Compare Contents by CRC only?

[bobcat]

Hello,

Sometimes, when trying to do a comparison, somehow the only option available is CRC Comparison.

The other two options "Binary" and "Rules-based" are greyed out.

Image: https://imgur.com/a/GsyScej


These have definitely been enabled and worked before for the same exact folders / files I'm trying to compare, so I don't understand why they suddenly can't be selected.

Since this happens for seemingly no reason, I'd appreciate it very much if someone could tell me why this happens and how it can be fixed. Note that these comparisons are being done between a network folder and a local folder on Windows computers.

Please please help. Thank you!

[Chris]

Is one side a Beyond Compare snapshot (*.bcss) file with saved CRC values? Snapshots don't contain file contents, so Compare Contents will only list CRC comparison as an option. Files on a local file system or on a network drive should list all 3 Compare Contents options.

If one side isn't a snapshot, please send a screenshot of the problem Folder Compare and your Beyond Compare settings to [email protected] and we'll investigate. To save your settings to a file, open Help > Support, then click the Export button.

[bobcat]

Is one side a Beyond Compare snapshot (*.bcss) file with saved CRC values? Snapshots don't contain file contents, so Compare Contents will only list CRC comparison as an option. Files on a local file system or on a network drive should list all 3 Compare Contents options.

If one side isn't a snapshot, please send a screenshot of the problem Folder Compare and your Beyond Compare settings to [email protected] and we'll investigate. To save your settings to a file, open Help > Support, then click the Export button.

Nope, they are both folders.

I've looked into it a little more and it appears I've identified the issue more clearly.

Say I've got a network location "\\remotepc" with shared folders "stuff" and "morestuff" inside it.

I've also got a local folder mirroring that structure: "D:\remotepc" with subfolders "stuff" and "morestuff".

When I am comparing between the network location and local folder (i.e. "\\remotepc" and "D:\remotepc"), it never allows Binary or Rules-based Comparison. Even when I am trying to compare the "stuff" or "morestuff" folder contents. Same thing applies to files/subfolders within those shared folders.

However, once I set "stuff" or "morestuff" (or any of their sub folders) as Base Folders, then the Binary and Rules-based Comparisons are available.

Is this by design or is there a bug to be squashed?

[Chris]

Thank you for the additional information, this is a bug. When a machine name is loaded as a base folder using a UNC path (\\server\) BC disables Binary and Rules-based comparison. As you described, loading a share as a base folder (\\server\share) is the workaround. I'll add it to our list to be fixed.