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Computer Find and Delete Duplicate Files on USB Flash Drive

Quick Guide: Find and Delete Duplicate Files on USB Flash Drive

By Michael | Last Updated

Finding and deleting duplicate files can be a challenge. It requires a lot of time and effort, and finding and comparing two files is not exactly convenient. This is because two similar files may be different, which is why there may be duplicate files with the same content but different names.

Extra duplicate files may waste a lot of USB flash drive storage space, and over time, there won’t be enough memory to go around. Here in this post, I will share with you a quick guide to find and delete duplicate files on USB flash drive, hence freeing up more storage space.

find and delete duplicate files on usb flash drive

Trick 1: Use Windows File Explorer

You can use Windows File Explorer to find all the duplicate files on your USB flash drive. This method is time-consuming, but it provides you with guaranteed results. Here's how to use it to find and delete duplicate files on your USB drive.

Step 1: Connect the USB flash drive to your PC, and press WIN + E keys to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Double-click the USB Drive to explore all the files and folders.

double click your usb drive

Step 3: In the search field on the right, enter the extension of the file. The extension can be .doc, .docx, .jpg, .png, .mov, .mp3, etc. Then move to the View tab in the top ribbon, and in the Layout section, select Details.

enter file extensions

Step 4: In the current view tab, under Group by section, select Name and Ascending options.

click name and ascending

Step 5: Now you can easily remove duplicate content from your search results manually.

Trick 2: Use the Best Duplicate Files Finder – iSunshare DupFiles Genius

iSunshare DupFiles Genius is a powerful tool that can help you find, locate and delete duplicate files with high efficiency. It has the following major highlights.

DupFiles Genius boxshot

iSunshare Duplicate Files Finder

  • Supports scanning various file types, including image, video, audio, document, archive and so on.
  • Locate the duplicate files to check details on your computer directly.
  • Search and delete duplicate files on external devices, such as USB flash drive.
  • Get rid of identical or similar files and free up more disk space.
  • Compatible on almost all Windows OS computers.

Step 1: Click on the "Free Download" button above to install DupFiles Genius on your PC. And then launch it. Plug the USB flash drive into the USB port of your laptop.

Step 2: Once the computer recognizes the USB, open the software. Click on the "Add" button to read USB drive. After setting it up, click "Next" to go on.

select your usb drive to scan

Step 3: For detailed settings, click the "+" icon in the top-right corner to exclude certain folders. Next, choose File Types, as well as setting the maximum and minimum sizes for files. You can also decide whether to skip certain files types for safety. Once you’re done, click "Start Scanning".

set scan options and hit start scanning

Step 4: The scanning process may take some time depending on the number of files. When it’s completed, all duplicate files will be listed in Duplicate Files Report. Right-click on any file and select "Open file location" to preview the file.

open file location

Step 5: To remove all duplicate files at one time while keeping the original files, just check the box next to File Name, then hit "Delete" button and confirm by clicking "Yes" in pop-up. If you’re using the free version, you’ll be limited to delete only one duplicate file each time.

delete your duplicate files on usb drive

Step 6: Wait a few minutes for the duplicate files to be deleted. Once done, click "OK" to finish.

successfully deleted duplicate files

Closing Thoughts:

Keeping your USB Drive free of duplicate files will enable you to transfer data more quickly with no hassle. Using the above method helps to learn how to find and delete duplicate files on a USB drive. However, it may not be easy to find and remove duplicate files using manual methods. I recommend using the best third-party file cleaner, such as iSunshare Dupfiles Genius. It can help you remove duplicate files with different names but the same content.

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