondering, I know of duplicate finders like the one in CCleaner, but I was thinking of the opposite. Maybe a program to scour drives for files that you do not have on your computer yet.
 
I have always relied on Windows to identify the duplicates. Maybe there is a program to scour drives for duplicates before they are copied back, but I am not aware of any. I use Acronis True Image Home to clone my OS drive, and to make backups of important data, and I name each backup archive with the date created, so I know where my latest data is. I usually keep 2 or 3 backups, created about a month apart, in the event something goes wrong with the most current backup when restoring from it. This is more so with my OS backup than my data file backups.