Saving Duplicate Files Search Reports

DupScout allows one to save duplicate files search reports into a number of standard report formats including HTML, PDF, Excel, text, CSV and XML. In the simplest case, perform a duplicate files search operation and press the 'Save' button located on the main toolbar. On the save report dialog, select an appropriate report format, enter a report file name and press the 'Save' button.

For the HTML, PDF, Excel, text, CSV and XML report formats, the user is provided with the ability to save a short summary report or a longer detailed report, which may be very long for large file systems containing millions of files. By default, DupScout will save a short, summary duplicate files search report in the HTML report format, which will include a list of top 20 duplicate file sets sorted by the amount of duplicate disk space and a list of tables showing the amount of duplicate disk space and the number of duplicate files per file extension, file type, top-level directory, user name, etc.

In addition, the user is provided with the ability to save duplicate files search results to the DupScout native report format, which preserves all information related to each specific duplicate files search operation and may be loaded at any time by using the DupScout GUI application.

Microsoft Excel Reports

Sometimes, it may be required to perform additional analysis of duplicate files search results using external tools such as Microsoft Excel. In order to export duplicate files search results to the Excel report format, perform a duplicate files search operation, press the 'Save' button located on the main toolbar, select the 'Excel Summary' report format for a short summary report or the 'Excel Report' format for a detailed duplicate files search report.

A summary Excel report will include a list of the top 20 duplicate file sets sorted by the amount of duplicate disk space and a number of tables with pie charts showing the amount of duplicate disk space and the number of duplicate files per file extension, file category, file creation time, last modification time, top-level directory, user name, etc.

A detailed Excel report will include a full list of duplicate file sets sorted by the amount of the duplicate disk space followed by lists of duplicate files in each set, which may be very long for large file systems containing millions of files. In order to control how many duplicate file sets are exported in the detailed report, press the 'Advanced Options' button located on the 'Save Report' dialog and customize the duplicate files search report for your specific needs.

Saving Graphical PDF Reports

One of the most useful ways to export duplicate files search results is to use the PDF summary or the PDF report formats. Both of these report formats include various types of graphical pie charts showing the amount of duplicate disk space and the number of duplicate files per file extension, file category, creation time, last modification time, user name, etc. In order to save duplicate files search results to a PDF report file, press the 'Save' button located on the main toolbar and select the 'PDF Summary' report format for a short, summary report or the 'PDF Report' format for a detailed duplicate files search report.

A summary PDF report will include a list of the top 20 duplicate file sets sorted by the amount of the duplicate disk space followed by a number of pie charts showing the amount of duplicate disk space and the number of duplicate files per file extension, file category, file creation time, last modification time, top-level directory name, user name, etc. A detailed PDF report will include a full list of duplicate file sets sorted by to the amount of duplicate disk space followed by lists of duplicate files in each set, which may be very long for large file systems containing millions of files.

In addition to the list of duplicate file sets sorted by the amount of duplicate disk space, detailed PDF reports include pie charts showing the duplicate disk space per file category and the number of duplicate files per file category according to the currently selected file categorization mode. For example, if the second-level file categories mode is set to categorize duplicate files search results by the file extension, the PDF report will display pie charts showing the amount of duplicate disk space and the number of duplicates per file extension.

Customizing Reports Date Format

By default, DupScout saves duplicate files search reports including the last modification date for each duplicate file. The date format used in duplicate files reports is easily readable, but not good for sorting duplicate files by the last modification date in external programs such as Microsoft Excel, etc. In addition to the default date format, DupScout provides a number of alternative date formats allowing one to customize duplicate files reports. In order to change the date format used in duplicate files reports, open the 'Options' dialog, select the 'Reports' tab and set the 'Report Files Date Format' to an appropriate date format.

Customizing CSV Reports Delimiter

When exporting Excel CSV reports, the user may encounter problems with duplicate files having the comma (,) character in the file or directory name. The comma (,) character is a valid character for file names, but this character is normally used in Excel CSV reports as the delimiter character causing file names containing the comma character to span multiple data fields in Microsoft Excel data sheets.

In order to change the CSV reports delimiter character used by DupScout in duplicate files reports, open the 'Options' dialog, select the 'Reports' tab and set the CSV reports delimiter to the 'Tab' character, which cannot be used in file names and therefore will not conflict with file names exported in duplicate files reports. In order to import a tab-delimited duplicate files report to an Excel datasheet, open Microsoft Excel, select the menu 'Data - Import External Data - Import Data', select the duplicate files report file and select the 'Tab' character as the data field delimiter.