![Easy Steps to Find Duplicate Files and Delete Them on Windows 10/11 [Quick Guide]](https://www.auslogics.com/en/articles/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Easy-Steps-to-Find-Duplicate-Files-and-Delete-Them-on-Windows-1011-Quick-Guide.png)
Duplicate files do nothing but take up space, slow your computer, and make it hard to find the specific version of a file. Unless you have a specific use for them, you can delete duplicate files to get more space on your device.
We’ll show you how to easily remove duplicates without wasting time. If you’re ready, let’s begin.
How to Find Duplicate Files and Remove Them on Windows 11/10
We’ll walk you through every step of the way to remove duplicate files on Windows 10 or 11, starting from the easy-to-use method:
Method 1: Use third-party software to remove duplicate files
There are several tools available to help you easily find duplicate files on Windows 11 and 10 almost instantly, like CCleaner, and Duplicate Cleaners. However, Auslogics Boostspeed stands out as one of the best options for several reasons.
BoostSpeed is not just a duplicate file finder but a comprehensive system optimization tool that combines powerful cleaning features with ease of use.
Here’s how to delete duplicate files in Windows 11 and 10 using this tool:
- Go to the official website to download and install the software.
- Run the program and click Duplicate File Finder on the toolbar.
- If you can’t find the bar, click on All Tools and select Duplicate File Finder.
When the window opens, choose the drive you want to scan (if you have multiple drives) and select the files you want to search for. It can be videos, audio, images, etc. After that, click Next.
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) tags are metadata embedded in image files and include details like the date and time a photo was taken. ID3 tags are metadata in audio files and may have information like title, artist, or album name. So, this option only works when searching for images and audio files.
- In the next step, you can choose the file sizes you want to ignore in megabytes, gigabytes, and kilobytes. When you’re done, select Next.
- You have the option to ignore file names, file dates, and even hidden files. When you check the Do not search in subfolders box, the search will only focus on the folders but not the folders within them. Click Next.
- Here, you get to narrow down your search to get the most accurate results. If you’re searching for a specific file but you don’t remember the name, but only part of it, you can enter it here. Choose Next after that.
- Finally, you can decide how BoostSpeed should discard the duplicates. You can choose to delete it permanently or send it to the Recycle Bin. However, if you select To Rescue Center, it’ll back up the deleted files to recover them at a later date.
- Click Search to start the scan and wait as the software does its magic.
If you don’t want to go through all these five steps, just click on Search, and BoostSpeed will use the default settings to search for duplicates. After the scan, you’ll get the results and decide which ones to delete and get more disk space.
To make a comprehensive decision about which tool to choose, we have listed some crucial points to consider.
| Feature | Auslogics BoostSpeed | CCleaner | Duplicate Cleaner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy of Detection | Uses advanced algorithms to find duplicates even if files have been renamed (via EXIF/ID3 tags) | Finds basic duplicates based on file name and size | Highly accurate with deep scan options for files, images, music, and more |
| Ease of Use | Simple interface with step-by-step options for customization; quick search available | Easy to use with one-click scanning for duplicates | Intuitive, but may require more configuration for advanced options |
| Costs | Free version available; Premium version: $34.44 for3 PCs/year
Holiday prices: $29.28 for3 PCs/year |
Free version available. Premium starts from $59.95 (one year/3 devices) -$159.95 (2 years/5 devices)
Holiday prices: from $59.95 (one year/3 devices) -$109.95 (2 years/5 devices) |
Trial for 7 days. Premium $40-$45 |
| Additional Features | 30+ features for PC optimization, disk space recovery, and privacy protection | System cleaner, browser history, registry cleaner, software updater | Deep scan for various file types, preview of duplicate files, custom search rules |
| Pros | Advanced duplicate detection, user-friendly, extra optimization features | One-click cleaning, affordable, easy to use | Highly accurate, customizable search, deep scanning |
| Cons | Premium version required for full functionality, lacks some advanced tools | Limited in-depth duplicate cleaning, less powerful than BoostSpeed | Interface may be overwhelming for beginners, some features behind paywall |
Method 2: Use Windows File Explorer to find and delete duplicates
You can use built-in File Explorer to sort your files to help find duplicate files on Windows 11 and 10 and delete them from your computer.
- Press the
Windows logo key + Skeyboard combination to open the search bar. - Type in “indexing options.” Then click Open on the right-side menu.
- Click on the Modify button.
- When a new window opens, select Show all locations.
- Go to the Change selected locations section and select every checkbox. Then click on the OK button.
- Open File Explorer and select This PC on the left menu pane.
- Then, go to Local Disk (C:).
- Open the Users folder.
- Open the View tab at the top of the window and select Preview pane.
- Also, go to the Layout section and select Details.
- Open the Current view tab and click on the Group by dropdown arrow. Choose Name from the menu and then select Ascending.
- Now go to the search bar in the top-right corner of the screen and type in the extension for the files you want to delete. For instance, if you want to find duplicate JPEG images, type in “.jpg” (without quotes) and press Enter.
Here is a list of file extensions that you could use to help simplify the process:
| Images | .gif, .jpeg, .png, .jpg |
| Videos | .mp4, .mov, .avi, .flv, .3gp, .wmv |
| Mp3 | .wma, .mp3, .wav |
| Documents | .pdf, .txt, .docx, .doc |
| Programs | .exe |
| Presentations | .pptx, .ppt |
| Excel files | .xls, .xlsx |
A much simpler way is to use Auslogics BoostSpeed’s Duplicate File Finder to delete everything at a go.
How to Delete Duplicate Files: Explained
Duplicates can quickly take up lots of space on your computer if you don’t pay attention to them. I’ve covered ways to help you find and delete duplicate files.
All the methods provided in this article can help you remove duplicates, however, using the Command Prompt and Windows Explorer can be tedious and time-consuming.
The best option is to use one of the PC cleaners, which get the job done way faster than the rest. Let us know what you think in the comments below!
