Fixing the duplicate applications problem

Fixing the duplicate Pages application was easily solved. I simply did a search for “Pages” and looked in the applications section of the results to find the two separate versions of the software. I used Get Info under the File Menu to find which version was the most recent.

It turns out that one of them was in the Applications folder, and the other was in a separate folder I had made to keep my writing apps together. With Lion, of course, it’s no longer necessary to make folders like that, as they can be organized together under Launchpad. Once I deleted the older app, I was able to determine that the version I had was indeed the most recent.

Fixing the situation with iPhoto proved to be more difficult. When I searched for the app by name, it was only finding one application. Yet, when I went to the App Store, it didn’t say “Installed,” and looked like it was available for a download to me. I assumed I didn’t have a new enough version, and that I would have to buy it. When I tried to purchase it, I was told I would have to update through the Software Update function, yet when I tried that, I was told all my apps were up to date.

I looked again for a separate application. It didn’t show up in Launchpad. However, when I looked through my application folder “the old-fashioned” way, I found an additional iPhoto application, one that was non-functional when I tried to open it. It seemed to be a partial download. I figured this was an easy enough fix and deleted the extra application.

This didn’t fix the problem, though. When I tried to update the application through the App Store and Software Update, I got the same messages as before. When I tried to open the application, I received a new message telling me there was something wrong and that I should contact support. It should be noted that in all this time of using the application, even though there was a non-functioning duplicate in the system as well, I never had any error messages.

I knew that this version of iPhoto had become corrupted as well. It had to be deleted, but I was afraid of losing the two years worth of pictures of and videos I had stored within iPhoto. I checked around on my hard drive and found the iPhoto Library stored separately, and I knew then it would be okay to delete the app, as my photo library would remain.

Once I deleted the corrupted app, I visited the App Store and tried to buy it again. This time I was told I already previously bought iPhoto, so I would be able to update it through Software Update. Sure enough, once I opened Software Update, iPhoto now showed up as available for updating.

The changes Apple makes to its system and applications are fascinating and indeed make things easier, but sometimes it adds up to additional snafus that create more trouble. Hopefully, as Apple continues to make changes to their updating system through Software Update, the App Store and iCloud, it will eliminate these the problems once and for all.

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Displaying Duplicates

The first way to clean duplicates out of your library is to have iTunes show you what duplicates actually exist in your library. To do this, open up iTunes and make sure you’re in your library screen. Then simply click File, and then Display Duplicates. This will change your library window into a duplicates window, showing you every music file you’ve got loaded into iTunes of which there is another with the same name.

You can now look through and find what you want to keep, or delete, and do so. This method is great for smaller libraries, or if you’re just trying to see how many duplicate files, and associated wasted space (as you can see displayed at the bottom of the screen) your library has. Where this becomes difficult though, are instances where repeats are okay, for instance, an actual studio album versus a live record. The songs in common between these CD’s may have the same name, but are very different songs. What do we do? Just keep reading to find out!

Displaying Exact Duplicates

If you have remixes or live tracks that share song names with albums, this is the method for you. Just like in the last method, we’re looking to the File menu for help. This time though, after click file, hold the Alt, or Option key, and you’ll notice that where it used to say Display Duplicates, it will now read Display Exact Duplicates. Clicking this will display, rather than songs whose names match, songs who are literally exact matches. This avoids seeing those same-title, different-track duplicates in your list, and can drastically change your results. Compare mine below to those above to see what I mean.

Which should I try?

Well, the differences are clear. You’re going to get way more results with the former, more broad search, and much more specific results with the latter. Which you want to use depends mostly on what your goal is. Is your hard drive full, and you’re looking to get rid of, or just move, a bunch of music that you only listen to occasionally, lie those live albums? Or, like many, have you copied and moved and recopied your library a bunch of times, with the best of intentions, but mixed results, and you need to clean up copies of files that shouldn’t be there? In that case, you’ll need the latter, more specific duplicate search.

What other ways have you found to keep your library clean? Do you use a third party utility, or just let iTunes handle it all? Let us know in the comments!

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Windows Mobile can be synchronised via ActiveSync with your PC or Exchange server to keep synchonrised your contacts list, calendars and flagged emails and tasks – but tourble can arise in the shape of duplicates.

If Microsoft truly intend on aligning the Windows Mobile/Windows Phone platform to the same market spread as Apple, BlackBerry and Palm Pre, resolving the laughable situation with the contacts, calendar and tasks duplicate should be high on their list of priorities.

Until Windows Mobile 7 is released however, Trinefix is by far and away the best solution to this frustrating problem.

Available from www.trineseries.com, the download file is 518 KB and this can quickly be downloaded either directly to your PC or over the air to your phone via this link.

Once installed, it’s time to setup Trinefix to scan your Pocket Outlook items and fix your duplicates!

Using Trinefix

Before continuing, the first thing to do is configure Trinefix for use with your setup.  The Preferences screen is pretty simple and straightforward and has little to do with what the software does, more how it looks.

Configuring Trinefix for use with your setup means considering how you use your Windows Mobile phone. If you store contacts, keep calendar appointments and manage your current tasks using Pocket Outlook and these are all updated by synching to your PC or Exchange server, then a full clean-up is definitely required.

On the other hand you might just need to tidy up an individual element, such as your contacts – in this case you would only need to use the Contacts clean up. We’ll begin looking at how to use Trinefix by focussing on the Contacts tool.

Fix Duplicate Contacts

Start off by switching to or launching Trinefix and scroll down to the Contacts menu item. Each of the duplicate management tools can be accessed from the main Trinefix menu.

Four options are given:

Fix duplicates – this cleans all duplicates in your contacts list. You can designate which fields to be compared and Trinefix will display all duplicate contacts based on this field, allowing you to choose to delete.

Fix FileAs – with this option you can set the “File As” option to display all of your contacts the same way, such as surname first, forename first, etc.

Fix Country Code – allows you to add a default country code to all numbers with none defined. Trinefix can collect all numbers without a country code to allow you to set one of your choice.

Bulk Delete – this obviously facilitates a bulk removal of contacts, either based on a search term or just the whole lot. A confirmation screen allows you to double check your decision.

Fix Duplicate Calendar Items

This intelligent tool compares the start time and date, end time and date and the subject/appointment name and checks for duplicates which are then displayed and an option to delete offered. The  bulk delete option works in the same way as above.

Bulk Delete Tasks

There is no easy way to manage your tasks – Trinefix offers only a bulk delete tool that works in the same way as the contacts and calendar items bulk delete.

With all of these tools at your disposal, time spent resolving Pocket Outlook duplicate issues can be considerably reduced with this very cool freeware app!

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