Owning a computer is fun, but if you work with many files, it doesn’t take long for your PC to get disorganized. Duplicate files are a key culprit, taking up unnecessary disk space. Windows and macOS don’t yet have the functionality to tackle this, but you can get by with a third-party app called CCleaner. Here’s how to find and delete duplicate files on a Mac or Windows PC.
QUICK ANSWER
To find and delete duplicate files, download and install CCleaner on your Mac or Windows PC and run it. On Windows, click Tools -> Duplicate Finder -> Search. On macOS, click Find duplicates -> Find, select the locations, and click Scan. Select the files you want to remove, and click Delete Selected on Windows or Clean on macOS.
How to find and delete duplicate files
This method is pretty much the same for Mac and Windows. For this process, we will use a third-party app called CCleaner, which is available on both Windows and Mac.
Once you’ve installed CCleaner, open it. On Windows, on the welcome screen, click the Tools tab on the left side. When you’re on the Tools screen, click Duplicate Finder. On macOS, the Duplicate Finder is labeled Find duplicates on the welcome screen. Click the Find button next to it.
Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority
On Windows, the Duplicate Finder will give you many options to fine-tune your search, which you can change as per your preference. The default settings are plenty good for basic duplicate file cleanup. Once you have configured your options, click the blue-colored Search button. CCleaner will search for duplicate files and populate the results. Click OK.
CCleaner on macOS asks you to select the locations to look for the duplicates. Select the location(s), and click Scan.
Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority
Go through the results and tick the boxes next to the duplicate files you want to remove. Click Delete Selected. On macOS, the files will be grouped by categories on the left, which you can click to see the files listed. Select the files, and click Clean.
Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority
On Windows, CCleaner will show a confirmation message asking whether you’re sure about deleting the duplicate files. Click OK to delete the selected duplicate files.
Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority
CCleaner’s Duplicate Finder does an excellent job of letting you select all but one instance of the file so that you don’t accidentally delete all copies. CCleaner works similarly on macOS and Windows, so the process should be smooth regardless of your operating system.
Read more: The best antivirus software for your PC
