Does Windows 7 provide a file comparison utility?

Yes, it's a dos command line utility call fc.

Simply use by typing:

fc file1.ext file2.ext

Yes, it's a dos command line utility call fc.

Simply use by typing:

fc file1.ext file2.ext

@wkdmarty: Thanks! This did exactly what I needed. One note, FC seemed like it was giving me gibberish output when I was comparing two reg files exported from Regedit until I found the /u option to treat the files as Unicode.

I am also, grudgingly, using Windows 7 and I'm fighting it every step of the way.  I'm trying to make my Windows 7 system as useful/powerful from an administrative platform as my Windows XP system currently is by installing all of the tools I use on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  I constantly use WinDiff.exe and I know it came with the Windows XP/Windows Server 2003 Support tools but I cannot seem to find any Support Tools for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008.  So my question is the same as TechWtr29, where can I get a copy of WindDiff.exe that will work with Windows 7 & Windows 7 64-bit (and hopefully get all of the other accompanying tools that came with XP's Support Tools)?  Specifically I'm looking for a download link and not a how to link.

I came across this post as well which points at a Windows 2003 download: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprogeneral/thread/0d51abcd-3b76-495b-84a4-45e188f6d9f6/.  Is there a newer download for the newer platform Microsoft released?

There isn't a Windows 2008 Support Tools: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/NoResults.aspx?displaylang=en-US&freetext=windows+sever+2008+support+tools.

So where did WindDiff.exe and the other useful Support Tools go?  If they are no longer being provided can you provide the link to the announcement that says the Support Tools (or WindDiff.exe specifically) are no longer going to be provided?

Sybuur

Update on 2012/04/18

FYI, using Microsoft Chat some time ago I was told that Windiff.exe does not exist and will not exist on the 6.x kernel platform but they said we could use Windiff from the 5.x platform.  'It works but is not supported.'

There are two workarounds I use.

1. From your Windows 7 (really 6.1) machine connect to a Windows XP machine (or any 5.x kernel machine) that has the Support Tools installed (which include Windiff.exe.  I use "Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 32-bit Support Tools").  e.g. from your Run command type (x64) '\<machine name>\C$\Program Files (x86)\Support Tools\windiff.exe' or (x86) '\<machine name>\C$\Program Files\Support Tools\windiff.exe'.  I assume that you are logged into the Win7 machine with an account that is an administrator of the WinXP machine.  You could always map a drive letter and create a shortcut.  Personally I let the Run command remember it in history.

Note: I have not tried using the Windows XP SP3 virtual machine built into Windows 7 Pro to do the same thing since I have physical machines running but it is a thought.

Comment: Who would have thought that MS crated their own need for XP to stick around due to their own tools but being updated.

2. Install "Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 32-bit Support Tools" (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=96a35011-fd83-419d-939b-9a772ea2df90&DisplayLang=en) on your Windows 7 machine (I tested with Win7 SP1 Pro x64 (a.k.a. 6.1 Build 7601).  I'd recommend making a Restore Point just before your installation.  You will receive a warning message stating that the product is not compatible.  I continued.  While I mainly use Windiff.exe other tools my cause problems and I want to let you know that I didn't test all of them.  But so far Windiff.exe is working for me.

I found Windiff an invaluable tool to use just before completely turning off a DFS Target that was a part of a replication group.  I also used it periodically to check the status of DFS pairs.  I've found inconsistencies this way (along with the Property sheet to count the number of files, folders and size.  I've used it in Help Desk capacities when customers right mouse dragged and copied folders into other folders.  I had wished this product would get better over time and be able to look into .DOCs and .XLS files and show comparisons between them.  My only tool to compare .DOCs and .XLS files is loading up two copies and using ALT+Tab quickly in succession.  Once my 'eyes' see no differences I use page down to compare the next page.  Also I may copy the text into Notepad save the two files and then allow Windiff to do its thing.  I wished it could exclude certain folders (like MS's SysInternal's "Process Monitor" can during execution like when it gets to 'DFSPrivate' or allow it to exclude them upfront).  [I wished DFS-R had a built in product like FRS had with Sonar.]  I wished you could drag the first folder or file on a running copy of Windiff and thus only allow the user to navigate to the 2nd file manually.  I wished the folder window had a history capability to remember folders that were used.  I REALLY wished they'd fix the issue when Windiff.exe runs into a really long path name and just closes without warning.  The same is true when it almost gets to a really long path and file name where it considers the two files to be different because it cannot read one of the two.  I've gotten around this 2nd issue by comparing the two \<machine>\HiddenDepartmentShare$ names instead of the DFS name which is usually longer \<domain&lt;Share>&lt;department.  But it has also helped me identify when some paths & files really needed to be shortened.  Saving URLs is a common issue generator with the long names.  e.g. Drag almost any URL (icon in IE's address bar) from the Microsoft Download center into a folder to see how long it can get.  I wished that pressing the End key would jump to the bottom of the list and holding it down would continually jump to the bottom of the list and reset the display (Same with the Home key).  I wished the "hidden" divider between the file name and the status inside the Windiff.exe app was more visible.  Look for an icon change of the mouse about 1/2 centimeter to the left of the status column.

R.I.P. Windiff 5.2.3790.0 (srv03_rtm.030324-2048).  You will be missed.

To whoever made Windiff.exe: can you release a non-MS version (or build one in your spare time for MS) that is updated for the 6.x kernel and downloadable from MS?

Question: Anyone know how to get MS to take requests like reviving a File Comparison Utility?

Sybuur

Are you suggesting that a Windows 7 user download the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit Support Tools? I tried to simply pull the windiff.exe file off the XP installation.  It won't run because GUtils.dll is not on my system.  I tried running setup in the installation disk's support/tools directory, but it won't run since I am on a Windows 7, and not XP system.   I read the article suggested above, and relates to downloading software for NT 4.0.