The duplication of data is inevitable. This is bound to happen sooner or later. Today’s computing dependent lives mean this issue is bound to affect users in one way or the other, even if they manage to get rid of duplicates at once. Some of the common problems associated with duplicate files include:
- Too many identical copies of the same file in different folders/ sub-folders create confusion. You might find it difficult to select the right file you last worked on. This could take a long amount of time to find the exact file, or at worst, you may end up working on another version of the same file rather than the version you had edited before.
- Too many duplicates can negatively impact the performance of your MacBook. The system might perform slower than usual, take more time to respond to the simplest of commands.
- These extra copies of the original files could eat up a significant portion of the disk space, which means less space will be available for new files that are highly important.
Where Do I Get Duplicate Files From?
The source of duplication could be anything as little as a system bag. Sometimes apps installed on the MacBook create a temporary backup copy of your work for the smooth functioning or to protect your data from unexpected shutdowns, crashes, and other similar technical possibilities. The problem occurs when these applications leave the traces of these files after use. This results in a lot of duplication which can only be fixed once you sit down to do so.
Even human errors are to be blamed for massive duplication. For example, we sometimes download the same file over and again forgetting the fact that it already exists on the SSD. Similarly, users might copy the same file to two different folders while transferring stuff from a USB or External Hard Disk. These instances, of course, can be controlled, if not completely avoided.
Apart from this, there are some genuine reasons which can result in the accumulation of duplicate files. For example: When you install Program A, it copies a set of resources to a shared directory on your MacBook. These resources could be anything like images, Frameworks that are considered as equivalent to Dynamic Link Library (DLL) files in Windows. Often times, such shared program resources are stored in the /System/Library/Frameworks directory so that they can be used by more than one program. However, when you install Program B it may copy the same Framework file again to a different directory so that in the case you uninstall Program A, it won’t impact the functioning of Program B. This serves a purpose, but it also leads to data duplication.
Warning: Blindly Deleting Duplicates Can Be Problematic
It is highly recommended that you NEVER delete duplicate operating system/ application files. Blindly deleting duplicates without regard to their significance, actual location and file type could, render your entire MacBook unstable or, at worst, prevent it from booting up altogether! This may result in the loss of your valuable data, and you may not be able to recover any important Office documents.
Benefits of Regularly Searching Duplicate Files
Regularly cleaning up identical copies can free up a significant portion of your SSD, making your Macbook run faster. You can use that reclaimed storage to save your important documents, photos, and other files.
Reclaim Lost Storage Space
There are two methods to detect and delete duplicate files. Both of the methods have their own merits, with the latter returning more reliable results. Let’s take a detailed look at both of them individually.
Method # 1: Find Duplicates Based on Identical Names
If you have a potentially large files library, this may not be a feasible approach unless you really have the time and energy to spend several hours comparing the contents of each file yourself.
- Click the File menu, followed by New Smart Folder.
- Click on the + icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Type the name of the file you want to look up duplicates for.
- Set your desired file type as the Kind parameter.
- If you wish to limit the search to a specific date, use the Date parameter.
- You can even use other parameters using the Other option.
- A list of all files matching your criteria will be displayed. Duplicate files can be identified by the prefix such as _copy, (1), (2), etc.
Method # 2: Find Duplicates Based on Identical Content
The second approach is rather simple – use Clone Files Checker for MacOS, a specialized software that finds duplicates based on file hash.
File Hashes are of different types – such as SHA-1, SHA-256, and MD-5. They are random strings of text uniquely assigned to each file. This approach works on macOS, Windows and Linux operating systems.
Clone Files Checker accurately lists out duplicate files based on their hashes and gives you a way to preview file contents. One of the most amazing features of Clone Files Checker is that you are in absolute control at every stage of the process. This means that you get to choose which file should be deleted or moved to a folder.
The software comes with predefined selection criteria that let you automatically select files by their kind. For example, you can select newer file versions, older file versions, most modified, least modified, etc. You can also select or deselect files by their destination directory. And for your MacOS’s safety, CFC automatically excludes important program files/ system files so that you don’t have to worry about ending up in a bizarre situation.
- Download Clone Files Checker for Mac from its website.
Download CFC - Install and open the application.
- Click the Add button under the Include for Scan tab.
- Select the folder which you want to scan. You can add as many folders as you want.
- Similarly, choose any folder(s) that you want the program to ignore during the scan. You can do so by clicking Add under the Exclude from Scan tab. This feature is handy if any of these folder(s) are located inside one of the folders you have selected to be scanned in step # 4.
- Select the All Files option if you want to scan for all file types. Alternatively, you can use Custom to search for the individual file type(s) depending on your needs.
- The Ignore files smaller than option can be used to set minimum file size range, while the Ignore files larger than option can be used to set an upper limit. Specify the file sizes in kB, MB or GB.
- Click on Start Search and wait patiently for CFC to do the trick.
- The results will appear in a summarized form once the scan is over. Click REVIEW & FIX.
Results summary - You will now be viewing the duplicates listed out in the CFC interface. You can either the checkbox for an individual file, or use the more smart way to automatically select the duplicates via the Select Duplicates button.
- Finally, click on Select Action, and choose between purging the duplicates, or moving them to a folder of your liking.
Raza Ali Kazmi works as an editor and technology content writer at Sorcim Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. He loves to pen down articles on a wide array of technology related topics and has also been diligently testing software solutions on Windows & Mac platforms. If you have any question about the content, you can message me or the company's support team.