To those complaining about these comparing tools not being able to compare binary files, like Word, well, Word and other word processing documents are not text files--they are binary files.

How can you know for sure if a file is a text file? Try to open the file in a text editor like Notepad. If you can read all the text fine, it's a text document. If you see strange characters, it's a binary file.

If you want to compare Word documents, you do know that Word has it's own document comparing feature, don't you? Just open up a Word doc, and go to Tools > Merge and Compare where you point to the second Word doc, and it will do an excellent comparison of the files.

#34, web pages are in plain text formats, so they should be compatible. With Microsoft Word documents, you could save them into plain text formats.

I haven't downloaded this as yet, it doesn't sound like what I need sometimes. But I'm surprised that no one seems aware of the diff program which originated with UNIX and is now available as a component of the outstanding freeware text editor gvim. Especially for working on code, diff gives the line by line differences between test files. Vim (http://www.vim.org/ ) is functionally similar to the vi text editor.
Thanks to GAOTD for some excellent programs, and thanks to commenters on their evaluations and suggetions of (especially the freeware) alternatives.

I've been well served by Beyond Compare for nearly ten years. It's a tool with dozens of features and so many are indispensable and rarely found in the same package. It's surprisingly inexpensive and one of the best reasons to still run Windows.

Beyond Compare

#21, I really have no idea, but I think GAOTD would only pay the provider every time someone activates their copy. That way they know that they have installed it, not just downloaded it.

thanks. I have been putting off this tedious task. I have tons of duplicated files.

thumbs up for me.

it depends on what one's need is.

as mentioned by bladed thoth, this DOES compare folders.

i've always wanted something like this. i teach web design. i carry stuff to school and back on a pen drive. i've always struggled with...is this a duplicate folder, do i have this or that? is this 'the old one or the new one', all painstaking time. this should speed things up with ease.

this appears to compare folders cleanly and easily. i didn't have to struggle to figure out how to use the program.

I manage two computers. I keep setup files, documents, music, videos and research on both. I also own an external hard drive that I use to archive all of these files. This program is great for keeping everything in sync!!! Great job GAOTD!!! Keep 'em coming!!!

Downloaded this software. Was looking for this kinda thing. First of all, I must say that this being free is okay. But I wouldn't buy it though. There are much better compare programs out there like Beyond Compare.

One thing this doesn't seem to have (at least I can't find it), is that when you point to a line that different you don't know what characters are different. In the other programs it shows you which characters are different. What's the point of telling me that the line is different if it can't tell me what the difference is? This is a major oversight! Hence, I would consider this program to be a lightweight as compared to others in this category.

i would not have enough files to critique this software although it seems to be a useful utility. I will give more on other software as it becomes available , I feel that I owe it to giveaway of the day to do just that an honest opinion and not a bunch of belly crying about not being what we need

The way it mentions everything in such detail, but says nothing about network, suggests it can't. Nty.

thank you.

It does have very limited filecompare functionality (only works on plain text files), so that part isn't very useful except to developers. However, it does compare file folders too - haven't you ever had two folders with _almost_ the same files in them? "Which folder has the newer files, which files are different (in time or internally), which files are missing...". Could be very useful for photos or MP3 files - it won't compare the _files_ at all but it will look at the folders and tell you if the file attributes (name, date, size...) are different. According to BladedThoth, you can do delete, copy, rename, change the date inside the program without having to open the folders in Explorer. So that's how it can be useful to non-developers.

Personally I do coding and I use filecompare software all the time. This one's not particularly wonderful; I'm trying out WinMerge instead. But it's something I really use - in coding and in other stuff. The more formats the program can handle the better, and this one's pretty limited, but filecompare is surprisingly useful.

I have to say that at least today's comments made my decision a lot easier - usually the comments are pointless, but knowing that the software will not work with Word documents is a great help.

My only question is are there other pieces of software that will work with Word documents, and other types of documents (web pages [some in php format], images, etc)? That's probably more of something I would find useful.

Thanks.

A great little program to track changes in code files. Makes an annoying task easy. Thanks.

Sorry folks,

I am also downloading WinMerge.
This tool is becoming something very important now that everybody is using USB Sticks and similar things to synchronize with local files...
Winmerge includes command line options, so I am able to authomatize the synchro just when I plug my USB Stick.

Also, here, making several copies of the synchrotool is very important. And how would I do it, tomorrow or next Friday if this license expires today? I would like to copy it to every USB stick to have it at hand everywhere.

Another complaint: please, stop using that download site. It is full of javascripts that are sent to different sites. This is a security issue. I only allowed your site and the downloading site, but it is not working. I have to allow all the javascripts to do what they want in order to download this not-very-useful application.

Sorry, perhaps, next time!
alberto

Thanks but I can't imagine why I would ever want this??

Yup, I second, WinMerge: http://winmerge.org/

It's a completely free open source project that does exactly the same thing.

I also use WinMerge, so I'd have no reason to use a commercial product that doesn't give me any more features.

Just had to come back after install and test.. You have a happy camper here.. Looks good, Like it and it will be useful... Thanks again GAOTD
PS: Had no problems with install on xp home!

SwiftCompare crashed after about 10 secons while compareing two 50 MB registry files. These files are plain text-files (Unicode), readable in Notepad.

Error message:
Error: Access violation at 0x00488427 (tried to read from 0x00030000), program terminated.

AptDiff is much better. A bit slow on big files, but at least it does not give up. Works file also on unicode text files as well as binary files. It also does merge. It's free. http://www.aptedit.com/aptdiff.htm

As a PC user with average knowledge, I understand the need of software only for the uber-geeks. Have at it boys. Mom is waiting downstairs with your oatmeal when you're done.

A quick edit to my review was added thanks to Simon (#4), Scoglio (#12) and David (#14) - Posted a quick link to WinMerge as an alternative. It looks very similar in functionality, and I will give it a try later, since I am looking for an application like these applications.

Hello all! Today's 15-Minute Review is up! Check it out!

http://www.bladedthoth.com/reviews/15mrs/swiftcompare-v1-2/

Another use for file compare utilities is to compare hex files that are burned into microprocessors. Very handy when looking for a bit that may have flipped.
Thanks GAOTD...I'll check it out (currently use ExamDiff)

Rich

Cmon guys. I know & have loved WinMerge for more years than most of you have been in school, but I take care of 8 computers in a business situation that are manned by N00Bs. I haven't tried this program yet, but I hope it will make life easier for me. Thanks to GAOTD for all of their submissions; I've bought several (that I missed) & am thankful for the daily heads up. Try to understand that your limited view of what's cool in the software industry is hardly what's important to keeping food on the table for my kids. That being said, I'll now check this out...boy...give it a few years & you'll have more to bitch about than whether or not someone's trying to GIVE you a screensaver!

From the "about" page of GAOTD:
..."We will pay the software publisher for the Giveaway license..."

So if I think that I don't need it I don't downloaded it,
this is the only way to be correct and grateful to GAOTD for the old and (expecially) the next great piece of software we'll find in here.
Frank

Compare and Merge is my favorite, Beyond Compare is also very very good and Araxis Merge is probably the best of all.

Just tried this out quickly and found two basic (fundamental really flaws):

1. Can't select two files anduse the context menu to compare them.
2. Can't drag and drop files (my alternative if point one doesn't work).

On top of that I tried to compare two rtf files on my desktop and it came up with failed to load files dialogue.

Will look at it again tonight when I have more time but right now it's a candidate for uninstalling immediately. Shame really because I'm always on the look out for new compare and merge tools because all of them could be better in my eyes.

I really like GAOTD because you get an opportunity to get acquainted with a lot of software. I like the possibility to test out and often I will buy if I find it useful to install on the other PC's in my family.
This one is somethat useful but if you really want to handle your files in an easy way look at Total Commander, a Norton commander like piece of software stuffed with functions like side by side folder windows, build FTP, multi rename files etc.
Not free but really worth the $34 bill. Look for more here:
http://www.ghisler.com

To #15 and #16 : Thanks a lot! :)

I also tried with WinMerge and it cannot compare word files either. I'll look in word to find out this "compare" built-in function, thanks !

But I guess I needn't SwiftCompare nor Winmerge.

Downloaded to and installed on the first machine (Win98SE), got memory-related errors on three out of three attempts.
Downloaded to and installed on the second machine (WinXP home SP2), get the system's "busy" cursor for minutes when I try to run the program, so I just ended up using alt-ctrl-delete and closing the program from there.
Both machines are well above the system requirements, other software works just fine, so I'm thinking there's something in SwiftCompare that just isn't working properly for all setups within the range of machines that meet the official requirements.

#11 FranckW, this tool is intended for software programmers that have their code stored in plain text files (=ascii text files).
I guess other files cannot be compared. Well, maybe they will be compared, but not at the level you want (=the contents of a Word doc) for example. They will probably compared bitwise (=not what you're looking for). Word documents (and also images and other files that are not plain text files) are stored as "binary files". Hence the error message.
Hint: you can compare MS Word documents via the menu option "Tools - Compare and merge documents".

#11
word processors do not store just the text, they store information about how the text is to be displayed/printed. Most word processors, currently, have their own way of storing this information, making a generic file comparison program very complicated. Use the text file comparison for simple text, binary for (hopefully) minor changes in binary files.
Word has its own file comparison facility for word documents, check out its "track changes" or "file comparison" help.

It's Winmerge all the way for me. Free and effective.

http://winmerge.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_comparison_tools

Detailed comparison of existing compare software, including SwiftCompare.

I use WinMerge, free software. Can SwiftCompare be better?

Each time I try to compare 2 doc files, I get an error : "Binary files are different". (word 2003 format)
Maybe I don't understand the purpose of this software, but I don't think. When I try to compare two txt files, it does what I expected.

Unless there is an explanation or a desiderata, this one cannot be a keeper. If I would take great profit to compare 2 word documents, I'm sorry, I never use txt as a format to work.

Great software. Will definitely add to my softwares list on my website.

Doesn't run at all on my machine ("Error: Access violation ...")

Comparing folders/files is way too slow!

Nothing beats Beyond Compare from http://www.scootersoftware.com/
Not in speed nor in options.

If you think about spending $27 for this software, think again!
For $3 extra you'll get a far better product with Beyond Compare.
Just compare them before you buy ;°)

Compare. Banana Banana Banana.
You know what I mean. ;)

The program isn't useless, but some people don't need it. The program is superb. But you don't use it much

Looks good! Thanks.

JOY!
A usefull too... BUT...
I use a better comparing tool and its open source and free 24/7/365.
http://winmerge.org/.

Infinetly useless program. If you can't find a free comparison uitilty, or don't have one in a utility you already have, you won't need or use this.

Thanks GOTD
Should sync my Lists

useful for some tasks, but for standard pc users, it's just going to gather dust.
an interesting find though. thanks GAOTD