So, you have a folder full of files, the names look similar, and you’re not sure what is in them. Storage space is tight, and you do not want to keep duplicate copies. How can you remove the duplicate files while avoiding the painstaking work of sorting through each one? With PowerShell and file hashes, the answer is, surprisingly easy. For files that are exact copies of each other, the file hash is the same, so the operation is to find the file hashes for a group of files and remove only one of the duplicates. Here is the complete operation to remove duplicate files with an explanation that follows.

By design, ftp interfaces are simple. Connect to a server, get or put and file and disconnect. This has advantages, it is simple to learn and to use, the barrier to entry is low and changes to syntax are few. This is ideal for ad hoc transfers to and from a server, but for automated transfers this can pose challenges.

In PowerShell, checking for a file is as simple as using the Test-Path command with the file path. Followed by an if statement, this is a great tool to check when a file exists. If the result of Test-Path is stored in a variable, this can be used to evaluate the result and proceed, as necessary.

GPG is used as back-end encryption for many applications and processes, as such, it’s necessary to have a reusable key implementation routine. This is where the home directory comes in; the home directory can be used to cache keys for repeated use even when the user executing the task does not own the keys.

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