The more you download and install, the higher the chance of duplicate files. In many cases, they take up unnecessary disk space and you better get rid of it. There are many different tools available to detect duplicate files. Some are free, others you have to pay. In Windows, it's not always easy to find duplicate files on your own unless you have some knowledge of the Command Prompt.
If you don't have any third-party software, your only option is to search for a specific file in Windows Explorer and then delete it manually if it turns out to be two versions. This can become a very time-consuming process that no one wants. That's why we give some tips to quickly and effectively remove your duplicate files.
1. Two birds with one stone
Don't want a separate tool for detecting duplicate files, to avoid unnecessary pollution of your PC? Fortunately, there is a tool called CCleaner. This program is primarily intended to clean up your computer, but it can be used very well for detecting duplicate files. In the program go to Tools and then click Duplicate Finder. The rest goes without saying. With CCleaner you can therefore both clean your computer and find duplicate files.
2. Well-known tools
If you don't mind downloading a separate duplicate file search tool, there are many options available. Think of programs such as Wise Duplicate Finder, Duplicate Cleaner Pro or Dupscout.
CloneSpy is also very useful. Select within which folders the tool should search for duplicate files and you can set all kinds of filters and limit the search process to, for example, files of a certain size, time or extension. At the end of each search process, you will receive an overview of the duplicate files found. Easy!
3. Windows Explorer
Microsoft has not (yet) built into Windows a function to find duplicate files, but there are ways within Windows Explorer to search for duplicate files. This way you will come to an end if you properly sort and filter files in the Explorer. For example, in Windows Explorer, right-click and then click Image. Press Extra Large Icons. This view makes it easier to visually compare photos and videos. Choose within the option Image in front of Details, then you will see a lot of extra information about all your files in a list, and it is possible to sort by these parameters.
Finding duplicate files with Windows Explorer is a bit cumbersome, but you can do it without having to download and install additional programs.
