How to Delete Multiple Copies of files in Windows Computers

At times, you may notice multiple identical files on your Windows PC. You've probably noticed that they don't help and can even lead to adverse effects to your device. But what are they, and why do they show up? Let's find out today and learn how to delete multiple copies of files in Windows computers.

Why does my computer have multiple copies of files?

Multiple copies of files, also known as duplicate files, can accumulate in daily computer use. These files can pile up for various reasons, even if you don't intend for them to. Typically, common operations like the following can result in multiple copies of files on Windows computers:

What will cause multiple copies of files:

Backup and restore: Backup software and features will create multiple file copies to safeguard against data loss.

Version control: Development tools produce duplicates to track code changes and versions for collaboration and maintenance.

Downloads: Browsers will save multiple copies in your downloads folder, especially when repeatedly downloading the same file.

Syncing and cloud storage: Services like Dropbox or Google Drive can synchronize local and cloud copies, leading to duplicates.

File copying: Users copying files across locations on their computer generate additional copies.

Email attachments: Saving email attachments can create multiple copies in different folders.

Auto-save and auto-recovery: Software applications automatically generate temporary backup copies while you work.

Having multiple copies of files can use up a lot of your storage space and make your computer slow and messy. So, it's a good idea to delete them as soon as you see them. In the next part, we will show you the easy methods to get a clean computer back.

How to delete multiple copies of files in Windows computers?

To delete duplicate files can be achieved by both Windows tools and a powerful duplicate file deleter. This part will show how they work.

Way 1. Find and delete multiple copies of files with File Explorer

If you want to get rid of extra copies of your files on Windows computers, such as photos or documents, you can use a handy tool like Windows File Explorer. But it might take some time and effort because you have to go through your files, figure out their types, and compare them to keep the newest ones.

Step 1. On the lower-left corner beside the Windows icon, enter Indexing Options on the search bar, then click it.

Step 2. Click Modify, and then select Show all locations. A pop-up will appear to ask for your login details. Make sure that you are using an administrator account when doing any modification using this setting.

Step 3. Check if all of the boxes are checked under the Changed Selected Locations section.

If yes, click OK, and then click the Close button. If not, check all the boxes.

Step 4. On your keyboard, press the Windows + E keys to open the File Explorer. It is easier to find your files under your user account. To open your user account, go to Windows (C:), then select the Users folder.

Step 5. On the upper-right corner, click Search, and then enter the following extensions based on their format:

Step 6. Sort the search results by Name: Click the View tab > Under the Panes section, select Preview pane > Under the Layout section, select Details > Under the Current view section, click Group by, and then select Name.

To arrange the files in ascending order, click Group by, and then select Ascending.

Step 7. Check for the duplicate files that are saved in different locations and check the Date modified column to know which files you have the latest version.

Step 8. After checking the files, select the file you want to delete, and then press DELETE on your keyboard.

Way 2. Run CMD to delete duplicate files

If you have used CMD to troubleshoot other computer issues, and familiar with the meaning of command lines, you can follow the steps to find and remove multiple copies of files on your Windows computer.

Step 1. Open CMD as an administrator. To do this, click on Start, then type "cmd" into the search bar, and choose “Run as administrator”.

Step 2. Type this command into CMD: "dir /s /b *.extension". Replace ".extension" with the type of files you want to find duplicates of. For example, if you're looking for duplicate JPG files, type "dir /s /b *.jpg".

Step 3. Press Enter. CMD will begin scanning for duplicate files, and it will display the results with duplicated files in a list.

You can also find duplicate files using the “WMIC FINDSTR” command:

Open CMD and type "FINDSTR /?" to see all options for the "FINDSTR" command.

Type "FINDSTR /I /C:WINDOWS *.jpg" to search for all JPEG images in the WINDOWS folder.

The results will show all the JPEG images in the WINDOWS folder, with duplicates highlighted in red.

▌To remove duplicate files in a specific folder, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open the folder using File Explorer.

Step 2. Right-click on the folder you want and select "Copy as path".

Step 3. Open Command Prompt. Type "del /s /f *.duplicate" and hit Enter. This command will remove all duplicate files in the current folder and its subfolders.

For a more advanced file deletion, you can use wildcard characters with this command. Just type "rmdir /s /q DirName", and it will delete all folders in "DirName" and its subfolders.

Way 3. Remove duplicates by PowerShell

PowerShell is similar to CMD, which is also suitable for users who are familiar with the commands.

Step 1. Right-click on the Windows icon, and then select Windows PowerShell (Admin). A pop-up confirmation window will appear. Click Yes to proceed.

Step 2. Enter this script: set-location –path C:\ in the Windows PowerShell window.

Step 3. Enter the script for the list of all duplicates and their location:

ls "(directory you want to search)" -recurse | get-filehash | group -property hash | where { $_.count -gt 1 } | % { $_.group } | Out-File -FilePath "(location where you want to export the result)"

In (directory you want to search), enter the folder location of your User Account.

In (location where you want to export the result), enter the folder location you want the result to be exported or saved (e.g. Documents or Desktop).

Step 4. Open the folder location you have exported or saved.

Step 5. Check for each location in the text file, and then delete the duplicate files.

Way 4. Use a duplicate file remover in Windows PC

If you want to quickly and safely clean up multiple copies of files at once, the methods mentioned may not be the most ideal options. At this time, you may need a duplicate file deleter like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

It will widely scan and detect duplicates on your Windows PC, providing you the flexibility to manage them according to your needs. This enables you to effortlessly maintain an organized device without the risk of accidental deletion. Even if you mistakenly delete important data or system-related files, you can use its Recover Data feature to retrieve them.

Step 1. Click the "Free up" on the main tab and select "Duplicate Files Finder".

Step 2. Here, all the partitions on the computer are displayed. Click on "Scan" to start scanning. Also, if the partition is locked, the program will still scan it and display duplicate files on the partition. However, it cannot delete duplicate files on locked drives.

Step 3. After the process is finished, all duplicate files that meet the conditions you set will be displayed. You can click the "Preview" to see the duplicate files.

Step 4. You can select the duplicate files you want to delete. Or, click "Smart Select" to automatically select duplicate files. Then, click "Move to folder".

To sum up

4 ways are here for how to delete multiple copies of files in Windows computers. If you want to maintain clean and fast on your device, AOMEI Partition Assistant offers many solutions as well. Its PC Cleaner feature allows you to remove all junk files, especially potential virus and malware. Or you can try Delete Large Files or Allocate Free Space to get more space easily.