Ever been scrolling through your vacation photos and then realized you have got so many identical copies? Or perhaps you have downloaded multiple memes and screenshots over the years, leaving tons of garbage on your drive. However, these duplicate pictures are silent killers for storage space. These are a sneaky storage hog silently eating away at your precious disk space. But don’t worry, my fellow Windows users! This all-inclusive guide will give you the know-how as well as the necessary tools to delete duplicate photos effectively and restore your hard disk’s free space.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Decoding the Issue: Why You Have So Many Duplicate Images?
Before
we suggest some possible solutions, we must look into why duplicates accumulate
on Windows computers. Duplicates can arise from accidental copying, multiple
backups, or synchronization failures; this makes them clutter photo libraries
quickly and severely limits searching for required images. If over the years
you have accumulated a vast gallery of photographs, finding any duplication
might be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The Benefits of Deleting Duplicate Photos
What happens when one deletes duplicate photos? Let us take a look -
●
This frees
up valuable space on your Windows PC which will make it faster overall.
●
Simplifying
your photo library by deleting duplicate images makes it easier to locate
specific pictures you are searching for. Picture a neat photo album instead of
an unorganized mess!
●
To save
time and storage space on your backup drive, you can back up a smaller,
duplicate-free photo library.
● Moreover, a clean and organized collection of digital images creates an impression of orderliness, sparing one the tedium associated with having to sift through superfluous images.
Well
now that we have understood the importance of deleting duplicate photos in
Windows let us briefly look at how to delete these photos using the
below-mentioned methods.
How Do You Delete Duplicate Photos All at Once?
❖ Manual Methods: For the Hands-On User
For users who are comfortable with basic file management, there are native tools that come with Windows that can be used to handle the issue of identical photos; however, these methods require more effort and may not be practical in the case of large photo libraries.
1. Visually Identify Duplicate Images using the File Explorer
●
Open File Explorer and open the photos
folder containing duplicates.
● From the top, tap on the View, then choose "Extra Large Icons" to see photo previews.
●
Now scroll
through the images, comparing them visually to identify duplicates.
●
Now mark
down every duplicate photo using the Control
(Ctrl) key and press the Delete
button to send them to the Recycle Bin.
2. Find Duplicate Photos by the Filename
● Open File Explorer > search bar > type “copy" and press the Enter key. (without quotes).
●
This will
search for files containing the word “copy”
in their filename possibly as duplicates.
●
You need
to watch out when reviewing your results since some might not be duplicates but
simply contain a copy in their name.
3. Use the Microsoft Photos App
● Open the Photos app with the help of the Windows key. Press the Windows key type photos in the search bar and then click open the app.
● Open Settings of the photos app by clicking on the Gear icon from the top-right corner of the Window.
● Scroll down a bit and look
for the option Viewing and editing.
Tap on it.
● Under the Viewing and editing option look for the toggle switch right beside Linked Duplicates and switch it on.
● To delete duplicate images tick,
mark each image separately then press the delete
button.
Limitations of Manual Methods:
● Manually going through
hundreds or thousands of photographs is boring and tends to result in mistakes.
● As one’s picture library
grows bigger, it becomes impracticable to do it manually any longer.
● It can sometimes be hard to differentiate between slightly edited versions of the same photograph visually.
While these manual methods have their place for
small-scale duplicate removal, they aren't ideal solutions for most users. To
expedite the process and ensure thorough cleaning, automatic methods with the
help of software are the way to go.
❖ Automatic Method: Unleash the Power of Dedicated Duplicate Photo Finder Software
If you want a quicker and more effective method of deleting duplicate photos, you should try using duplicate photo finder software. Such programs make use of advanced algorithms to go through your pictures and locate the duplicates based on different criteria such as these:
● Photos having identical sizes
are likely duplicates.
● Generally, images with the
same resolution and pixel dimensions could mean duplicated ones.
● Even slight edits can be identified when photos carry information in them like the creation date and camera model.
One of the powerful duplicate photo finder software is Duplicate Photos Fixer Pro. It helps in the efficient deletion of duplicate photographs. By scanning your computer or other storage device for specific folders, it thoroughly sifts through your photo collection to find similar-looking duplicates. It can identify these duplications with such uncanny precision that you can effortlessly click them away.
● Install Duplicate Photos
Fixer Pro on your Windows PC.
● Now Choose the folder/destination to scan for the duplicates from the given options.
● You can also drag & drop a specific folder for
scanning.
● Now click on the Scan for Duplicates button.
● Let it search for the
duplicates.
● Once the scan is finished, click on the Delete Marked button to remove duplicate images.
Final Words on How Do I Delete Duplicate Photos?
At the end of the day, never allow image duplicates to take over and bloat our storage space. Take charge through the processes highlighted in this guide. For each individual there is an answer, be it a DIY approach via Windows’ native tools or a simple but powerful software program.
Reclaim your disk space, unclutter your picture
library, and renew the pleasure of scanning a well-coordinated mound of golden
memories. The moment has come for you to delete copies and enjoy that ease that
comes with minimal time-consuming cameras with much cleaner digital photo
collections today.