Binary file comparison "out of memory"

[whitewhaleholygrail]

ExamDiff Pro Build 3.5.1.0

I get an "out of memory" error when I try to compare two 14MB binary files. My machine is 2GHz with 1GB RAM. I am able to compare the files using MultiEdit 9 with no problems. I'd rather use ExamDiff, so what can I do to get it to work?

[whitewhaleholygrail]

Nevermind, I figured it out. Options | Binary | Comparison Block Size

[sriesch]

I am having the same or a similar issue when using ExamDiff Pro 3.5.1.0, however I do not have the option of changing the Comparison Block Size away from 1, as I need to do a byte-for-byte comparison to verify a folder copy is identical. I will never need to know what the actual differences are, only whether or not the folders and files are identical so they can be recopied in case of failure. Is there a solution/fix/workaround, or am I out of luck?

The exact message I get when comparing the two folders containing the large file and it's copy is "Out of memory while trying to allocate 453356386 bytes: Not enough space". (I believe that's about 432MB). However if I try comparing just the two files themselves I get the "Out of memory." message described by the original poster and the cancel button doesn't appear to work, seemingly locking up ExamDiff Pro.

The file that causes the failure is 221,366KB. (That's about 216MB if I got my math right.) I'm running the 32-bit version of Windows XP Pro with 4GB of memory and the \3GB boot.ini switch if it matters.

(I haven't updated to the latest and greatest version of ExamDiff Pro to see if this has been fixed in that version as I'm under the impression I can only get free updates for 1 year beyond purchase and a repurchase is not an option right at the moment; however if there is no workaround in the current version and it has been fixed in a later version, that would still be good to know for the future.)

Thanks for any info or suggestions!

[psguru]

These files are too large to get a detailed comparison report. Since Win32 processes are limited to theoretically 2 GB of memory but practically about 1.2-1.3 GB, ExamDiff Pro is simply incapable of showing binary comparison results. The only thing you can get for these files is the fact that they are either identical or different.

[sriesch]

The only thing you can get for these files is the fact that they are either identical or different.

That's all I need; how do I do it? Or are you saying if I press the Ok button (rather than the Cancel Comparison button) when the error is displayed, it continues the comparison uninterrupted or something? I was just assuming that if it was out of memory, the comparison would have been comprimised.

[psguru]

That's all I need; how do I do it? Or are you saying if I press the Ok button (rather than the Cancel Comparison button) when the error is displayed, it continues the comparison uninterrupted or something? I was just assuming that if it was out of memory, the comparison would have been comprimised.

Go to Options | Misc | Messages and check both "Message about identical binary files" and "Message about different binary files", then try comparing your files. This will perform block-by-block comparison and use very little memory.

[sriesch]

Go to Options | Misc | Messages and check both "Message about identical binary files" and "Message about different binary files", then try comparing your files. This will perform block-by-block comparison and use very little memory.

I tried checking "Message about identical binary files" (already had the other one checked), however that does not change anything.

[psguru]

In what version? What do you get when you compare your files? Are they really binary files?

[sriesch]

In what version?

ExamDiff Pro 3.5.1.0

What do you get when you compare your files?

The exact message I get when comparing the two folders containing the large file and it's copy is "Out of memory while trying to allocate 453356386 bytes: Not enough space". If I try comparing just the two files themselves I get the "Out of memory." message.

Are they really binary files?

Turns out the data file in question is actually a text file, not a binary file. I saw the .obj extension and incorrectly assumed that it wasn't text; sorry for the confusion.
Just for kicks I tried checking "Message about identical text files" and "Message about different text files" similar to your suggestion above, but that doesn't change anything either.

[psguru]

If you are comparing text files and wish to perform block-by-block comparison, you must compare them as binary files. Go to Options | Compare, and select "Treat text files as binary" under "Force text/binary file comparison". As a side note, version 4.5 automatically prompts you to force binary comparison when there isn't enough memory for text comparison.

[sriesch]

Woohoo! that did the trick. Thanks!