Forum Discussion
How can I find and remove duplicate files on Windows 10/11?
I was organizing my computer recently and found a lot of duplicate files. I don't know how to deal with them. I use Windows 10 and want to find a simple way to find and remove duplicate files. Is there any recommended software or steps? I hope to find all the duplicate files at once, clean them up quickly, and free up some space. Thank you for your help!
I’ve used AnyDupeCleaner myself, and it saved me tons of time—just scanned, picked the dupes, and deleted them in seconds! Super handy if you’ve got messy folders like I did.
Check this tutorial: https://www.pcfixtips.com/find-and-remove-duplicate-files
Definitely worth a try!
15 Replies
I’ve used AnyDupeCleaner myself, and it saved me tons of time—just scanned, picked the dupes, and deleted them in seconds! Super handy if you’ve got messy folders like I did.
Check this tutorial: https://www.pcfixtips.com/find-and-remove-duplicate-files
Definitely worth a try!
- Manually hunting down duplicate files using Windows' File Explorer can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, especially if you've got a mess of files stored on your computer. Trust me, I've been there—spending too much time clicking through folders, and it can get a bit maddening. This method can eat up a ton of time. I once decided to tackle my Downloads folder, thinking it wouldn't take long.
In my experience, it is more efficient to use a duplicate file remover app for PC in order to find and remove duplicate files on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Here is why:
Efficiency: Third-party tools are specifically designed to find and remove duplicates, making the process faster and more accurate.
Customization: These tools often provide detailed options to customize the search, allowing you to exclude certain files or directories.
Ease of Use: Most of these tools come with user-friendly interfaces, making it easier even for non-technical users to remove duplicates.While Windows 11/10 offers many great built-in features, managing duplicate files requires specialized tools that are best provided by third-party duplicate file remover software for PC.
QuinnQuinn Unfortunately, Windows 11 does not have a duplicate file remover designed for finding and removing duplicate files. While Windows 11 includes tools like Storage Sense and Disk Cleanup to help manage disk space by deleting temporary files and unnecessary system files, these tools do not target duplicate files.
To find and remove duplicate files on Windows 11, you'll need to use third-party duplicate file remover software specifically designed for this task.
- Finding and removing duplicate files using the Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows 11 can be a big one. When you're manually fiddling around in the Command Prompt, there's always a chance you might accidentally delete something important. I've had my heart drop when I realized I removed a duplicate that wasn't a duplicate after all because I wasn't careful enough. Having to recover lost files can be a total headache!
If you want to go a simpler route without extra software to find and remove duplicate files, you can manually search for duplicates by using Windows' built-in search feature, although this method is more tedious:
- File Explorer: Open File Explorer.
- Search: Navigate to a folder where you suspect duplicates live, like Downloads or Documents.
- Search Bar: In the search bar, type the name of the file you think may be duplicated.
- Sort and Compare: Sort the results by name or size and manually review the files.
This method is harder and takes more time, especially if you have many files.
Steps to Use a Duplicate File Finder to find and remove duplicate files on Windows 10/11:
- Download and Install: Choose one of the tools above, download it, and install it on your computer. Launch the duplicate file finder you installed.
- Select the Folders to Scan: Choose the folders or drives you want to check for duplicates. You can scan specific folders like Documents, Downloads, or Pictures, or scan your entire disk. Adjust the settings if necessary. For example, you might want to search for exact duplicates (same file name and size) or similar files (with minor differences).
- Run the Scan: Start the scanning process. Depending on how many files you have, this might take a little while. Once the scan is complete, the software will show you a list of duplicate files. Take a moment to review them. Most tools will let you preview the files, which is great for ensuring you don't delete something important!
- Select and Remove: Choose the duplicates you want to delete. You can usually select them all at once or pick specific ones. Once you've made your selection, hit the delete button. After deleting the duplicates, don't forget to empty your Recycle Bin to free up that space!
Using the Command Prompt to find and remove duplicate files on Windows 11 involves utilizing PowerShell or batch scripts. This approach is more technical but can be effective for users who are comfortable with command-line tools. Here's how you can do it with a batch script:
Get-ChildItem -Recurse | Get-FileHash | Group-Object Hash | Where-Object { $_.Count -gt 1 } | ForEach-Object { $_.Group | Select-Object -Skip 1 } | Remove-ItemAfter running the script, you can verify that duplicates are removed by checking the directory manually or by running the script again to see if any duplicates remain.
This is a very powerful method to find and remove duplicate files on Windows 10 and can handle large directories efficiently, but it's also risky because it involves directly deleting files. If you're not comfortable with this approach, using a dedicated duplicate file finder tool might be safer.
I found this answer whilst looking for a solution to the same problem as the OP. I like the concept of the solution, but like Joohnei and vientis already stated, it is risky. Here are my additional comments, from my own attempts to use and adapt this method.
- To avoid actually deleting the files, add the -WhatIf option to Remove-Item and the output will tell you what it would have done
- BUT, this method works using common hashtags, not the filename. So, if you have a file "Picture of my dog.jpg" and a copy of it, "Picture of my dog - Copy.jpg", they have different filenames but the same hash. This is good, as it finds true duplicates, but can be confusing.
- The printed output from Remove-File -WhatIf will only tell you the instance targetted for deletion, not any other filenames which share the hashtag that are retained.
- You have no control over which one is deleted. It will leave the first instance it finds alone and delete the others. So, if you have a two photos of the same filename where one is in an unsorted folder and the other is in an organised location, it might delete the organised one that you had taken time to prioritise.
Therefore, I offer the following variation, which will present all the filename instances for manual organisation:
$startDate = Get-Date ; Write-Output " Starting filecheck at $($startDate.ToString())"; Get-ChildItem -recurse | Get-FileHash -erroraction silentlyContinue | Group-Object Hash | Where-Object { $_.Count -gt 1 } | ForEach-Object { $_.Group } | Format-Table -Wrap $endDate = Get-Date ; Write-Output " Task complete at $($endDate.ToString())" ; Write-Output " File check took $(($endDate - $startDate).TotalMinutes.ToString('0.0')) total minutes"Key features:
- Added -erroraction silentlyContinue in case there are any paths in the tree where you do not have full access or control
- Grabs a start and end date so that if you have a large filesystem you can find out later how long it took
- $startDate.ToString() ensures the date is presented in your preferred format. Else it defaults to the illogical US date format ;)
- Format-Table -Wrap ensures that long filenames are presented in full. Else they might be truncated, which doesn't help you to find them to manually organise them. But you will have to manage the word-wrap.
Joohnei Before running any script that deletes files, it's crucial to back up your data to avoid accidental loss. In addition, the command line is powerful, and mistakes can lead to data loss. Double-check commands before executing them, especially those that delete files.
This method is powerful and can handle large directories efficiently, but it's also risky because it involves directly deleting files. If you're not comfortable with this approach, using a free duplicate file remover tool might be safer when you are using Windows 11 or Windows 10.
- While Storage Sense is a super handy tool for finding and remove duplicate files on Windows 11, it's not really designed for hunting down and deleting duplicate files specifically. Unlike specialized duplicate file finders, Storage Sense doesn't have the smarts to decide which duplicate to keep and which to toss. It's just cleaning up what it thinks is junk, which could lead to you losing important files if you're not careful.
Wemaiah While Storage Sense is the default duplicate file remover for Windows 11 and is great for managing disk space by removing old or temporary files, it doesn’t scan for or remove duplicate files. If your primary goal is to find and delete duplicates, you’ll need to use a third-party duplicate file finder tool, as Storage Sense won't specifically target duplicate files.
To effectively find and remove duplicate files on Windows 11, consider using third-party free duplicate file remover for PC, which are specifically designed for this purpose. These tools will scan your system for duplicates based on criteria such as file name, size, and content, and allow you to safely remove them.
QuinnQuinn Storage Sense is a built-in feature in Windows 11 designed to automatically free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files, such as temporary files, files in the Recycle Bin, and old downloads. It’s a handy tool for managing your storage space by keeping your system clean and running efficiently.
How to remove duplicate files on Windows PC with Storage Sense:
- Go to Settings > System > Storage. Under Storage management, click on Storage Sense.
- Toggle the Storage Sense switch to turn it on. Click on Configure Storage Sense or run it now to adjust settings.
- Choose when you want Storage Sense to run automatically (e.g., during low disk space, daily, weekly, or monthly).
- After configuring, you can click on Run Storage Sense now to perform an immediate cleanup.
