Finding duplicate files and folders using CloneScan.
I can’t remember how I came across this program, but I downloaded it and gave it a spin. As of this writing, it doesn’t come bundled with any other software and gets a pass at VirusTotal.
I downloaded it, installed it, ran it on my CyberPC (Windows 10), and it didn’t work. I tried different folders and combinations. And nothing. So I tried it on my Acer with Windows 7. It worked right out of the box. It also worked on my Asus with Windows 10.
So on my CyberPC, I uninstalled it and tried running it in Administrative mode – still nothing.
After a little experimenting with the program on my other two computers, I found out the solution. But first …
Open the program and click the “Add folder” button to add the folder(s) containing the files you want scanned for possible duplicates. You see the list of selected folders in the “Folders to scan:” box. If you want to remove a folder from the list, click it and then click “Remove selected”.
(Ed note: Click image to enlarge.)
You can scan for files or folders. It’s recommended to keep the “Compare files by” option at “Content (SHA-1)” for the best results. I didn’t change any other settings except the “Min size (MB)”. By default it’s set to “1“. That means it will ignore any files that are smaller than “1 MB”, and that was the problem with my CyberPC. For some reason, even though most of my original test files were over 1 MB, it still would not work on my CyberPC until I switched that value to “0“.
Now, a simple test. I put 22 pictures in a folder, duplicated 4 of them, and ran a scan. When your folders are selected, click the scan button in the right-hand corner.
You should now be seeing a list of duplicates from your selected folder(s). Your options for dealing with the files are at the bottom of the window.
“Check all but one in group“, “Check all“, “Uncheck all“, “Open location“, and “Delete checked to Recycle Bin“. You can also “Export” the list.
You may want to check the files manually first to see if it is what you want to delete. Click a file listed and click the “Open location” button. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to offer any right-click options.
In this simple test, the image above, it made one mistake. It identified “image (1).png” and “image(7).png” as duplicates, but they were not. It got the rest right. This is why you might want to check them before deleting.
Deleted files go to the Recycle Bin.
Despite the initial problem with my CyberPC, I will consider this program a success and will keep it on my system for future use. Which means I might never touch it again. 🙂 “SimilarImages” is still my first choice for finding duplicate photos.
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