Duplicate files are nothing but unwanted clutter on your storage device. We deal with a lot of files on a regular basis and may end up creating duplicate files on our storage device. When we take a backup on our external hard drive, we copy all the duplicate files and eventually, we run out of space on our external hard drive until we decide to clean it.
There are different ways you can deal with duplicate files on a Windows PC. You can search for duplicate files manually or make use of the best duplicate files fixer for Windows. The manual process can be tiring and time taking yet can’t remove 100% duplicate files. Here comes the role of the best duplicate file finder and remover into play! We have tried, tested, compared, and reviewed dozens of the Best Duplicate File Finder and Remover for Windows and listed the one that really works great.
How Duplicate Files Are Created?
There can be several reasons behind duplicate files. Here are a few major reasons why we get duplicates. You can avoid these reasons to reduce duplicate files.
- Syncing same backup account with multiple devices
- Taking new backups without replacing the old backup folders
- Saving edited copy on a different location instead of replacing the original files
- Multiple clicks on the download button can result in downloading duplicate files
- Using Copy & Paste instead of Cut & Paste to move files from the original folder
- Irregular download and uploads from cloud storage space
- Restoring backup files and folders repeatedly
Remove Duplicate Files Using Windows Explorer
The Windows Explorer is a one-stop solution to explore all the files on one screen. You can quickly find and remove duplicate files if they are in the same folder.
Step 1. Connect the External Hard Drive and press (Win + E) to access Windows Explorer.
Step 2. Click on the External Hard Drive in the left-hand side panel to explore files.
Deleting Duplicate Files
Step 3. Go to the View menu, click on the Details option from the Layout section.
Step 4. You will be able to see the details like File Name, Date Modified, Type, Size, and more. Click on the Name column to sort files by Name and look for (Copy) written at the end of the file name.
Step 5. Compare duplicates by file size or date modified to keep the updated version. Press and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple duplicate files and just delete them at once. Let them sit in your Recycle Bin until you are confirmed that you just deleted the right duplicates.
Deleting Duplicate Photos
Step 6. Go to the View menu, click on the Large Icons option from the Layout section.
Step 7. It will show thumbnails of all the photos stored on your external hard drive.
Step 8. Press and hold the Ctrl key and click to select duplicate photos. Press the Delete key to send duplicate photos to the Recycle Bin. Check and confirm if you have deleted the right duplicates before emptying the Recycle Bin.
Use the Best Duplicate File Finder
The manual process to find and remove duplicate files can be tiring and tedious. Using the best duplicate files fixer can be the easiest way to search for duplicate files and declutter your internal/external hard drive.
Duplicate Files Fixer
| Price: | USD $39.95 |
| Compatibility: | Windows 11 and earlier, Mac 10.8+, Android4.0+ |
| Supported File Types: | Docs, Photos, Music files, Videos, Archives & More |
| Cloud Support: | Google Drive, Dropbox |
| Windows Download Link: | Available |
| Mac Download Link: | Available |
| Android Download Link: | Available |
| Hardware Compatibility: | OS: Windows 11 and Earlier versions
32-bit or 64-bit CPU: 450 MHz or higher RAM: 1 GB or more Hard Drive: 100 MB of free space |
| Languages Available: | Supports 15 + languages: English, French, German, Arabic, Japanese, and more |
Duplicate Files Fixer is one of the best duplicate file finders and removers to quickly search for duplicate files. It has great compatibility with Windows 11 and earlier versions, macOS 10.8 and above, Android 4.0 and later. You can easily find and remove duplicate files, documents, photos, music, videos, archive files and other files with a few simple clicks.
Duplicate Files Fixer has an advanced scan engine to perform a quick scan or a deep scan and list out all the duplicate files. You can search for duplicates on internal/external HDD, SSD, 4K Drives, SD Card, USB Stick, or cloud storage drives like Google Drive and Dropbox. You can add different filters to scan files by name, date, time, file type, size, content, extension, etc.
You simply need to download and install the updated version from its official website. Enter the license key to register the application. Select the external hard drive to perform a deep scan and it will group all the found duplicates. You can preview to select duplicate files that need to be removed. You can also use the Auto-Mark button to automatically select all the duplicate files. Click on the delete marked button to automatically delete all the found duplicate files.
Final Words
Duplicate files are unwanted clutter that takes up a lot of space on your hard drive. It is necessary to find and remove duplicate files at a timely interval. The manual process to search for duplicate files can be tiring and tedious. The best duplicate file fixer can quickly find and remove duplicate files from internal/ external and all other storage devices. Keep it Clean!
