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1.     What are the hard links and why they need?

   Among a great number ot technological innovations Microsoft presented in Windows 2000 there was the hard links technology, as well.

   This technology is modern and much more effective alternative to the shortcuts to programs and documents. It is acts as just new pointer to a file in the file system. In other words the hard links technology makes possible the appearance of the files in the file system in two, three or more names. The file in two or more names occupies space as one file, at that.

   It provides additional freedom in management of your hard disk. You can make that the file will be accessible from two directories simultaneously. You can find all equal files in some large directory and clear a space in it owing to the fact that the recuring files are replaced with hard links. There will not repeated filling the disk with the same data.

2.     Why we need the program Same Files Assistant?

   Actually, it is simply to create the hard link becasue it is only one light-programming function. You can find some programs around Internet which do that. More difficult thing is to know a file with which it is linked. In general, about 70 percents of the business logic of the program Same Files Assistant are dedicated to a process of registration for the hard links.

   Yes, indeed! As soon as you miss even if one link to the file, you will have to scan all disk for finding it!

   Thus, the Same Files Assistant is a very useful program intended for doing the following functions:

   1. Creating the hard links;
   2. Breaking off the hard links between the files;
   3. Registrating all the hard links on a disk

3.     How to create the hard links?

   There are three methods to do that:

   1. The most simple method is moving the file or directory in the Explorer's windows to another directory with a right-click of the mouse button. You will see a menu and a menu item "make hard links" in it. Choose it. And in a couple of seconds the hard links will be created, and their paths will be recorded.

   2. Another method is asking context menu of file or directory in Explorer with right button of mouse. You will see a menu and a menu item "make hard links" in it. Choose it. In the appeared dialog window you can select the path where it has to create the hard links.

   3. Or, finally, you can run the Same Files Assistant Wizard and choose "Make hard links" in the program menu. This method also allows to scan disks for availability of already existing hard links.

4.     How to see information of existing hard links?

   There are two methods to do that:

   1. In the context menu of file in the Windows Explorer you can choose "Properties". Choose the page "Same Files Assistant". In a couple of seconds you will see a list of linked files.

   2. Run the Same Files Assistant Wizard. Choose "Drop hard links". You will see a list of files which have hard links. When you are double clicking on the file, you will see the list of files which are hard linked with selected one.

5.     How to drop hard links?

   There are two methods to do that:

   1. In the context menu of files and directories in the Explorer you can see "Drop hard links" menu item. Choose it. Hard links between files will be dropped shortly. Files will occupy space as much as many files you have.

   2. Run the Same Files Assistant Wizard. Choose "Drop hard links". You will see a list of files which have hard links. Mark files with check boxes and click "Apply" button.

6.     Registration note

   Please note, that unregistered version of Same Files Assistant will work 30 days after the install. After this TRIAL period the unregistered version of the Same Files Assistant will have these features:

   1. Making hard links one by one with the Same Files Assistant Wizard.
   2. Dropping hard links with the Same Files Assistant Wizard.
   3. Showing hard links information in file Properties windows.

   You will loose these features:

   1. Making hard links with the Windows Explorer.
   2. Making large amount of hard links by scanning directories with the Same Files Assistant Wizard.
   3. Dropping hard links with the Windows Explorer.

   Thank you! Have interesting hard links trip with the Same Files Assistant!

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