Guide · Windows 11 & 10
How to find and remove duplicate photos on Windows 11 and 10
Updated
Windows 11 and 10 have no built-in duplicate finder. You can spot some copies by hand in File Explorer by sorting a folder by size, but that misses copies with different names or in other folders. A tool that compares file contents, like Homedex, finds every exact copy and moves the extras to the Recycle Bin.
Method 1: by hand in File Explorer
- 1Open the folder
Open your Pictures folder in File Explorer and switch to Details view (View → Details).
- 2Search all subfolders
Type * in the search box so every photo in every subfolder is listed together.
- 3Sort by size
Click the Size column. Identical photos have identical sizes, so copies end up next to each other.
- 4Compare and delete
Preview neighbours with the same size (Alt+P shows the preview pane) and delete the extra copies.
Why the manual way misses copies
- Two different photos can have the same size, so you have to open each pair to be sure.
- It only covers one folder tree at a time: copies in Downloads, Desktop or OneDrive stay hidden.
- It takes hours for a library of thousands of photos.
- Deleting the wrong one is easy when the names are “IMG_2041.jpg” and “IMG_2041 (1).jpg”.
Method 2: with Homedex
- 1Install Homedex
It indexes Pictures, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Videos and Music on first launch.
- 2Open Duplicates
Press Ctrl+Shift+D. Copies are matched by a fingerprint of their contents, across all folders, whatever their names.
- 3Keep one, trash the rest
The suggested keeper is the copy outside Downloads with the tidiest path. Click to change it, then trash the extras. They go to the Recycle Bin, so nothing is lost by mistake.
Questions
- Does Windows 11 have a duplicate photo finder?
- No. Neither Windows 11 nor Windows 10 includes a duplicate file or photo finder, and the Photos app does not remove duplicates.
- Is it safe to delete duplicate photos?
- Yes, as long as one copy is kept and you can undo it. Moving extras to the Recycle Bin, rather than deleting them permanently, lets you restore anything you removed by mistake.
- Do duplicate photos have the same file name?
- Often not. Copies get renamed (“(1)”, “copy”, or a messaging app's own name), so the reliable way to find them is by comparing file contents, not names.
Every file you own, easy to find.
Homedex is a visual file browser for Windows. Big previews, plain-English search, text inside screenshots, duplicate cleanup — all on your device.
Related
- Find duplicate files, even when the names differHomedex finds exact duplicate files by their content, not their names, suggests which copy to keep, and moves the extras to the Recycle Bin.
- How to free up disk space on Windows 11 safelyStorage Sense and Cleanup recommendations clear system junk. Most of the space is usually in your own files. Here's how to clear both without losing anything.
- How to find large files on Windows 11 and 10Use File Explorer's size: filter or Settings → Storage to find what's filling your drive, then review it safely before anything is deleted.