Sync: move files on one side but *dont* copy any?

[tomos]

A good Sync programme will offer to move files on one side, that exist on the other side -- but in a different location.
e.g. via Snycovery:



I want to be able to do this *without* copying files -- especially without *overwriting* files (e.g. due to more recent date or different size).
Syncovery insists that I copy in one direction.

Do you know of any software that will move but not copy ?

EDIT// I've discovered a way to do this in Syncovery, it's fairly manual i.e. not quick but does the job (see 'Leave alone' in context menu below) -- still interested in any easy alternatives..

[tomos]

Just to give some background:
computer HDD and main backup drive both gave up the ghost a while back.
I'm cobbling files together from various incomplete backups.

I notice with photos that some are more recent versions with different file sizes. This possibly from e.g. rotating in Dopus (and saving rotation) but with many files I can see no reason for the different modified date / size. So if anything I want to overwrite the newer with the older version. (FWIW this does not seem to be an option either in Syncovery.)

But it's such a mess I just want to get the same folder structure on both sides, then I can look at the dates closer.

EDIT// REQUEST #2:
what I need with the dates is the ability to replace newer files with older. This not an option with Syncovery or Dopus...

[wraith808]

Just to give some background:
computer HDD and main backup drive both gave up the ghost a while back.
I'm cobbling files together from various incomplete backups.

I notice with photos that some are more recent versions with different file sizes. This possibly from e.g. rotating in Dopus (and saving rotation) but with many files I can see no reason for the different modified date / size. So if anything I want to overwrite the newer with the older version. (FWIW this does not seem to be an option either in Syncovery.)

But it's such a mess I just want to get the same folder structure on both sides, then I can look at the dates closer.

EDIT// REQUEST #2:
what I need with the dates is the ability to replace newer files with older. This not an option with Syncovery or Dopus...

Isn't that just overwrite no matter what? That's an option.

[4wd]

... but with many files I can see no reason for the different modified date / size.

This could be due to metadata, adding metadata will increase the file size without affecting the image.

Usually I resort to something like Beyond Compare or enable the extra metadata fields in DOpus.

My personal preference in this case would be to combine the separate file structures onto another drive, any filename clashes would be auto-renamed.
Then I'd run Antidupl, (set at 0%), over that file structure to remove dupes, (ie. leave the original sources alone).

I've had to do this twice for friends whose backup software was doing recursive backups ... it was fun removing a couple of hundred GBs of dupes 🙄

I found it was the fastest method, do the copies then let Antidupl take care of working out what could be removed based on image data, (they did not have any metadata requirements so I could ignore this).

[tomos]

Will check out Antidupl.
I hadn't thought of metadata. Did have a couple of different dams (or whatever they called) in the past. (Won't be able to attack it all again for a few day though.)
Thanks both for the input.

[tomos]

EDIT// REQUEST #2:
what I need with the dates is the ability to replace newer files with older. This not an option with Syncovery or Dopus...

Isn't that just overwrite no matter what? That's an option.

I now have two sets of data -- neither is older or newer, they all jumbled up -- that's what I mean by a mess!
Will see how I get on with Antidupl.

[publicdomain]

Will see how I get on with Antidupl.

Hi Tom! How did it go? Are you still in need of a "date replayer" for your files? If so, I'm willing to give it a go

[publicdomain]

Are you still in need of a "date replayer" for your files? If so, I'm willing to give it a go

BTW, the date replayer is done: FileDateReplay v0.1.0.

If there's a custom need to make it handle/copy files, I'm all in to assist!
Cheers