By Michael | Last Updated
Duplicate files are one of the main causes of low disk space on your computer. These duplicate files could be Word documents, videos, pictures or music files, or even some bigger files. In brief, duplicate files of any type can significantly slow down your computer. If you want to prevent this from happening, knowing how to find duplicate files with different names but the same content is crucial. Follow this latest guide to get the fastest way to find duplicates with separate names.
Firstly, these files are often redundant and take up a lot of space for no reason. If you have a 1GB movie stored on your computer's D drive and you accidentally duplicate it, the same movie now takes up twice as much space. This can reduce the amount of space available on your disk.
Secondly, these duplicate files can make your program code quite confusing, because they don't know which copy to open. Naturally, this will make your computer work slowly. To avoid this, you should try to keep your computer free of duplicate files. To do this, you first have to find them, and this is not always easy, especially if you have a lot of data on your computer.
When people ask us how to find duplicate files with different names but same contents on their computer, we always choose iSunshare DupFiles Genius. this excellent software helps you locate, count and delete all the duplicate files on your computer, making it easier for you to keep the free space you need to run smoothly. Here is a step-by-step guide to find and remove these duplicate files with iSunshare DupFiles Genius.
Step 1: Install this free software to find duplicate files on your PC, and run it after installation.
Step 2: In the Home page of software, click the "+" icon to add partitions or folders to scan list. Then click "Next".
Step 3: To exclude some folders from scanning, click on "Add" button and choose them from file explorer. For faster scanning, select the target file types and set limits for the minimum and maximum file sizes. For added safety, opt to skip hidden files, system files, program files. Once done, click "Start scanning" to begin.
Step 4: Wait patiently for the scanning process to complete; the duration depends on the number of files. Then a list of duplicate files will be displayed, including files with different names or extensions but the same content. To view the file content, right-click it and select "Open file location".
Step 5: Duplicate files will be grouped in the same color. Simply tick the checkbox under "All Types" to select all duplicate files at once. Then, click the "Delete" button and confirm by clicking "Yes" to permanently delete the selected duplicate files.
Step 6: A Tips window will appear, confirming that all duplicate files have been successfully removed. Click "OK" to exit.
1. Does the file name matter when you find duplicate files?
Duplicate files are files that have the same content, regardless of the file name. It is possible for them to have the same or different names.
Some file names can give you a hint when you are manually searching for duplicate files. For example, duplicate files created by copying and pasting are likely to have the word "copy" in the file name. These file names are easy to sort and spot in the File Explorer, so that duplicate files are somehow easy to find.
When you use the best duplicate file finder software, such as iSunshare DupFiles Genius, the file name is irrelevant and unhelpful. Such software uses hashing algorithms (such as MD5) or other algorithms to compare files and identify duplicates.
To do the identification, iSunshare DupFiles Genius will check the hash, size and file type or just the hash (but not the file name), which is automatic and fast. That's why it is fast and effective in finding duplicate files with different names.
2. How to avoid creating duplicate files with different names?
You need to be sure of what you are downloading. Downloading the same file multiple times can significantly slow down your computer, especially if the files are large. In addition, browsing through dozens of extra copies in your download folder can make management difficult.
For instance, if you want to download a new film, just do a quick search on your computer. It's quite possible that you've already downloaded it but forgot about it. Still, they are sometimes saved under different names, and the quickest way to prevent this is to install and regularly run duplicate file finder programs. These programs are designed to avoid this type of problem and make the possibility of duplicate files much less likely.
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