On this page
Short answer
In Safe Merge, choose First folder and Second folder, then choose a separate location and name for the result. Leave When names match set to Keep both and Recycle originals after merging unchecked. Select Merge Folders, then open the result and read Merge Summary.
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.
- Two distinct source folders, with neither inside the other, and a separate folder that will contain the merged result. Choose this location outside both source folders, with enough free space for the result.
- A supported fixed or removable local drive using NTFS, outside network shares and cloud/sync folders. In File Explorer, right-click the drive and choose Properties to check File system.
- Finish edits and close applications that are changing the source files. A source that changes during the merge can prevent a completed result.
Start here
Choose the two folders
Use Choose folder under First folder and Second folder. For a first try, use two sample collections, such as Laptop notes and USB notes. Neither folder should be inside the other.
Choose where the combined folder will go
Under Merged folder, enter a name such as Weekend notes and select Choose location. Pick a parent folder outside both sources, with enough room for the new copies.
Keep different versions and originals
Leave When names match set to Keep both. Leave Recycle originals after merging unchecked so the source files remain in place.
Safe Merge 1.0.0: these settings keep different same-name files and leave both source folders in place. Open the result and summary
Select Merge Folders. When it finishes, choose Open merged folder and check the files you need. Read Merge Summary for any skipped, incomplete or other items needing attention.
Check your result
- The result is a separate folder and both source folders remain.
- Different same-name files in matching subfolders have separate output names.
- You read any stopped, incomplete or skipped outcome before using the result.
What Keep both means
If two different files have the same name in corresponding folders, Safe Merge keeps both and assigns an available numbered name to one. Equivalent files at the same relative path can share a single output copy.
Folders with corresponding names combine their contents. This is not a global duplicate search across unrelated paths.
If the merge stops or cannot finish
Read the status and Merge Summary before using any result. If a source changed, finish the other application's save before retrying. If the drive is full, make enough space for the separate result. Do not assume a merge finished because a folder is visible.
Keep both source collections. If the result location changed or the app shows a recovery location, inspect the stated locations and preserve the recovery data before starting another merge. Recycling is still a separate outcome; a completed result does not mean every original was recycled.
If you choose to recycle originals
Recycle originals after merging is a separate opt-in with a confirmation. Only eligible originals represented by the verified result can be recycled; an omitted different variant remains at its source.
An interrupted or unverified cleanup can leave originals at source or in a recovery location. Read the actual outcome and the guide in that location. Keep recovery records until the situation is resolved.