We accumulate a lot of clutter on a daily basis as we browse different websites, open new files, applications and other programs. It is important to clear cache, cookies, temp files, junk files and other clutter on a regular basis. Cleaning just this isn’t enough! Duplicate files are another form of clutter that we accumulate during the process of repeated backups and syncing multiple devices with the same account.
A lot of users struggle while clearing duplicate files as they are unaware of how to delete duplicate files from Windows. The manual process to delete duplicate files is tiring and tedious yet can’t assure 100% cleaning. In such cases, you can always make use of the best duplicate file finder and remover to automatically find and remove duplicate files from Google Drive, Dropbox, and other storage devices connected to Windows. Let’s try the manual steps first!
Avoid Duplicate Files on Google Drive
Google Drive comes with a FREE limited storage space of 15GB that is combinedly used by Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive and all other Google Apps. If you wish, you can extend the storage space with a paid premium account.
If you do not avoid creating duplicate files on Google Drive, you may soon run out of storage space. Duplicate files also utilize a lot of bandwidth and time while synchronizing Google Drive with different devices.
Delete Duplicate Files on Google Drive
Google Drive has its own filter to eliminate uploading duplicate files in the same folder. Yet again, it only works when you try to upload the same file name and extension in the same folder. There are possibilities that we may have created a copy of the file or saved the file in a different folder.
There is no inbuilt tool to find and remove duplicate files in Google Drive. No search bar can list out duplicate files but this small trick on how to delete duplicate files on Google Drive can help.
Step 1. Open your browser and log in to your Google Account.
Step 2. Tap on the 9 dots on the top right and select Google Drive to access all the files.
Step 3. Click on the ‘List View’ on the top right and it will switch from the ‘Grid View’ option.
Step 4. The List View option will display the Name, Date Modified, File Size, etc. You can click on the column names to sort files by Name, Size or Date modified.
Step 5. Check if there is ‘Copy’ written in front of any of the file names. Press and hold the Ctrl key to select multiple files, right-click on the selected files and click on remove or click on the delete button on the top to remove these duplicate files from your Google Drive. Perform the same steps on all the different folders created on your Google Drive.
Delete Duplicate Files on Android:
If you are using the same account on your Android device, you can try the following steps on your smartphone to quickly find and delete duplicate files from Google Drive.
Step 1. Tap to open files by Google from your Google folder. If you can’t find it there, you can install it from the Google Play Store.
Step 2. Tap on the Clean tab at the bottom of the app.
Step 3. It will scan and list out categories that can be reviewed. Tap on Select Files under the Delete Duplicates card.
Step 4. It will show you a side-by-side comparison of original vs duplicate file, size, and location. Tap to select what needs to be removed.
Step 5. Once selected, tap on the ‘Move Files to the Bin’ button at the bottom of selected files. Confirm to send files to the Bin.
Use the Best Duplicate File Remover:
You can automate the process to find and remove duplicate files with the help of the best duplicate file finder and remover for Windows. Not all duplicate file finders can directly clean up the cloud storage space. We have tried, tested, compared, and reviewed the best duplicate file finder and listed the one that directly works on cloud storage like Google Drive, or Dropbox.
Duplicate Files Fixer:
Duplicate Files Fixer is one of the Best Duplicate File Finders and Removers that you can use in 2022. It has great compatibility with Windows 11 and earlier versions, MacOS 10.8+, Android 4.5 and above. It has an advanced scan algorithm to perform a quick and deep scan and list out all the duplicate files that can be removed. You can scan Google Drive, Dropbox, Internal/External HDD, SSD, SD Card, USB Drive, 4K Drive, and all other storage devices that connect to your computer.
Duplicate Files Fixer can scan and list out all the duplicate files, documents, duplicate photos, music, movies, and other duplicate file formats that need to be removed. You can preview the files in groups and select what needs to be removed and click on the Delete Marked button to remove all the duplicate files. It also takes a backup of all the selected files before removing them so that you can easily restore accidentally deleted files.
Summing Up:
The manual process on how to delete duplicate files from Google Drive may not regain a lot of storage space on your drive. The process is tedious yet can’t assure accuracy in deleting duplicate files. The best duplicate file remover can quickly find and list out all the removable duplicate files. Duplicate Files Fixer can quickly find and remove all the duplicate files from all the storage devices including Google Drive and Dropbox.
