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Short answer
In Safe Merge, choose Keep both under When names match. Different files in matching folder paths get separate names, such as weekend-plan.txt and weekend-plan (2).txt. Equivalent files at the same path can share one output copy. Read Merge Summary to see the actual result.
This guide covers Safe Merge. Check requirements and download options before you begin.
Before you start
- Safe Merge from Microsoft Store on Windows 11 24H2 or later, x64, with an active license and enough space for a separate result.
- Two distinct source folders on supported local NTFS storage in Safe Merge, outside network and cloud/sync locations. Neither source can be inside the other.
- A separate result location that is not inside either source folder.
- Different sample files with the same name if you want to check the behavior first.
Start here
Set up two different sample files
Put a weekend-plan.txt file in each of two separate folders, such as Laptop notes and USB notes. Give the files different text. Select those folders as First folder and Second folder.
Keep both
Set When names match to Keep both. Leave Recycle originals after merging unchecked for the first check.
Create a separate result
Enter a name such as Weekend notes under Merged folder, use Choose location to choose the folder that will contain it, and select Merge Folders.
Open both versions
Choose Open merged folder and open both weekend-plan files. Check that the two different texts are there. Read Merge Summary to see where each result came from.
This sample merge is complete and both source folders were kept. Open the result to check the two versions.
Check your result
- Both different sample files are present in the finished result.
- The actual names are taken from the result, not an assumed fixed suffix.
- The originals remain because recycling was left unchecked.
- Any incomplete or stopped outcome is checked before removing sources.
Three examples of matching names
Different contents, matching paths: both sample folders contained weekend-plan.txt. The result kept the two versions as weekend-plan.txt and weekend-plan (2).txt.
Equivalent contents, matching paths: both sample folders contained the same packing-list.txt. Safe Merge saved one copy in the result.
Same name, different paths: one source has Photos/notes.txt and the other has Documents/notes.txt. Both keep their own folder path; the matching filename alone is not a conflict. Safe Merge does not scan all unrelated paths to remove duplicates.
Choosing by date or size
The other choices are Keep the newer file, Keep the older file and Keep the smaller file. Date choices use the last modification time. If the comparison ties, both different versions are kept.
A newer date or smaller size does not tell you which document contains the work you need. Choose Keep both when you need to open and compare them. A different version omitted from the result stays at its source even if recycling was requested.
Why the number can differ
The app chooses an available numbered name and preserves the extension. If weekend-plan (2).txt already exists in the planned result, another available number is used. Do not depend on one fixed suffix to identify a source; use Merge Summary.