Phone backups made several times, folders copied "just in case", photos downloaded from WhatsApp and Google Photos, songs in MP3 and FLAC: within a few years a PC piles up dozens of gigabytes of duplicate files. The problem is finding them, because they often have different names and sit in different folders.

Why the file name is not enough

"IMG_2034.jpg" and "Beach holiday (1).jpg" can be the same photo. On the other hand, two files called "video.mp4" can be completely different. Searching for duplicates by name leads to two mistakes: not finding the real ones and, worse, deleting different files thinking they are the same.

The right method: compare the content

A serious program compares the real content of files. First it discards files of different size, then it calculates a fingerprint of the content: if the fingerprint matches, the files are identical bit for bit, whatever the name. It is a 100% reliable check.

Music and video: the hardest case

The same song can exist in several versions: a 128 kbps MP3, a 320 kbps one, a converted file. The same goes for videos: an original copy and one recompressed for WhatsApp. They are not identical bit for bit, but they are the same content, and keeping both wastes space.

This needs smarter checks:

  • for music, compare artist, title and duration;
  • for videos, really compare the footage, taking a few frames from the beginning, middle and end.

Comparing only the duration is not enough: videos recorded with a GoPro or a phone are often split into pieces of the same length, which only look the same.

Which copy to keep

The golden rule: keep the best quality copy (highest resolution for videos, highest bitrate for music) and, with equal quality, the one outside the Downloads folder, which is the easiest to lose.

How to do it with PC Nuovo

PC Nuovo has two dedicated sections. Duplicates finds identical files of any type with image previews. Music and videos recognises the same song or video even in different files, shows a frame of each video to check them at a glance and automatically selects only files that are certainly the same. In every group at least one copy always remains, and removed files go to Quarantine before being really deleted.

It is free, with no Pro version and no ads.

A tip before you start

Do the first cleanup folder by folder, starting with Downloads and Pictures, where duplicates are most common. Check the largest groups first, the ones that recover the most space, and leave doubtful cases for last.