Tools
Compare and synchronize
Find out how two folders differ, mark the differences, or make the folders match.
Compare Folders (⇧F2)§
Open the two folders in the two panels and press ⇧F2. PaneShift compares what the panels list by name, size and date, one level deep, and marks in each panel the files that are newer there, exist only there, or differ, and the folders the other side doesn't have. Then press F5 to copy them to the other side.
It works for server and archive folders too. A summary shows how many items are newer or missing on each side; Synchronize… in it opens Synchronize Folders for the same two folders. When files have the same size but newer dates on one side, the summary says so: that is typical of copies made without keeping dates, and they are probably the same files.
When nothing differs, PaneShift says “The folders contain the same files”.
Synchronize Folders§
⌥⌘S opens Synchronize Folders with the two panels' folders. It compares whole folder trees, proposes an action for every difference, and runs them when you agree.
Comparing§
- Left and Right
- The two folders. Edit the paths to compare other folders.
- Files
- Leave empty for all files, or give masks such as
*.jpg;*.heic. - Subfolders
- Include everything below the two folders.
- By content
- Read files with the same size and compare their bytes. Slower, but exact.
- Ignore dates
- Treat files of the same size as equal whatever their dates, for copies made without keeping dates.
- Hidden
- Include hidden files.
- Show equal
- Also list files that are the same on both sides.
Click Compare. Dates within 2 seconds count as equal, because FAT disks and many network volumes store times in 2-second steps. Names match regardless of Unicode normalization and, on disks that ignore case (APFS does by default), regardless of case.
Reading the list§
| Sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ▶ | Newer on the left, or only on the left. |
| ◀ | Newer on the right, or only on the right. |
| ≠ | Same date but different size or content. |
| = | Equal (with Show equal). |
| ⚠︎ | A conflict: a file on one side and a folder on the other, or two names that differ only in case. Never synchronized automatically. |
| 🔒 | A folder that couldn't be read. Nothing below it is compared, so nothing there looks missing. |
Choosing actions§
Direction sets what PaneShift proposes:
- Both ways: newer and missing files are copied in both directions.
- Left → Right or Right → Left: make one side like the other. Only then can you turn on Delete files missing on the source side, which moves those files on the target side to the Trash.
Files that differ with the same date are left for you. Change any row's action in the Action column: Copy →, ← Copy, Delete right, Delete left or Leave. The bottom line counts what will happen, for example “10 → right, 1 ← left”.
Synchronizing§
Turn on Verify copies to read each copy back. Click Synchronize and confirm.
- Before each step PaneShift checks the file again. A file that changed or appeared after the comparison is left alone and reported, so a later edit is never overwritten or deleted.
- Deleted files go to the Trash.
- Missing folders are created; symlinked folders are never followed.
- Stopping ends after the current file. Compare again to see what is left.
Compare by Content§
To see how two files differ line by line, use ⌥⌘D. See Compare by Content.
Saved synchronization tasks and per-file time tolerance settings are not available. The 2-second tolerance is fixed.