Thanx Hog Time -

Never would have thought of doing this if you hadn't suggested it!

I downloaded a trial version of ECMerge which is a full-featured visual file comparison and merging utility. It provided color-coded, side-by-side binary comparison which appeared to be a hexadecimal display of the files (this utility provides an option to compare either text files or all other file types, so I chose the other option since these are not text files).

I compared the first file listed below to two other files, as shown:

Piano, Electric, Soloist SmoothJazzBallad chorus Ev16 065 #1076 band.wma size 1215006
Piano, Electric, Soloist SmoothJazzBallad chorus Ev16 065 #1074 band.wma size 1215006

Piano, Electric, Soloist SmoothJazzBallad chorus Ev16 065 #1076 band.wma size 1215006
Piano, Electric, Soloist SmoothJazzBallad chorus Ev16 065 (Bluesy) #1077 band.wma size 1215006

ECMerge told me the files were all identical.

But don't delete any files just because they're identica!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't recommend anyone delete any files since the program calls within the RealTracks algorithyms are most likely made by filename, and if you delete any file, there is a chance the program might not work correctly. Even though there may be another identical file residing in same directory, the identical file would not have the filename the RealTracks algorithym would be looking for (since it would have been deleted).

Thinking through this issue, I suppose PG Music addressed this as a sub-issue within the context of an overarching issue: distribution of the program.

Perhaps the distribution of the program on self-contained hard drives from which the program can be run negated the need to consolidate the RealTracks program calls and as well as the need to remove identical files which most likely would not have freed up enough data to continue distributing via DVDs anyway.