2024 R&I Day
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Title
2024 UK Libraries Research and Innovation Day
Abstract
This short demonstration provided participants with an introduction to TreeSize Professional. At the Special Collections Research Center, I use this as part of my born-digital appraisal and processing workflows, but we have also begun using it to determine what sorts of file duplication we might have across multiple folders on one or more networked drives. This comprehensive de-duplication helps reduce confusion and very real expense. Even if otherwise identical files use different naming conventions, TreeSize is able to determine where duplicate files exist in multiple locations. In those moments where you encounter nested folders containing backups of backups of backups, TreeSize allows you to hunt down where that duplication occurs, deduplicate those files if you choose, and generate a log of any actions you take along the way to document the work. Likewise, it can compare multiple folders or network drives or external hard drives and identify which files are unique across multiple locations.
Who may benefit from this demonstration? There are myriad uses for TreeSize. Even if you simply want to find out what percentage of your hard drive is filled with WAV files or you are on a hunt for Word documents created in July of 2021 by a specific user, TreeSize gives you file-searching flexibility well beyond Windows built-in tools. For those looking to clear up space on a local or networked drive, whether by hunting for large files of dubious value or looking to de-duplicate material across locations, TreeSize is a tremendous tool with numerous applications.
Publication Date
2-14-2024
Recommended Citation
McDonnell, Andrew, "What’s Gobbling this Hard Drive? Deduplication, Advanced File Search, and File Characterization Beyond Your Wildest Dreams with TreeSize For Windows" (2024). 2024 R&I Day. 6.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/ri_day_2024/6
