• Make sure your File Mask in the main dialog is something that will cover all the files in your paths. *.* lists everything.
• Turn on Display Identical (View Menu or Options|Compare). Maybe you only have Display Different enabled. If the paths match perfectly, no files will be listed if Display Identical is off.
• Maybe you need Include Subdirectories enabled (View Menu)?
• Go to Options|Compare. Enable Display Files in One Dir only if that is not turned on.
• Also in Options|Compare, turn off Match Different Duplicate Files if that is checked.
• Visit Options|Filters. In the newer versions, click the Reset button to set everything back to default. If you have an older version, make sure all the Date and Size boxes are clear. In the with Attributes section, make all the checkboxes a Dim checkmark. Reverse Filters should be completely unchecked.
• Finally, if you running a script, double check your script. Maybe one of the above settings needs to be adjusted in your script.

Q: Can scripts be launched from Windows Explorer?
A: Yes, with manual tweaking on your part. We choose not to associate a specific file name extension with Directory Toolkit scripts. But if you have a name extension for scripts that you like you can set up a Windows file association your own. If you have some pet synchronize scripts you use, setting up a Windows name association makes it easier to launch them -- Just double click on the script file in Windows Explorer. 

Keep in mind there is some risk here... A wild mouse click, late a night when you're tired and should be in bed instead of working, might launch a script you did not want to run. We have a few safety suggestions here: Enable confirmations in your script (Confirm Updates=1); Disable overwrite of newer files (Newer Overwrite=0); Specify a running output file for your script using append mode for the output file writes (Append to Output File=1); Give your scripts distinctive names, such as 'Refresh_D_Work_E_Work.dts'. 

If you are familiar with the windows registry, DTScriptAssn.zip (3K) is a zip that contains an information .txt file and a sample .reg file you can merge into the registry for setting up a name association.

Q: Is there an easier way to write scripts?
A: Try Folder Synchronize Script Editor (free). That utility writes scripts that are compatible with Directory Toolkit.

Q: I have version 3.2. My scripts don't seem to be working properly. Do I need to press refresh?
A: The behavior of the graphical interface during scripted operations changed in version 3.2. Previously, if the /q command line switch was not employed, the Directory Toolkit file list display in the graphical interface updated automatically as the script operations were being processed.  

We changed the behavior in version 3.2 in response to many user requests that the display of file lists during scripts wasted time when large paths were involved. The v 3.2 program interface does not display the file lists during a script. Instead, if the /q switch is not employed, the graphical interface file lists remain blank and them come to rest with a display of the past paths in effect when the program was run interactively. (If /q is employed you would see 'nothing' since the program will exit automatically).

This new behavior may be unnerving if you were comfortable with the previous functionality -- You may perhaps think that nothing happened during the script or that the program synchronized the wrong paths.

We have two suggestions: 1. Enable an output report for your scripted operations and specify Append to Output File=1 in your script; 2. Use Command line switches for single path comparisons.

Note: If you were using the special 'Save script settings' switch to cause the program to halt after a script on the last path in the script, we suggest you convert your script to a command line switch operation. For example, a command line instance such as 
  dirtkt /s"d:\path1" /t"m:\path1" /c
will launch the program in a compare of "d:\path1" and "m:\path1", which you can then use interactively to modify/compare/synchronize those two paths manually.

Q: How can I stop the program from trying to scan a path. There is no stop button?
A: Press the ESC key.

Q: How can I list subdirectory sizes but not any files?
A: The program always list subdir size in the 'Size' column when Include Subdirs is on. To get a list that only shows subdirs and no files: 1. Specify the mask you are interested in; 2. Turn on Include Subdirs (View Menu); 3. In Options|Filters, make the with attributes section so that 'Directory' is unchecked and all the others are dim check. Reverse Filters should be unchecked (see here); 4. Refresh the display. The Size column lists the subdir size (see sample); 5. Go back to Options|Filters and hit reset to get filters back to default after you're done.

Q: Similar to the above, how can I list the size of specific subdirs but not any files and also not any empty subdirs? Let's say, only subdirs that begin with the letters 'win' which contain files ...
A: This requires a few tricks. 1. Our help documentation recommends always arranging complex file masks with includes first, followed by excludes. However, you can do it the other way around if there is a reason for doing so. For this type of operation we'll exclude all files and subdirs first, then specify the ones to include. A file mask to deal with subdirs that begin with 'win' is: ~\*\*\*\*.*;\*\win*\*\*.* 2. Go to Options|Filters as above and fully uncheck 'Directory'. Leave Reverse Filters fully unchecked; 3. Also in Options|Filters, specify '1' for the Size in Bytes - Less than field. This tells the program to not list 0 byte entries. 4. Refresh the display. Voila. 

Perhaps step 3 suggests a modification on the 'subdirectory sizes but not any files' question above? If you only care about subdirs that actually contain something, specify 1 in the Size in Bytes - Less than field. 

A: I am trying to use Directory Toolkit on a large drive with subdirectories turned on but it takes forever to update the file list. What can I do?
Q: Unlike Explorer, which reads directories as needed, Directory Toolkit will always try to obtain a complete file list for a given path. This will take time to prepare if you have a drive with many files. If you don't require a complete update of the entire file list for your path(s), press ESC as Directory Toolkit begins to refresh the display. Depending on the point at which you press ESC, you may be able to navigate subdirectories without having to re-read the entire disk.
You can also disable 'Auto-Refresh' in Options-General to prevent auto updates of the file list(s) after an operation.

Q: Related to the above, is there a way to launch Directory Toolkit without having it read the last path?
A: Yes. The /s command line switch alone will cause the program to not read the last path when it launches. Create a Windows shortcut with a target similar to 'C:\TOOLS\DIRTKT\DIRTKT.EXE /s'.

Q: Can I launch the program in compare mode?
Y: Yes. Adjust your windows shortcut to launch Directory Toolkit and add the /c switch. If you use our Shortcut Doctor, change the 'Target' field to read 'c:\tools\Dirtkt\Dirtkt.exe /c' (No ' characters. The 'c:\tools\dirtkt' part depends on where your dirtkt.exe is installed. c:\tools\dirtkt is the default). If you use the Windows properties dialog, do the same thing.

If you don't want the program to actually read the last paths paths, use this command line: c:\tools\Dirtkt\Dirtkt.exe /s /t /c

Q: Can Directory Toolkit rename folders using wild card file masks?
A: Yes. Version 3.9 and above can do this if you take the following steps.

• Highlight the folder names only in the top of the list of files. (See example screen here)
• Press F2
• The File Operations dialog will then appear. You must manually change the Mask From field to a mask that will capture the subdirectories you want to rename. Keep in mind that name collisions will cause problems so specify a selective mask. In the example screen we will rename folders that are named 'testing<and something>' to 'test<same something> so 'test*' is the Mask From field.
• Also in the File Operations dialog you need to specify a Mask To. Don't forget to account for the wild card you used in Mask From. We us %1 in our example screen to cover whatever is found by * in the Mask From field.
• Press OK.
• A confirmation dialog (no shot available) then appears. Confirm everything and click OK. 

Q: I have a script that seems OK but I can't get Directory Toolkit to launch it when I execute it from the command line.
A: Double check that you don't have a space between the /F switch and the path reference to the script. There should not be a space.

Q: I am using NT. I have a script to synchronize two network paths. The script works fine when I run it interactively but when launched from the AT scheduler, either nothing happens or I get prompted that the paths don't exist. What's wrong.
A: This may be due to network permission issues and the AT scheduler. Some users have found it necessary to include network logon commands in their command script for the 'at' job. A larger issue is that, by default, the schedule service on NT logs on as system account with restricted network access. So when a cmd window is opened (by the AT command) access to network drives may be denied. Solution: If you configure the schedule service not as system service, but rather as one under your own account, which has access to the network drive, you should then have AT access those paths. You can configure this in the services window in the system panel. Also search the MS Knowledge Base for further information on the AT service. Some articles of interest include: Q142432, Q138340, Q130668, Q121562. Your NT/2000 administrator may need to configure your user account with permission to launch the schedule service. Also have the administrator verify that the network permissions for your user account are passed along with permissions to launch the schedule service. This probably happens automatically but run some tests while you have your administrator's attention.

Q: I tried the above but still have problems with the AT scheduler. 
A: Try using the '/interactive' switch with your 'at' command even though you are not using the program interactively. This may help if memory management problems are affecting your 'at' scheduler. Conversely, if you are using the /interactive switch, try taking it out. Seemingly identical NT setups will sometimes behave differently in this regard.

Q: Can I do an operation that does not require a user response?
A: Yes. If you are an advanced user who knows exactly what you want to want to accomplish, use a script that turns off all confirmations and run the program from a batch file or the command line using the /q switch. The registered version does not have a splash screen when the program first starts.

Q: I am trying to use Directory Toolkit on a large drive with subdirectories turned on but it takes forever to update the file list. What can I do?
A: Unlike Explorer, which reads directories as needed, Directory Toolkit will always try to obtain a complete file list for a given path. This will take time to prepare if you have a drive with many files. If you don't require a complete update of the entire file list for your path(s), press ESC as Directory Toolkit begins to refresh the display. Depending on the point at which you press ESC, you may be able to navigate subdirectories without having to re-read the entire disk.

Q: Synchronize Directories functions don't seem to be available.
A: Directory Toolkit is probably set to find duplicate files.

Q: How can I eliminate files listed as Alike according to Binary Compare from a synchronize operation.
A: Disable the listing of 'Identical' files via the View Menu, Options-Compare, or the Show Identical=0 switch in a script.

Q: My printed output is unreadable, what can I do?
A: See Print Function. The Directory Toolkit print routine does not send font information is sent. On most computers a system font will be used. If your printed output is poorly formatted or difficult to read there are several actions you can take:

• Specify a file in the 'Show Output to File' field in Options-Output. Retrieve that file into your spreadsheet program and then print that file. If you are using Directory Toolkit's default Output Columns settings, the fields will be tab delimited.
• Examine your printer settings. On many Windows installations the relationship between system display fonts and 'default print font' is a complex one and may not be adjustable. However, your print driver may offer a 'default font' setting of some type.
• Unsupported Suggestion: Some users have found that if they install a print driver for generic text printer from the Windows installation CD, their printer will cooperate with that driver and produce a more readable plain text output. We have never tried this ourselves so proceed at your own risk.

Q: I'm trying to display all the duplicate files on my disk but only get a few listed. I know more are there. What's wrong?
A: "Search Subdirectories" may not be turned on.

Q: The path fields and file mask field are what I want but when I go to a comparison view, nothing's displayed.
A: Double check on the View Menu whether "Files in only 1 Directory" is turned on. If it's not enabled (checked), and if there are no matching files in the two paths, no files will be displayed. Also check on the View Menu whether both "Identical" and "Different" files are turned off. One or the other or both should be enabled. Finally, check Filter Options to see if any filters are active.

Q: I can't seem to enable Explorer functions for ZIPs and other archives.
A: Is "Open ZIP files in Directory Toolkit" checked under General Options? If it is and there's still problems, it may be that Directory Toolkit is not installed properly. Re-run the Directory Toolkit setup program. You do not need to un-install first.

Q: I followed the steps for saving a mail message that has an attachment but can't seem to Decode it.
A: The most common problem is attachments that are not formatted properly either due to errors on the sender's end or idiosyncrasies of the receiver's 'save raw message' function. Another common problem involves 'forwarded attachments' that were passed along from recipient to recipient. In these cases, somewhere along the line the attachment portion of the message has been corrupted with extraneous ", ='s, and > characters that were inserted by one of the recipient's 'reply' function. In these two scenarios, advanced users may be able to manually 'clean up' the attachment. If you do not know how to do this, then the simplest solution is to request that the sender re-issue the message. Asking the sender to issue you one file per attachment also appears to be helpful with mail that is sent-from or arriving-to some online services.

The second most common decoding problem involves multiple attachments that appear to have a problem but really don't. Did you expect to get a Word document but Decode only created a file such as 'info.mim'? If so, try running decode again on that 'info.mim' file. Decode normally automatically detects and decodes multiple attachments. However, in some cases you will need to do a second decode operation on the file saved by the first decode.

Finally, we have seen a multitude of decoding problems that emerge when senders send attachments and use 'rich text' or 'html text' format for the text of their message. Decoding problems here affect our software as well as others. Please ask your correspondents to use 'plain text' format for their messages when sending attachments.

If you have additional questions or problems, write us at support@funduc.com. Thanks!