Need help copying folder/Append Issue

[typecase]

I've been been Using OS X for about a year now after switching from windows and I just made a startling discovery. When you copy a folder to another location with the same folder name you are prompted as to whether you should stop or replace the folder. I usually clicked replace because I thought the behavior would be similar to windows, in which only FILES of the same name inside the folder are replaced, leaving any files that are not similar intact. Mac OS X replaces the entire folder with the one you're copying obliterating any files inside the folder that are different.

How can I simply replace older files with the same name inside a folder without destroying any files that may be already there (renamed backup files for instance).

I'm not sure if what I'm trying to explain is clear. I'm hoping someone can give me a quick solution before I lose any more files.

 

[robbieduncan]

You can't in the Finder (unless someone is going to prove me wrong). A solution would be to select all the items in the folder and copy them into the target folder.

It does say do you want to replace the folder, not do you want to merge the contents of these folders.

 

[typecase]

In windows it gives a similar warning message but merges the files which is why I assumed it would be similar in Mac OS X. Is there ANY way to accomplish this? With a utility perhaps? I know I can copy the files individually to a folder but what if I have multiple folders?

 

[typecase]

Apparently this is a common complaint. The keyword is merge. With that word, I could have yielded lots of results. It's also one of the top mistakes made by windows users:

http://danwarne.com/?p=20

I'm a diehard Mac user now but this is one thing that REALLY irritates me. I hope the some functionality for this built into the next OS X.