Dedupe the Windows 11 Duplicate Files

It’s been almost a month since Microsoft rolled out Windows 11 to eligible devices. The development of Windows 11 is heavily focused on major UI improvements, a bunch of new features such as a redesigned taskbar, rounded corners, Snap layout, Android app support, support for graphical Linux apps, Microsoft Store, and much more.

Are there duplicate files in your system? Scan them with Industry’s top duplicate file finder, Clone Files Checker

Download Clone Files Checker

If you’re wondering how to keep the data on your Windows 11 organized at all times, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss data duplication, why it matters and how to deal with it.

Why delete duplicate files?

• Avoid confusion: Duplicate files create chaos and confusion. With too many versions of the same file, you’ll not be able to pick up the right file. You might find yourself making the same edits to different versions at different intervals.
• Save time: Duplicate files can cause your Windows Search to be cluttered with too many matching files. By deleting duplicates, you can search files quickly and easily, without much time.
• Keep your data organized: It is a good practice to regularly delete duplicate files from your PC. It’ll keep your data organized in an orderly manner and accessible when you need it.
• Reclaim lost storage: Deleting duplicates will help you recover loads of GBs of storage space occupied by duplicate junk over years and make room for additional files.

Common directories to look for in Windows 11

Duplicate files are usually scattered all across your hard disk. You may find duplicates almost everywhere, regardless of the drive/ folder. However, the most common directories to look for duplicates are

• Downloads folder (C:\Users\YourName\Downloads)
• Documents folder (C:\Users\YourName\Documents)
• Pictures folder (C:\Users\YourName\Pictures)
• Videos folder (C:\Users\YourName\Videos)
• Music folder (C:\Users\YourName\Music)

Duplicate downloads are a real issue. We often download the same file multiple times without realizing. You’ll find such duplicate files in the Downloads folder with a suffix added to the identical copies- – Copy(2), – Copy(3), – Copy(4), etc.

Apart from that, you will need to browse through different folders, subfolders of your hard disk. It might be possible that sometimes the original file is located in the root directory and duplicate versions are found in nested sub-folders. This is what makes the manual procedure challenging and time consuming.

Sort files in ascending order

The manual method to find duplicate files in Windows 11 involves sorting your file in File Explorer and looking at the file name patterns. File Explorer can sort your files alphabetically. To sort your files, click on the Sort icon > Name. File Explorer will sort your files in an ascending order.

Similarly, you can also group your files in ascending order by selecting the Group by > Name option.

Keep in mind that deleting files ruthlessly will result in unexpected data loss. Sometimes, two files may have the same name but the actual content may not match. You may want to open each file individually.

Specialized duplicate finder for Windows 11

The better way: Download a specialized duplicate finder software for Windows 11 and save your time & effort.

Clone Files Checker is a Windows 11 supported duplicate files finder that performs this task within minutes. You can add directories to scan, add directories to exclude, choose which file types to scan, preview the files straight inside the application, and use various automated file selection patterns to simplify the actual procedure. Moreover, it offers a comprehensive backup feature that protects your data against unexpected data loss. This is an optional feature which you can turn on from the program settings. CFC also has add-on features to help you find duplicate music, find iTunes duplicates, and more.

1. Download Clone Files Checker.
2. Click on Add and select your scan directory.
3. The default search option is All Files. You can change it to Custom and choose individual file types, if required. For maximum results, keep the All Files option selected.
4. Click on Start Search.
5. The scan may take some time. The actual time will depend on the size of your data and the directories selected to scan. Once it is finished, two options will appear on your screen:
   1. Fix Wizard: Use this option to initiate a fix wizard that lets you automatically eliminate the duplicate files without reviewing. This is a handy feature to automate the entire task by defining a pattern.
   2. Review & Fix: Use this option to manually review the duplicates list and take action. You can preview files in-house and use the various file selection patterns using the Select Duplicates button. Once you’ve selected your files, click on Select Action and choose the Delete or Move to folder option.

Features:

• Easy and simple interface with no complex options.
• Fix wizard lets you automate the task. Best suited for those with a busy schedule and no time reviewing files.
• Find duplicate music by ID3 tags.
• iTunes duplicate music finder.
• Handy options to choose which folders to exclude, which file types to scan, which file sizes to search.
• Backup feature.
• Automatically excludes important Windows directories from scan to protect your operating system.
• View the history of all duplicates found, what action taken in the History tab.
• Available for both Windows & Mac.