This will move a file to a folder, UNLESS that file is already in the folder, or in one of the folders above.

filemover 3.ahk

;;;;FILE MOVER TO TRANSCODE FOLDERS

; YTpublish = "Z:\Linus\1. Linus Tech Tips\Transcode\YT Publish 4K\"
; VESpublish = "Z:\Linus\1. Linus Tech Tips\Transcode\Vessel Final 4K\"


Explorer_GetSelection(hwnd="") {
	;msgbox, now in getselection
    hwnd := hwnd ? hwnd : WinExist("A")
    WinGetClass class, ahk_id %hwnd%
    if (class="CabinetWClass" or class="ExploreWClass" or class="Progman")
        for window in ComObjCreate("Shell.Application").Windows
            if (window.hwnd==hwnd)
    sel := window.Document.SelectedItems
    for item in sel
    ToReturn .= item.path "`n"
	;msgbox, %ToReturn% is toreturn
    return Trim(ToReturn,"`n")
}

filetomovePATH = 
SlashPosition = 0
file2move = 
filetomovePATH =  
FileListLocations =
Fileposition =
counter = 0
nlines = 0

;BEGIN FUNCTION DEFINITION:
FileMover(publishLOC) {

filetomovePATH := Explorer_GetSelection() ;NOTE: does not work from the desktop for some stupid reason...
;;msgbox, you want to move this file to`n%publishLOC%
tooltip, Filemover Activated, , , 3
;Send, ^c


sleep 10
existingfile = 
SlashPosition = 0
file2move = 
filetomovePATH =  ;if you don't refresh these variables, they will retain data from previous run-throughs.
FileListLocations =
Fileposition =
FileNotPresent = 0
filetomovePATH := Explorer_GetSelection()

;msgbox, the current file path is `n%filetomovePATH%
SlashPosition := InStr(filetomovePATH, "\" ,false,-1,1) ;first occurance from the right to the left, supposedly.
StringTrimLeft,file2move,filetomovePATH, %slashposition%
;;msgbox, file2move = `n%file2move% `n`nfiletomovePATH =`n%filetomovePATH%

;https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/LoopFile.htm the following code does work to list files in a given directory!
FileList =  ; Initialize to be blank.
Loop, Files, %publishLOC%*.*, DFR
    FileList = %FileList%%A_LoopFileName%`n
Loop, Files, %publishLOC%*.*, DFR
    FileListLocations = %FileListLocations%%A_LoopFileFullPath%`n ;A_LoopFileDir -or- A_LoopFileFullPath

;;msgbox, FileListLocations = `n%FileListLocations%
;;msgbox, FileList = `n%FileList%

counter = 0
nlines = 0
;settimer debug2, 20
;msgbox, launching debugger

sleep 20
Loop Parse, FileList, `n
  ++nlines
;;MsgBox, total lines here, or nlines: %nlines%

Loop, parse, FileList, `n
{
	; tooltip, counter = %counter%`nnlines = %nlines%, , , 10
    if A_LoopField =  ; Ignore the blank item at the end of the list.
        continue
	;MsgBox, 4,, File number %A_Index% is %A_LoopField%.  Continue?
    ;IfMsgBox, No
    ;    break
    If A_LoopField = %file2move%
    {
        Fileposition = %A_Index%
        Loop, parse, FileListLocations, `n
            if A_index = %Fileposition%
                existingfile = %A_LoopField% ;I have to confess, I wrote those 4 lines all at once and i have no idea how they work... they just do.
        ;;msgbox, existingfile = %existingfile%
       
        ;A match has been found in this folder system, meaning the file was ALREADY moved over here before!
        msgbox, 1, ,%A_LoopField%`nis already present at`n%existingfile%`n...Want to see?
        IfMsgBox, OK
        {
            ;Run, explore, % filetomovePATH ;<---this will only go to the folder, but WON'T highlight the file - it will just open it instead, unless you use A_LoopFileDir.
            Run %COMSPEC% /c explorer.exe /select`, "%existingfile%",, Hide
            ;Run %COMSPEC% /c explorer.exe /select`, "%FileListLocations%",, Hide
            ;Msgbox, you win! File SHOULD be there already!
            Goto, theEnd
        }
        IfMsgBox, Cancel
            Goto, theEnd
    }
    ;Msgbox, WHERE AM I
    ; MsgBox, 4,, File number %A_Index% is: `n%A_LoopField%`n`n...continue?
    ; IfMsgBox, No
        ; break
    counter ++
    if counter + 1 = nlines
		{
        ;;msgbox, looked at all files, didn't find the one you are looking for. time to break.
		FileNotPresent = 1
		break
		}
    ;tooltip, count: %counter%, , ,5
}
;;msgbox, end of the loop
if FileNotPresent = 1
{
	msgbox, 1 , ,%filetomovePATH%`nis NOT present at or above `n%publishLOC%`n...would you like to move it there?
	IfMsgBox, OK
	{
		FileCopy,%filetomovePATH%,%publishLOC%
		Run %COMSPEC% /c explorer.exe /select`, "%publishLOC%%file2move%",, Hide
		;;Msgbox, did that work?
		FileNotPresent = 0
	}
}
Goto, theEnd
theEnd:

;SetTimer, tooltipper, off
sleep 10
; tooltip, , , , 9
tooltip, , , , 3
; tooltip,
;;msgbox, you are at the VERY end
}
;end of file mover.
#IfWinActive 



#IfWinActive ahk_exe explorer.exe
^F11::Filemover("Z:\Linus\1. Linus Tech Tips\Transcode\Vessel Final 4K\")
^F12::Filemover("Z:\Linus\1. Linus Tech Tips\Transcode\YT Publish 4K\")
#IfWinActive