Funnel search
It groups by size — files of unique size are not even opened — then compares the hash of the first and last 64 KiB, and only on what remains computes the full SHA-256. That is what makes it usable on a whole disk.
Scanning
Deduplication
The Deduplication module finds files with the same content in one or more folders and lets you remove the extra copies. It is the only Probatio feature that removes the user's files, and it is written accordingly: hash re-checked before every removal, no group ever left without a copy, a reversible action by default and a report of what was removed.
What it does
What the Deduplication module does
Hash re-checked
Minutes can pass between the analysis and the action, and a file can change: before touching it Probatio recomputes its hash, and if it no longer matches it leaves the file where it is and says so.
Never a group without a copy
The last copy of a group cannot be selected, and the engine rejects outright a group that would be left empty.
Reversible by default
The default action moves, it doesn't delete: to the system trash or to a quarantine folder that keeps the path structure, so two same-named files from different folders don't overwrite each other. Permanent deletion must be chosen and confirmed separately.
Hard links recognised
Two paths pointing to the same content on disk are not two copies: deleting one frees nothing. Probatio recognises them and leaves them out of the recoverable space.
Manual or automatic selection
Keep the oldest copy, the newest or the one with the shortest path, or choose by hand group by group.
PDF report
The groups found with their hashes and, if you acted, which files were removed and where they went. Worth generating before and after the action: the first one records every file's hash.
Step by step
How it works
- Choose one or more folders and start the search: the progress shows every phase.
- Review the groups: what you keep stays highlighted, what goes is struck through.
- Choose the action — trash, quarantine or permanent deletion — and generate the report.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How is it fast on a whole disk?
It doesn't read everything: it groups by size and discards unique-size files without opening them, then compares 64 KiB samples, and computes the full SHA-256 only on the remaining candidates.
Could I delete the only copy of a file?
No: the last copy of a group can't be selected, the engine rejects outright a group that would be left empty, and the default action moves to the trash or quarantine instead of deleting.
Do two files with the same name overwrite each other in quarantine?
No: the quarantine keeps the original path structure.
Related modules