[SOLVED] Duplicate files

I have inadvertently copied over 2,000 files into a folder that already had them. I can't sort by date because they all have the same date. Is there any way to mass delete the duplicates? and is there a way to identify duplicate files in all folders and deal with them?

--Derick3

Derick3, welcome to the forum! There is a program named Glary Utilities, it has a duplicate file/folder option. You run the tool, it'll show you the duplicate files. But you must exercise caution and review each file and exclude ones that aren't of the same date in question.

Prior to deleting them, I highly advise that you backup or copy the folder to a flash drive, backup drive, or DVD(s). I hope that it's not that large of a folder.

Glary Utilities can be found at:

http://www.glaryutilities.com/

There are many tools that comes with this app, please be careful of what you use. Stay away from the registry tools, optimizers, etc. They are potent tools, and can cause damage to your system, if you don't know how to use them. The duplicate file/folder finder is safe, but you must still verify the date and folder to make sure of what you're deleting.

Best of Luck,
Cat

If you copied the files from the folder to the folder then the new pictures base filename should end in "- copy". If you do search " * - copy.* " you should see all the files and you can select them all and then hit delete.

If you copied them from elsewhere then it would have asked you to replace or skip or keep both. If you kept both then the duplicates would end in (2) so you can do a search on " * (2).* ".

Thanks for the tip. Win XP always put "COPY" preceeding the file name and all I had to do was sort by name. It just so happens that I have 5,000+ photos in one file and use the ID of (3), (4), etc for the same subject with different views. Win 7 come along and adds additional subsets so I don't know what is a duplicate or what is not without viewing them.

Another method is, in Windows Explorer, choose Details as the layout, then right-click in the column titles, and select Date Created. The date created will be newer on copies.


In fact, you can sort by the creation date then and find the whole group created the same time and simply do a mass selection and delete them.

Thanks, Cat. I have downloaded it and will add it to the useful library of utilities the Win7forum has suggested.

Derick3

Like I stated, there are some really good tools that comes with Glary, just watch out for those "optimizers". In unskilled hands, they do more harm than good. I use it sometimes to see what is residing on my drive, and delete what I no longer need. Uninstalled programs tend to leave folders/files behind.

Cat

I always hesitate to download utilities from those I am not familiar with. The one you suggested looks pretty good and I will use as feel comfortable.

Many thanks,

Derick3