I found ExactFile from checking out TheDAMBook Forum. Not sure yet if it is what I need.

I want to use ExactFile for verifying a copy of an entire photo archive, let’s say 250-300 GB. I want to copy the archive to an external disk and then delete the original (so that I will then be able to enlarge the partition). Before deleting the original, I want to confirm that the copy is valid.

From what I have seen in “usage”, ExactFile works on individual files but not on large folder-directories. Can ExactFile produce a single checksum hash for 250-300 GB or does it just produce this for each file individually? (With just a single hash for the whole directory structure, a checksum comparison failure will only tell us that the copy is not valid, without saying where in those 300 GB the failure occurred. If EF produces individual hashes for thousands of files, how are these compared?) CAN ExactFile handle a directory of 250-300 GB or so containing thousands of individual files in many sub-directories?

Thanks for any feedback.

1. Found bug: source digest *.md5 file for testing is limited to something about 40k (44032 bytes). While testing onmy archives, on some point program reports that some file does not exists and stops. In a digest *.md5 file some others strings exists, but are not processed.

2. Required feature: it is very likely that program can accept not only files mask like *.zip but name of the file (for example: -fl 1.lst), containing list of the files to process. This is very useful for shells like FAR manager which can create dynamic list of currently selected on the panel files to pass their names as a list file to data processor.

When you set it to make a checksum file of like tens of folders that it will create one checksum file in each folder for the files here present that is either named after the folder they are in or have a name you choose yourself.

Secondly the gui version will always choose “checksum” as a name when you do it the quick way, what about the option to set your own name in setting or make it use the folder name for it?

Great work and goodluck with it forward.

I’ve just found this program, great work !!

How can I use the return code of this program, on a batch (.cmd) script ?

Thanks,

Firstly, allow me to thank you for such a wonderful and necessary application.

Second, I have a small problem, maybe you can shed some light on. If I have a folder that has 50 subfolders with md5 and sfv checksum files, how do I set exactfile to scan the root document for checksum files and verifies the integrity of each folder.

I need this when I am mirroring my HD to another HD, and it is important to verify that data is successfully copied.

PS: I md5 and sfv every folder I have, used to use another software for that, before I found Exactfile.

Thanks.

Firstly thanks very much for this software.. I have been using EXF rather than the Gui version to take away the chance of user error, and also to instruct end users on using a check method correctly.

Can you please tell me.. is there a way to have a progress bar of sorts, whilst EXF is generating hashes?

Because I have used batch files with this, a user only sees a blank screen and assumes that it has “crashed” :0)

Thanks again!

Many Thanks
Gomezie

I did post a positive note about ExactFile over on the other web site I mentioned. After thinking about the way photographers are likely to use your software a bit more, I have a feature request: Support “shortcuts” to folders as if they were native folders in your Create Digest and Check Digest scans.

This would enable multi-volume collection support in the non-”Professional” versions of XP, Vista and probably Win 7. It would also defuse some probable objections.

As you may know, it’s increasingly popular to shoot in “RAW” mode with digital SLR’s. There are lots of image processing and quality advantages to doing so over JPEGs but it does produce lots of data. My “old” Canon XTi records about 10 MB of compressed data per shot and my newer Canon 50D records about 30 MB per shot. Nikon, Olympus and … SLR cameras produce similar amounts.

The need for multi-volume disk support is here today for some. I, and many others, are likely to need it in the near future. So if this request is reasonably easy to add, please consider it for your next version.

Thanks,

Dan

There are quite a few folks interested in validating images over time as part of Digital Asset Management. A guy named Peter Krogh has a nice web site to discuss the topic at http://thedambook.com/

Yes the site name was picked to advertise a book, but the forum is also a good place to go to ask questions or discuss DAM issues. In any case, I’m going to go over and suggest that folks take advantage of your wonderful software.

Thanks very much,

Dan

p.s. It was easy to make a small donation via PayPal by clicking your Donate button on the home page ;-}