Folder comparison shows files different until opened

[Skip]

I'm using version 3.3.8 (build 16340) on Windows 7. When I select 2 folders to compare, it shows almost all files (primarily text/source code) as being different. The file sizes and dates are different. However, when I select a pair of files from the list to open, there are no content differences. Then when I close the side-by-side view, the center column has changed from "different" to "same". This has been happening for months but in the past it didn't do this.

[Aaron]

Hello,

This is because the Folder Compare runs a timestamp/size comparison by default, but if you double click and view the files, this runs a Rules-based compare. The Rules-based results are passed back to the parent Folder Compare session and (by default) override the quick test results. We have a KB article that goes into more detail, here:
http://www.scootersoftware.com/suppo...ferentthensame

You can configure the Folder Compare to run a Rules-based scan on everything without opening them individually, for example.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

[Skip]

Thanks for the response. That helped!

Thank you for your response! That gave enough info that I was able to get the defaults set as I need them. (I'm currently maintaining a project that has 3000+ files in more than a dozen top-level folders and there's no way I could open and close each one to see if they're the same.)