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General discussion

Copying modified files only

Sep 17, 2010 12:30AM PDT

System: WinXP Pro with SP3.
Scenario: Files (Word and Excel 2007) created in the PC, copied to several folders in a flash drive and modified in a second PC while residing in the flash drive.
Problem: The files that were modified in the flash drive have to be copied back to the original PC, but there are too many to do it individually, and they are mixed with unmodified files within their folders.
Question: Is there a way to select all the files in the flash drive but copy only those that were modified to the original PC?

Discussion is locked

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Re: copying modified files only.
Sep 17, 2010 5:20AM PDT

Two options:
(1) If - after copying them to the flash drive - you cleared the archive bit of the files on that drive, it's easy: xcopy with /a parameter.
(2) If not, the best way seems to open each folder on that flash drive in Windows Explorer, set the view to detail, sort on creation or modification date and select a whole bunch of files (the upper part) by selecting first the first, then the last with shift pressed, then drag and drop those file back to their original location. That's one operation per folder.

By the way, would it harm to copy the unmodified files also? Only if some of those files were edited on the original PC. If any of the files were edited on BOTH PC's you've got a problem, whatever method you do.

Kees

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Copying modified files only
Sep 17, 2010 7:25AM PDT

Yeah, the problem is exactly what you said, some files were modified in the original PC.
I'll try sorting the files by "date modified" as you suggest, and see if that helps.
Thank you Kees.

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This is true
Sep 20, 2010 12:37PM PDT

Yes, I agree with this.

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Another thought
Sep 17, 2010 8:01AM PDT

Thinking out loud here. What if when you modify it on the second computer you changed the name of the file, like put a M or 99 in front of the file name when you save it on the flash drive. Then you could sort them by name and only copy them back. But I guess then you would have to go through and change the name back and delete the original unmodified file off the first computer. But maybe that will give you some ideas.