How Do I Search for Duplicate Files? 

Duplicate files are resource-hungry clutter as they take up a lot of space on the hard drive. There can be various factors behind duplicate files. Overlapping backup files, multiple system backup and restore, repeated downloads, editing and saving new files, and various other factors can create a lot of duplicate files. Here is how you can find and delete duplicate files in Windows 10.

The manual process to search for duplicate files can be a tiresome task. You can’t dig into a lot of folders and subfolders to look for duplicates. Cleaning duplicate files on a PC needs accuracy and proper vigilance. The manual process may not delete all the duplicate files on your PC. The best duplicate file remover for PC can help you quickly search duplicate files and remove them from your PC. Let’s explore all the best possible methods! 

Delete Duplicate Files in Windows 10 Using Windows Explorer 

Windows Explorer is the best viewer to explore all the files stored in a folder. You can check the details, and compare and delete the unwanted version of files. 

Step 1. Access Windows Explorer with the (Win + E) hotkeys.

Step 2. Access the folder that you wish to check for duplicates from the left-hand side panel.

Step 3. Select the ‘Details’ option from the layout section in the View menu. It will show the file name, date modified, file type, size, and other details of all the files in the folder.

Step 4. Click on the ‘Name’ column to sort files by Name and check if there is ‘Copy’ written in front of any of the file names. If found, check its original file and compare details.

Step 5. Compare and select the duplicate file that you wish to delete. To put it in the Recycle Bin, use the Delete key. Check again before deleting the file from the Recycle Bin. 

Use Windows Explorer Search Feature 

Before using the best duplicate file finder for Windows PC, you can also try your luck with the Windows Explorer search feature. You can search for a file name or file extension to look for similar files in the selected directory. 

Step 1. Access Windows Explorer with the (Win + E) hotkeys.

Step 2. Access the folder that you wish to check for duplicates from the left-hand side panel.

Step 3. Look for the Search Box on the top right and search for a file name or extension that you believe may have duplicate files.

Step 4. Check the search result and compare the files. If you find any duplicates, you can compare and select the duplicate file that needs to be removed. To put it in the Recycle Bin, use the Delete key.

 Delete Duplicates Using the Photos App

 If you have a lot of photos in a photo album, you can search for duplicate photos using the Photos App. You can explore all the photos and as you come across a duplicate photo, you can delete them.

Step 1. Access Windows Explorer with the (Win + E) hotkeys.

Step 2. Access the folder that you wish to check for duplicates from the left-hand side panel.

Step 3. Double-click on the first photo and use the arrow keys to move next.

Step 4. As you come across a duplicate photo, check and compare which one you wish to keep.

Step 5. Hit the Delete key while keeping the duplicate photo on the screen. The selected file will be sent to the Recycle Bin.

 Use the Best Duplicate File Cleaner Tool

 There are several duplicate file finders available over the web but not all of them can find multiple file formats. We compared the best duplicate file cleaner tools for Windows and listed the one that ranked number one in our tests.

 Duplicate Files Fixer

 Duplicate Files Fixer is a marvelous duplicate file finder for PC to quickly scan and line up all the duplicate files. It shares great compatibility with all the latest versions of Windows, macOS, and Android devices. You can quickly perform a quick and deep scan on the selected internal or external storage devices that are discoverable on your computer.

Duplicate Files Fixer can scan and list out duplicate files, docs, images, videos, music, and other multiple file formats. You can view and preview them in different groups and select all the duplicate files with the Auto-Mark button. It helps you reclaim your storage space from internal and external storage including Google Drive or Dropbox cloud space.

 Final Words

 This article on how to find duplicate files on a PC manually or with the best duplicate file remover for a PC can help you quickly eliminate duplicate files on Windows. You can’t manually remove all the duplicate files with accuracy. It’s better to use the best duplicate file finder for Windows PC to quickly find and delete duplicate files in Windows 10.