If your Mac is becoming slow, the first thing to check is whether you are running out of disk space. It is typically recommended that you keep 10% of your total disk space available on your Mac for the best possible performance. If you're down to your remaining few GB, it's time to do some housework and reclaim some space.
A Mac is likely to build a huge number of duplicate files that consume this valuable space over time, so that's a smart place to start. However, identifying and deleting them one by one can be time-consuming, therefore in this post we show you faster ways to rid your computer of these wayward doubles.
Why Does Your Mac Have Duplicate Files?
Most of the time, these duplicates are accidental downloads (made by clicking a link twice), Mail and Messages attachments, a jumbled filing system, a terrible habit of dragging things to your desktop, or a variety of other reasons. Unless you're a very meticulous Mac user, you will have at least some duplicate files.
A lot of users also create duplicate files when they are copying files instead of moving them, and then forget to delete the first version.
How to Remove Duplicate Files from Mac Manually
If you don’t want to use any third-party software, you can use Finder to detect duplicates manually. Here is how:
1. Open Finder on your Mac
2. In the menu, click on File - New Smart Folder
3. Click on the “+” button in the top-right corner
You may now search for documents, photographs, music, and a variety of other file formats. The important thing is how you arrange the results. Ordering them alphabetically should reveal any obvious duplicates - files that have the same name.
Just keep an eye on the date to determine if it's a true duplicate; you don't want to remove the wrong version of an essential file, for example. If you can't see the date, right-click and select Date Added; you can also add Date Last Opened to ensure you remove the correct one.
Unfortunately, this method is not ideas because you won’t be able to find any renamed duplicate files - they simply won’t show up.
How to Delete Duplicates Automatically
Now you can see why most people prefer to pretend duplicate files don’t exist- it can take hours to do remove them manually, even when you use Smart Folders as described above. Fortunately, there are numerous programs available to assist you in finding, deleting, or managing duplicate files on your Mac. Let's have a look at Easy Duplicate Finder, one such program.
The software certainly lives true to its name; it's simple to use and has a user-friendly UI. This does not imply that it is lacking in features or options in any manner.
Scanning your Mac for duplicate files is an easy three-step process:
1. You add folders you want to scan (simply drag and drop them into the "Include to scan" area)
2. Start the scan and wait for it to finish
3. Remove duplicates automatically in one click or review the scan results
The procedure is as simple as it gets, however you can utilize the Wizard if you want the application to direct you and add directories for you. This function will prompt you to select the type of duplicates you want to search for (pictures, music, documents, etc.) and will automatically add folders holding those types of files.
You can next check the scan results manually or using the Assistant, which will guide you through selecting which files to save. You can keep the most recent, oldest, or original versions of the files.
Now, let's look at how you can manually handle duplicates. When you choose to check the results, Easy Duplicate Finder will lead you to the results screen, where duplicate files are grouped together (the original file and the duplicates). Duplicates will be pre-selected by default. The program provides numerous one-click selecting options to let you easily pick the files you want to remove or move. Simply pick "Modify Selection" and the software will present you with other file selection alternatives.
Any file may be previewed by clicking on it, which is quite useful. All file kinds are accepted.
When you're ready to deal with duplicate files, select "Manage Duplicates." You can then rename, transfer, or remove the duplicates. There is also the way to replace duplicate files with a hyperlink that, when clicked, will take you to the original file.
In addition to these fundamental tasks, Easy Duplicate Finder settings include a plethora of customizable choices. You can include and exclude file types, compare files based on their content (byte-by-byte comparison), scan your iTunes and Photos libraries for duplicates and sync the findings when the duplicates are destroyed, scan your Mac Mail for duplicate emails and contacts, and much more.
There is even a tool for deleting defunct iTunes tracks (Settings - Tools). With all of these capabilities and choices, it's easy to understand why Easy Duplicate Finder is one of the most functionality-rich duplicate finders available.
Easy Duplicate Finder, like most Mac programs, is not free. A free trial version allows you to handle up to ten duplicates. When you hit the limit, you can continue to check for duplicate files, but you won't be able to delete them using the application. The complete edition is $39.95 USD.
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