One of the most frequent causes for PCs running out of space sooner than anticipated is duplicate photos. Eventually, photos from our phones, cameras, cloud backups, and messaging apps can saturate folders with duplicates of the same image. Just as how deleting the duplicate photos on pc helps you clear disk space, it also keeps your photo library in a more systematic manner, free of junk!
This comprehensive guide discuss various methods using which you can delete duplicate photos on Windows PC — both manual and automated and includes detailed steps to make it easy for even the novice users to proceed without second thoughts.
Why Duplicate Photos Accumulate on a PC?
To learn about how to delete duplicates, it is important to know how duplicates get created in the first place:
- Importing photos from phones several times
- Restoring backups without cleanup
- Saving different versions of the edited files in separate folders
- Repeatedly downloading the same image from email or browser
Understanding these causes help you clean duplicates and avoid creating duplicates later; and also figure out how to delete duplicate photos on pc without losing some important files.
#1: Delete Duplicate Photos Using Windows File Explorer
This is the most basic method than other methods, and does not require you to have any additional software installed. This works most effectively when you have your duplicates stored in one location.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Go to Open File Explorer: Windows + E
- Head to the folder where you have your photos.
- To see images, click View and choose Large icons or Extra large icons.
- Or, to sort them by Name / Size / Date modified.
- Manually identify duplicate photos.
- Choosing the unwanted copies and pressing Delete.
Pros:
- No software required
- Ability to specifically choose what you want to erase
Cons:
- Time-consuming for large photo collections
- Duplicates that are hard to miss; same filename, different name
#2: Use Windows Search Filters to Find Duplicates
Windows search also has filters for files that are the same size or file type.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Launch the File Explorer and navigate to Pictures folder
- In the search bar, type:. jpg or. png.
- Click on Search Tools → Size to arrange the files based on file size.
- Visually review and manually delete duplicates.
This method is useful if you are learning to remove duplicate photos on pc without external tools but still needs careful filtration through extreme manual checking.
#3: Use Photos App for Visual Comparison
Windows Photos app will help find duplicates stored in the same location (visually).
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Type Photos into the Windows Start menu to open the app.
- Click on Folders and enter the path to your directory of images.
- Swipe through the images to locate similar pictures.
- Right-click duplicates and choose Delete.
Limitations:
- No automatic duplicate detection
- Maximums out well for small photo libraries only
How to Delete Duplicate Photos on Computer - Alternative Solution
For users who feel overwhelmed by manual methods, SysTools Duplicate File Finder that offers a dedicated solution for the automatic detection and removal of duplicate photos.
How It Works:
- Download and run the above-mentioned software.
- Scan selected folders or complete drives.
- It scans files based on characteristics like size, content, and hash values.
- Go through the duplicate list and delete or relocate files.
Key Benefits:
- Fast-scan for large number of photographs
- You can detect correctly even if the filenames are different
- Safe preview before deletion
This can be quite helpful if you work with a bulk of images and want a reliable solution to automatically delete duplicate photos on pc.
Tips to Avoid Duplicate Photos in the Future
- Import photos to a single folder where all photo files are located
- Do not re-import images from the same device
- Delete irrelevant images right after editing
- Use consistent backup strategies
Key Insights
Unwanted copy of pictures takes hours of precious disk space and photo management becomes a nightmare. Whether you love the manual ways that are built in Windows or prefer a third-party solution, learning how to delete duplicate photos on pc can help you keep your system clean and organized. By following the above steps, you can eliminate duplicates without any issues and also stop them from piling up again.
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