Furthermore, I just noticed that @tmp_7 is used in the code further down, but not declared with the others. I think I speak for everyone when I say I want to know why @tmp_7 is so special. Enquiring minds want to know. I want to know!

Please read Program Repair Shop and Red Flags, especially the Use compound data structures part.

A group of (numbered) variables is always the wrong solution. You should use an array of arrays or array of hashes instead.

Instead of the several arrays, you should have one array of hashes and instead of

for($i = 0; $i <= $last_dir; $i++) {
            (
             $deleted_file[$i]
             , $void
             , $the_dir[$i]
             , $first_pointer[$i]
             , $last_pointer[$i]
             , $has_subdir[$i]
             , $has_iden[$i]
             ) = split (/\"\|/, $tmp_2[$i], 7);
            #printf ("sort_dirs_debug2: %5d fp: %5d, lp: %5d %s\n", $i
+, $first_pointer[$i], $last_pointer[$i], $the_dir[$i]);
}
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something like

for($i = 0; $i <= $last_dir; $i++) {
            @{$data[i]}(qw(deleted_file void the_dir first_pointer las
+t_pointer has_subdir has_iden))
              = split (/\"\|/, $tmp_2[$i], 7);
            #printf ("sort_dirs_debug2: %5d fp: %5d, lp: %5d %s\n", $i
+, $first_pointer[$i], $last_pointer[$i], $the_dir[$i]);
}
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or

for($i = 0; $i <= $last_dir; $i++) {
  ($data[i]{deleted_file}, $void, $data[i]{the_dir}, $data[i]{first_po
+inter}, 
   $data[i]{last_pointer}, $data[i]{has_subdir}, $data[i]{has_iden})
              = split (/\"\|/, $tmp_2[$i], 7);
            #printf ("sort_dirs_debug2: %5d fp: %5d, lp: %5d %s\n", $i
+, $first_pointer[$i], $last_pointer[$i], $the_dir[$i]);
}
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Jenda
Enoch was right!
Enjoy the last years of Rome.

tmp_7 seems to be a typo. It should have been declared with the others.

I am putting on my thinking cap. I am going to re-write this to be more efficient with memory. I have already made it more memory efficient (A little more) and now it doesn't crash (i.e. run out of memory, if that is in fact what's happening). I need to learn how to use hash tables (if that's even the correct term). I think it's time.

Just so ya-all know where I was coming from, I thought using temp variables would allow me to get memory back after I was done with them. (i.e. undef @tmp_1). Yes I know, peek memory would still be an issue. If anyone wants to give me some guidance on how to go about re-writing this I would accept it.

sure, see Understanding the Schwartzian transform. / Re: Understanding the Schwartzian transform. then write

my @sorted = map  { $_->[0] }
             sort { $a->[1] cmp $b->[1]; } ## magicpipe
             map  { [ $_, expensive($_) } @unsorted;

sub expensive {
   ...
   my $magicpipe = join '|',
      $dir_and_file_name,
      $date_time_mod,
      $file_size,
      $encpd, $deleted_file, $has_iden ;
   return [ $original, lc($magicpipe) ];
}
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Also see File::Find::Rule/find rule , Path::Tiny/path tiny, Win32::Unicode