Let’s explain to you how to find and delete duplicate files in Windows 11, so you can save space by getting rid of what you have repeated on your computer. Sometimes it can happen unintentionally, we make copies of a file to move them to another folder, and we forget to delete the original. And in the end time passes and we don’t do it.
Delete duplicate files in Windows 11
The best way to delete duplicate files is using the program Anti-Twin, which although it has not been updated since 2012, works for new versions of Windows. You can download it on this website, either with an installer (with installer) or without installer (without installer) to be able to carry it anywhere within a USB.
Once you download and launch the application, its operation is simple. You only have to select a base folder to search there. You can also add a second folder, with the option to include all or just some subfolders if you want, and you can decide whether to compare all files, only those that are different, or search for copies of specific files.
Then, you have a section where you can choose comparison method, which can be just because of the name or because of the content that the files have. When comparing by content, it can be by bytes of information or by pixels if you are looking for images. You can choose both, and in each you have a minimum match rate to adjust in case you want to find ones that have been slightly modified.
Once you have configured it to your liking, you just have to click on Find duplicate files, and the program will begin to search the folders that you have told it to. When you finish finding files, you will have to choose what you want to do with the duplicates that you find. You will have several methods to select them and move them, delete them or keep them.
Delete duplicates with Duplicates Cleaner
The second method is to use applications like the free one Duplicate Cleanerwhich you can find directly in the Microsoft Store, the native Windows 11 app store. It is a free tool with premium features, but in its free mode it already has enough to do these searches, although its types may be a bit limited.
The application offers you several tools in the upper tabs, some free and others in the paid version. The paid version is very cheap, just 6.99 euros for a single payment. These are the options that you can use for free without having to pay:
- Image scan
- Audio scanning
- Video scanning
- Document browsing
- Local Library Browsing
The way to use the application is simple. First you have to choose the option you want to use, and then add the folder where you are going to search for duplicates. Once you choose it, click on Scan selected folders, and the program will start working. When it finishes you will see the duplicate files it has found, and you will have the options to delete or save them.