File Utility?

Posted by: Ladmo

File Utility? - 13/02/2005 04:47

I have a bunch of digital pictures scattered over five drives (some are partioned). I am looking for a file utility that will allow me to search all my drives for the pictures (I can search by file type) and them move them all to one directory, so they could be burned to disk. I am running Windoz XP Pro. Does anyone know if such a utility exists, and if so, what it is called, or where I can find/buy it?
Thanks
Posted by: Attack

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 05:06

Agent Ransack (Free Version) or FileLocator Pro (not free)
http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/
Posted by: RobotCaleb

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 05:31

Start -> Search -> For Files or Folders...
'*.fileextension' in 'All or part of the file name:'
'My Compute'r in 'Look in:'
Click Search
wait
select all, right click Copy (or cut, if you are feeling adventurous)
im sure you can get it from there

sure, its not doing it for you, but it works, and is included in the OS
Posted by: andy

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 06:44

I would have agreed with you in past versions of Windows. However in WinXP the search feature has so many bits of hidden "functionality" that means it doesn't search the whole drive reliably anymore.

This is a particular problem for developers, the Windows search refuses to look inside .asp files and various other file types.

I have been bitten by this too often and I have given up on the built in search now and am using Agent Ransack instead.
Posted by: bonzi

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 07:35

Two easy steps:


Seriously, file/directory manipulation tasks like yours alone are enough of a reason to have Unix utilities installed.
Posted by: Ladmo

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 14:51

Geeze! I tried the 'built in' way, and got hosed three times, plus not to mention the increadable nap you can take while you are waiting for the darn thing. Plus it randomly misses files. Then, lets not talk about that speedy cut and past thing!
Thanks for trying, and for all the recommendations..I'm getting ready to try intstall the unix thing to see if it is happin!
Posted by: tfabris

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 15:10

Quote:
in WinXP the search feature has so many bits of hidden "functionality" that means it doesn't search the whole drive reliably anymore.

I didn't know this. I'd like to hear more about this. It would be a good piece of information to add to my "I hate WinXP" bag.
Posted by: SonicSnoop

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 15:25

Couldnt he also boot up his system with a knoppix cd distro and mount the partitions and search and move from there?
Posted by: drakino

Re: File Utility? - 13/02/2005 15:38

Quote:
I would have agreed with you in past versions of Windows. However in WinXP the search feature has so many bits of hidden "functionality" that means it doesn't search the whole drive reliably anymore.

Download TweakUI. Go to the Explorer category, and look for "Use Classic Search in Explorer" near the bottom.

That sets the explorer search panel back to the way it was in 2000, where it doesn't burry all the options so deep.
Posted by: Mach

Re: File Utility? - 14/02/2005 00:04

You may want to give robocopy a look. link

I've been using it to sync files between two machines across my home network. It has options to drill down through directories and move files instead of copy.
Posted by: Shonky

Re: File Utility? - 14/02/2005 05:04

Quote:
Quote:
I would have agreed with you in past versions of Windows. However in WinXP the search feature has so many bits of hidden "functionality" that means it doesn't search the whole drive reliably anymore.

Download TweakUI. Go to the Explorer category, and look for "Use Classic Search in Explorer" near the bottom.

That sets the explorer search panel back to the way it was in 2000, where it doesn't burry all the options so deep.


Still doesn't search the system directory (e.g. c:\WINDOWS) even if you tell it to search C:\ and subfolders. I think that appeared in XP. This I find mega annoying when hunting down spyware etc on friend's machines.

Also searches "ZIP folders" which means a search can take ages. Removing the zip folders "feature" was the only way I could get around this.
Posted by: drakino

Re: File Utility? - 14/02/2005 18:58

Quote:
Quote:
where it doesn't burry all the options so deep.

Still doesn't search the system directory (e.g. c:\WINDOWS) even if you tell it to search C:\ and subfolders. I think that appeared in XP. This I find mega annoying when hunting down spyware etc on friend's machines.

What I meant by that comment there is that once it is in classic mode, you click Advanced Options and get the choices to search system and hidden files right there, instead of digging through the XP search options to find the same choices. In either search mode, it is fully capable of finding system files in c:\windows, but it has to be turned on first, just as it had to be turned on in 2000. Activating "Show hidden files" across explorer may activate it automaticially, not sure on that part.
Posted by: Shonky

Re: File Utility? - 14/02/2005 21:37

Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
where it doesn't burry all the options so deep.

Still doesn't search the system directory (e.g. c:\WINDOWS) even if you tell it to search C:\ and subfolders. I think that appeared in XP. This I find mega annoying when hunting down spyware etc on friend's machines.

What I meant by that comment there is that once it is in classic mode, you click Advanced Options and get the choices to search system and hidden files right there, instead of digging through the XP search options to find the same choices. In either search mode, it is fully capable of finding system files in c:\windows, but it has to be turned on first, just as it had to be turned on in 2000. Activating "Show hidden files" across explorer may activate it automaticially, not sure on that part.

You have to select advanced options every time to get this to work. I wasn't aware of that. Showing hidden files (which I always do) doesn't help.
Posted by: gbeer

Re: File Utility? - 16/02/2005 04:39

Quote:
Quote:
in WinXP the search feature has so many bits of hidden "functionality" that means it doesn't search the whole drive reliably anymore.

I didn't know this. I'd like to hear more about this. It would be a good piece of information to add to my "I hate WinXP" bag.


I think this is a reference to indexing and indexed searches. Turn it off.