Best way to delete duplicate files

[DarkTXKnight]

I have several hard drives with redundant data on them, but over time these files have landed in different file structures, for example :

Hard drive 1 will have word1.doc in c: \docs
Hard drive 2 will have word1.doc in e: \backups\docs
Hard drive 3 will have word1.doc in h: \temp\to_delete\docs

What I have thought about doing is to take the files that I plan to delete and place them in a folder called "trash" so that I know what I want to delete.I would treat this trash folder as my source folder and I would then plan to use a duplicate finder or script to look for copies of that file in all of the other hard drives and delete those copies.

If I took this approach, can a duplicate finder ignore the folder structures and search for the files? Is there a better way to do this?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Virgorising]

I have several hard drives with redundant data on them, but over time these files have landed in different file structures, for example :

Hard drive 1 will have word1.doc in c: \docs
Hard drive 2 will have word1.doc in e: \backups\docs
Hard drive 3 will have word1.doc in h: \temp\to_delete\docs

What I have thought about doing is to take the files that I plan to delete and place them in a folder called "trash" so that I know what I want to delete.I would treat this trash folder as my source folder and I would then plan to use a duplicate finder or script to look for copies of that file in all of the other hard drives and delete those copies.

If I took this approach, can a duplicate finder ignore the folder structures and search for the files? Is there a better way to do this?
Thanks in advance!

Some dup finding apps are FAR more configurable than others in telling them what criteria you want them to use in a search/

If you have few enough to identify individuals to put in a folder, cna you just delete them yourself?

And, heads up: long ago, I had my first self created catastrophe with a system when using a dup file finder. I morphed into a reckless cowgirl after a certain, point, was hilliting files the app found 10 at a time and deleting....and, in the bargain, I deleted vital dll system files, and there went my whole OS.

Once in a while I still run a dup scan.....but then, I close the app and go away.

I know you are not about to do what I did.....just showing how dangerous this can be.

I think yr conservative, put individual ones in a folder is good and will work.

 

[Cerb]

Duplicate Cleaner Free will do that. Once it runs, you can select the ones to delete based on file details like the path. Just watch out for the hitchhikers in the setup.

 

[Ketchup]

This sounds like something that would be pretty easy to do by just using Windows search. What version are your running?

 

[Matt1970]

This sounds like something that would be pretty easy to do by just using Windows search. What version are your running?

Windows search can do that. Open windows explorer, click on Computer on the left and then type whatever file name you are looking for in the search box in the upper right. That will search all your drives for that file name. The results will show you where any one is located.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

Windows search can do that. Open windows explorer, click on Computer on the left and then type whatever file name you are looking for in the search box in the upper right. That will search all your drives for that file name. The results will show you where any one is located.

I am on a windows 8 desktop and mapping to the drives either via external HDD caddy, or mapping to a NAS share.

I thought about doing just that with Windows search, the only issue is that I would have to do one file at a time with windows search and I'm going to need to do this for a couple of hundred files. The source files are going to be docs, pdf's mp3's etc. so i know it won't be system files, its just that if I'm cleaning up files in my documents or downloads, i want to be able to remove the backups, the backup backups and the messy backups all in one swoop.

 

[DarkTXKnight]

Is there any way that I can add multiple files to the search window on windows search (other than typing all these in with comma separators one by one?

 

[Cerb]

That's why you should use a program made for dupe finding. You can just have it can the folders for dupes.

 

[Charlie98]

You can download Search Everything, let it scan your drives, and then work your way down through the files. As long as the file names are the same, they will list together alphabetically. Delete away!

 

[marko38]

Hi,
I use a software called Duplicate Files Deleter, it's very easy to use and after it finds the duplicate files it lets you chose what you want to do with them (copy/delete/move). You can even check network files and you can check multiple paths in the same scan.
It does the thing for me, hope it helps you too.

 

[dj4005]

I've also used Duplicate File Cleaner and HIGHLY recomend it!

 

[slicksilver]

A loyal user of Dupe Trasher for 3 years now. Love it. It will do what you want.

 

[frankowich]

I use DuplicateFilesDeleter, which is a free download. It allows you to look at two folders, side by side, and see if files are indeed identical, different, newer, older, etc... You can then select one file, either left or right side, and delete it. You can also copy a file from left to right or right to left, then delete the one you don't want.

 

[ringtail]

ccleaner does that, under "tools"

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Rincon in the foreground and the Santa Barbara coast

 

[shimpster]

I use Easy Duplicate File Finder
http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com/

Super easy and 37 times faster than the other progs mentioned here, just add in the drive/folders u want to search

 

[Charmonium]

,,,

 

[juliaharis]

Duplicate file finder software is a trouble-free application, but effective to use application to locate duplicate files in one or more selected search paths.

 

[WebDesigners]

You can use CCleaner for deleting duplicate files.
Great tool for cleaning internet history, registry and duplicate files.
Install CCleaner, open it, go to Tools and click on duplicate finder option.

 

[chamji]

Were you able to find a good software for it?
I am also faced with this issue. So i need a software that should find duplicates first based on make and/or size (and definitely shouldn't show any vital os files in the duplicate files list)
To verify that they are duplicate it should allow me to calculate md5 hash or crc.
Anything there?

 

[tynopik]

To verify that they are duplicate it should allow me to calculate md5 hash or crc.

Any non-retarded dupe finder will let you do an actual bit-for-bit comparison so no need for a hash. If it says they match, they match.

 

[John Connor]

I've used Winmerge before, but this is more for two folders and it's great for finding things between two public_html folders in website applications. The other Apps listed here are sufficient.

What I thought was cool is that Winmerge even found a difference between one PHP file and another with a white space being a variable. Now that's accuracy!

 

[tyler_hob]

Move all files in one folder and then sort by name. also change view to list. and you will see duplicate files. Now delete all duplicate files. My way

 

[MongGrel]

NM.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I tend not to worry about duplicate files, I consider them improvised backups. Disk space is cheap.

 

[John Connor]

Improvised backups on the same drive?