Comparing files and directories

Dear All hi!
Is there a way to compare files and directories using Windows Explorer with XP and Vista?
Looking forward to your enlightenment.
Cheers.
D.

 

It is perhaps not exactly what you are asking for, but I guess you want for whatever reason to avoid installing a specific program for performing the comparison (there are by the way plenty of them, some freeware, offering the results in a much nicer way and integrating in windows explorer. If interested in one such program just search in google). What about opening a command prompt ("cmd") and using the old DOS command "comp":

COMP [data1] [data2] [/D] [/A] [/L] [/N=number] [/C]
data1 Specifies location and name(s) of first file(s) to compare.
data2 Specifies location and name(s) of second files to compare.
/D Displays differences in decimal format.
/A Displays differences in ASCII characters.
/L Displays line numbers for differences.
/N=number Compares only the first specified number of lines in each file.
/C Disregards case of ASCII letters when comparing files.
To compare sets of files, use wildcards in data1 and data2 parameters.

 

With Windows Explorer about the only thing you can do is eyeball it.

If you can use third-party software try WinMerge. It's main use is to compare contents of files, but it can also be used to compare contents of directories, which files are the same and which ones are different.

 

Stantley, hi!
Thanks very much for the information. Could you pinpoint those freeware programs? I'd be very obliged.
Cheers.
D.

 

The link is in my reply, it's http://www.winmerge.org/

 

Thanks a million Stantley.
Bless you.
Cheers.
D.