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Windows 10 Find and Delete Duplicate Files

How to Find and Delete Duplicate Files in Windows 10 & 11

By Achilles Hill | Last Updated

“How can I find duplicate files on my hard drive? Is there such software can help to detect and list duplicate files on my hard drive?”

Do you want to get rid of the excessive duplicate files compiled on your PC? Although duplicate files are not complicated to deal with, it can be annoying to find and remove them one by one. If you are bothered by the large number of duplicate files in your system and want to know how to find and delete duplicate files in Windows 10 & 11. You can find the solution in this article.

  1. Way 1: Use Windows File Explorer
  2. Way 2: Use Command Prompt
  3. Way 3: Use a reliable third-party software -- DupFiles Genius

Way 1: Use Windows File Explorer

You can use the file explorer that comes with Windows to sort your files so as to help you find and delete duplicate files from your computer.

Step 1: Press WIN+S simultaneously to open the search bar and type in the Indexing Options to open it.

open indexing options

Step 2: Then click on Modify and Show all locations options.

click modify and show all locations

Step 3: Move to Change selected locations section and check each option, then click on the OK button.

check each option

Step 4: Use the WIN+E keys to open File Explorer. Select This PC in the left menu pane and move to Local Disk C. Select the "Users" folder, then double-click to open the user folder you are currently using.

click users folder

Step 5: Click the View tab in the top ribbon and select the Preview Pane. Then in the Layout section, select Details.

move to view tab

Step 6: Move to Current view section, click on Group by and select Name, then check Ascending.

click name and ascending

Step 7: Then we can search for duplicate files by typing the extension of the file we are looking for in the search bar. For example, if you want to find a duplicate image, type ".png" and press Enter.

type in the file extension

Step 8: Finally, compare the name, date modified and size of the files, and when you find a duplicate file, click on that file and click Delete button. Deleted duplicate files are placed in the Recycle Bin, which you can choose to empty.

Extra tips: Here is a list of some file extensions to make your work easier.

  1. Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .png or .gif
  2. Videos: .flv, .mov, .avi, .wmv, .mp4 or .3gp
  3. Music: .mp3, .wav or .wma
  4. Documents: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt
  5. Presentations: .ppt or .pptx
  6. Excel tables: .xls or .xlsx
  7. Programs: .exe

Way 2: Use Command Prompt

Step 1: Find the folder where the duplicate file you want to delete is located, right-click on it and select Copy as Path from the context menu.

copy as path

Step 2: Press Windows+X at the same time and select Windows Terminal (Admin).

select-windows-terminal

Step 3: Click the down arrow at the top and select Command Prompt from the list of options. You can also launch the Command Prompt in a new tab by pressing Ctrl + Shift + 2 at the same time.

select command prompt

Step 4: Then type or paste the following command, while replacing the folder path with the actual path you copied earlier, and hit Enter.

cd /d "folder path"

type the command

Step 5: Execute the following command, replacing both the name and extension of the file to be deleted.

del "* - Copy.png" 

For example, if you want to delete the .mp4 file with the suffix 2, the command becomes the following.

del "* - 2.mp4"

Duplicate files belonging to this command will be deleted in Windows 10 & 11. This is easy and quick, but there is a more straightforward way, which is to use reliable third-party software.

Way 3: Use a reliable third-party software -- DupFiles Genius

iSunshare DupFiles Genius is a powerful tool that enables you to scan and delete duplicate files safely. It helps you find and delete all types of duplicate files, including images, videos, audios, documents, archives, etc. Then you can free up disk space and improve your PC performance.

Step 1: Download and install iSunshare DupFiles Genius on your Windows computer. I recommend purchasing the full version of this software in order to delete multiple duplicate files at once.

free download

Step 2: Click the + button in the lower right corner, select a disk or folder from your computer to scan, and click Next to continue.

choose a location to scan

Step 3: Here you can customize the scan settings. You can click the + button on the right to select a folder to exclude from scanning. Then you can set the type of files to be scanned, you can check all types or select one or more of them. You can also set the minimum size or maximum size of the scan. You can also check the box to skip scanning hidden files and directories, system files and directories, program files, and the recycle bin. Once the settings are complete, click the Start scanning button.

set scan option and click start scanning

Step 4: After the scanning, iSunshare DupFiles Genius will list all duplicate files based on your scanning settings. You can right-click the document and choose the Open file location option to check the file.

open file location

Step 5: Check the box in front of the File Name and tap the Delete button to remove the duplicate file. Wait for minutes and the duplicate files will be deleted successfully. Click OK to end the process.

delete duplicate files

Conclusion:

Now you know how to find and delete duplicate files in Windows 10 & 11 using the built-in tools or third-party tool. iSunshare DupFiles Genius is always your best option when it comes to finding and deleting Windows duplicate files. You can give it a shot!

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