First off, the File Finder functionality that is build in CCleaner (using v 4.11.4619 64-bit) is a very good idea for any number of reasons any user can think of.
But is it reliable and save ?
I have a couple of the exact files and folders that contains music, the one difference is the location of the music and the number of files varies between the folders.
After doing an initial default setup scan File Finder shows a lot of hits, all fine and dandy, but it's a swing and a miss result.
So I started playing with the Match by settings.
The first setup was easy, Withing location A(main) and B(backup) and their subfolders match by files name. Seems easy, but File Finder indicates no results.
The second setup. Match by Modified date and Size. Still no hits.
But the best thing is there are a lot of duplicate files and folders I can navigate to and manually delete on location B.
So this brings me back to my original question is it reliable and save ?
Clearly it's not reliable, as in my case, so what can Piriform do to make it more reliable ?
Maybe put in checksum verification either MD5 or any of the other verification checksum methords (SHA-1, SHA-256, CRC32 enc) the more the better and saver.
So the second part of my question in my opinion will be NO it isn't save as of date.
It's an extremely perilous exercise and should only be attempted by the 1) insanely bored or 2) anal retentive types that want their files 'just so'.
Many users on this forum covering many posts either love it or hate it, with the majority leaning towards (it not hating) at least suggestion "User Beware".
I find it hard to comprehend that someone hasn't got a pretty tight grasp of what files they have and where they live on their own PC's.
Obviously system files are outside our control and shouldn't be searched for dups anyway but surely someone doesn't run File Finder and say "Oh, that's right I forgot I copied my 45gig music files over to that other folder and was wondering where all my disk space went too".
A program like Treesize i can see the sense in, File Finder escapes me. (maybe I'm anally retentive in the first place and don't let me file system get out of control )
I find it hard to comprehend that someone hasn't got a pretty tight grasp of what files they have and where they live on their own PC's.
Obviously system files are outside our control and shouldn't be searched for dups anyway but surely someone doesn't run File Finder and say "Oh, that's right I forgot I copied my 45gig music files over to that other folder and was wondering where all my disk space went too".
I can see your point in this but think of it this way, you have for example 5 pc's, 5 different users with mostly the same taste in music/images or even worked on the same projects. You copy all their data to your system as a backup or they are leaving the company, what ever the reason you just copy the data to your system. So you have 6 folders one for each user contain all their data , including your own on your system.
Now over time you want to sort the files by remove duplicates to free up some space on your own system and keeping the most resent.
You aren't going manually going folder by folder, file by file looking for duplicates are you ?
That why I think they added the File Finder feature.
Like I've said before in posts they need checksum verification in it, MD5/SHA-1, etc. But it is still relatively new.
Yes, you have stated that in a PM to me and I have indicated this as well in original post about the checksum verification. As of date it can/will give false positives.
Just out of curiosity, I've ran that on my system drive for the first time with the default settings, and it found two instances of duplicate files, and both were legitimate and needed.
I have no interest in deviating from the default settings by the way, and I probably won't ever run it again.
And for those curious folk who may not sleep without knowing ...
One set for the program itself and the other in a folder used to create a WinPE recovery disk.
If the feature is there, people will use it, but you simply must check every individual instance to ascertain as to whether the duplicate files found (if any) are actually required.
This type of utility is only as safe as the guy with his finger on the trigger.
If the feature is there, people will use it, but you simply must check every individual instance to ascertain as to whether the duplicate files found (if any) are actually required.
This statement is true if working with system files. Finding system files in any case is dangerous and even I wouldn't do it but in cases for example images or music backup files wouldn't be necessary to check every individual instance IF all filter criteria are met and THIS will have to include the checksum verification functionality.
This type of utility is only as safe as the guy with his finger on the trigger.
If I get confused just looking at it there's not much point in me using it then
I think you have hit the nail on the head there @hazelnut and giving a very timley example (via your mis-read) of the potential dangers lurking with that feature.
If someone like you can have that simple confusion, image the potential for diaster from a less-experienced user*.
* no malice intended toward less-experienced users
Personely I still see the function of File Finder as a plus point in CCleaner.
But then they will have to make it more reliable without a reasonable doubt.
The more users CCleaner gets the more people will use this function when they learn about it and yes, the more post about something went wrong as well.