How to Find and Delete Duplicate Photos in Windows 10: Free Methods Included
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Duplicate photos, which are exactly identical (regardless of file names), can take up storage space and cause disorganization. Therefore, you may want to remove them.
You might also want to manage similar photos, including the same photo in different sizes or formats, burst shots, edited versions, the same scene taken from different angles, and more.
In this article, I will share four methods to find and eliminate duplicate photos on your Windows 10 computer, talking about the pros and cons of each method and providing easy-to-follow instructions.
Here's a brief comparison of these methods.
| Method | Find duplicate photos | Detect similar photos | Preview | Bulk delete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatically | Automatically | Yes | Yes, with your confirmation | |
| Use Microsoft Photos | Automatically | Manually | Yes | No |
| Use Microsoft PC Manager | Automatically | No | No | Yes, with your confirmation |
| Use File Explorer | Manually | Manually | Yes | No |
Cisdem Duplicate Finder
Find & Remove Duplicate Photos with Ease
- Identify duplicate photos, videos, documents, audio, and other file types
- Detect similar photos, letting you adjust similarity level
- Support computers, external storage devices, Dropbox, OneDrive, and more
- Display detected duplicate and similar photos to preview side by side
- Automatically select all but one file for deletion in each set of duplicates, enabling you to remove all duplicates at once
- Allow you to adjust selections manually, or choose from selection rules, such as Select by filename, Select newest, and Select by score (photo quality scores)
- Easy to use and customize
Method 1. Find and delete duplicate photos automatically in Windows 10
Cisdem Duplicate Finder is a duplicate file and photo finder powered by on-device AI (which works entirely on your computer). It can help you easily remove duplicates from your photo collections and keep the best shot.
Pros
- Accurate duplicate detection: It supports various image formats (such as JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, WebP, and camera RAW formats) and accurately detects duplicate photos based on file content (hash values), regardless of names.
- Similar image detection: It detects similar photos based on visual content using an on-device AI model from Meta.
- Side-by-side image preview: You can easily view photos before deletion.
- Reliable bulk deletion: Duplicate photos are automatically selected for bulk deletion, while you can apply bulk selection using rules like Select by filename, Select Oldest, and Select by score (automatically scoring photo quality and then selecting lower-rated photos in similar photo sets). Deleted photos are sent to the Recycle Bin for easy recovery when needed.
- Easy customization: Customization options give you full control over the entire process, from scanning for duplicate or similar photos to removing them.
Cons
- Not free: It’s a paid app. (Luckily, the free trial lets you do everything except final deletion. If you are happy with the scan results and user experience, you can upgrade to a paid version.)
Test Results
It took 1 second to scan 1,841 photos and found all 139 sets of duplicates. With similar image detection enabled, it found 53 sets of similar photos in addition to the duplicates, taking 1 minute and 7 seconds.
Steps
Step 1. Install the duplicate photo finder
Download and install Cisdem Duplicate Finder. Open the app.
Free Download Windows 10 or later
Step 2. Add folders to scan for duplicates
Under Local File Scan, add one or multiple folders or drives where you think duplicate photos exist. You can also drag and drop folders or drives directly into the scan area.
To locate duplicates in Microsoft Photos, add the source folders.
(You can also scan OneDrive, Dropbox, an external hard drive, or other storage.)
Step 3. Optionally, customize settings
You can configure settings to meet your needs. For example, to find both identical and similar photos, go to Settings > Similar images and enable similar image detection.
You can also exclude folders/subfolders and files from the scan by location, file size range, and more.
Step 4. Start scanning
Click Scan Now to start comparing photos and identifying duplicates.
Step 5. View scan results
When the scan is complete, the results window will appear. The Image tab displays all the found duplicate photos and similar photos.
There are three view modes, allowing you to preview photos side by side and see photo information.
Step 6. Select unwanted duplicates for deletion
In each set of duplicate photos, the app automatically selects all but one item for removal. You can select or deselect files by hand. (Auto selection doesn't apply to similar photos.)
Also, there are rules for mass selection. On the left side of the results window, highlight the sets to which you want to apply a rule. Click the List icon 
and choose a desired rule.
Step 7. Delete all duplicate photos at once
Once all unwanted duplicates are selected, click Delete and confirm the deletion.
Method 2. Manually delete duplicate photos with the help of Microsoft Photos
Microsoft Photos (or simply Photos) is a photo viewer and manager by Microsoft. Its built-in duplicate detection, which is not widely known, can help you get rid of duplicate photos completely for free. The removal process is completely manual though.
Pros
- Built-in to Windows 10: If for some reason it isn’t included in your Windows 10, you can get it for free from the Microsoft Store.
- Automatic duplicate detection: The detection is completely automatic and works in the background.
- Convenient image viewing: Since the app is a photo viewer, it’s very handy to view duplicate photos found by the said detection.
Cons
- Limited detection capability: The built-in duplicate detection only finds photos that are exactly the same, which means it will miss duplicate photos with different names.
- Manual removal of duplicates: You need to go through the detected duplicates and manually delete the unwanted item(s) in each set of duplicates.
Test Results
I used the same photo collection containing 1,841 photos to test Method 1 and Method 2. Duplicate detection was completed when Microsoft Photos finished loading photos from the source folder. It found 20 sets of duplicates, missing 119 sets. (If duplicates in your photo collection have the same file names, this method will effectively find them. However, if your duplicates have different names, this method will miss them, as in the test.)
Steps
Step 1. Optionally, add folders to Microsoft Photos
In the navigation bar on the left, go to Folders. Click Add a folder to add the folder from which you want to remove duplicates. You can add multiple folders.
The built-in detection will quickly look for duplicates in the added source folder(s).
Step 2. Select duplicate photos for elimination
The thumbnail of a detected duplicate will display a Duplicate icon in the top left corner. In the navigation bar, go to All Photos. There, browse through your photos to select all photos with this Duplicate icon.
Trick
The Duplicate icon is small. If your Microsoft Photos uses a light theme and your photos are light colored, you may find it difficult to spot those Duplicate icons. In such a case, you can go to Settings and select the Dark theme. This will make Duplicate icons appear dark and easier to identify.
(As for same photos with different names, you need to manually look for them. Then select unwanted duplicates for deletion.)
Step 3. Remove duplicates
Click the Trash icon in the top right corner of Microsoft Photos to delete selected items. In the message that appears, click Delete.
The deleted duplicate photos will go to the Recycle Bin, and they will disappear in both the Photos app and the source folder(s).
Step 4. Optionally, manage similar photos manually
Click the Sort icon and choose Date taken. Sorting photos by capture time may display similar photos together, such as burst shots and photos of the same building or landscape from different angles in a specific visit, making it easy for you to spot them and select unwanted photos for deletion.
Method 3. Scan for and remove duplicate photos with Microsoft PC Manager
Microsoft PC Manager (or simply PC Manager) is a PC cleaner and optimizer. It's another free solution provided by Microsoft for managing duplicate photos.
Pros
- Available for free: Every Windows 10 user can get PC Manager from the Microsoft Store and use it for free.
- Quick duplicate detection: PC Manager’s built-in duplicate file finder can quickly find duplicate photos and other common duplicates.
- Smart selection feature: There’s a Smart select feature that automatically selects duplicates for mass deletion, helping simplifying the removal process.
Cons
- No image preview: PC Manager doesn’t have a preview feature. This means users can’t easily see what duplicate photos will be removed. I think the lack of a preview feature is a big drawback for a photo deduplication solution.
- Limited detection capability: In my tests with different photo collections, this method only found some (ranging from 69% to 73%) of the duplicate photos.
- Little customization: For some users, the lack of flexibility can be a downside. This method doesn’t allow you to scan for duplicates in a specific folder. Instead, you are allowed to scan only your entire PC or specific drives like Disk (C:). And, you can’t exclude folders or files from the scan. (I don’t recommend scanning system and app folders like C:\Program Files, since this may end up deleting duplicates essential for system or app performance.)
Steps
Step 1. Install Microsoft PC Manager
Install Microsoft PC Manager on your computer. Open the app.
Step 2. Scan for duplicate photos
Choose Storage on the left, navigate to the Duplicate files section, click the dropdown menu to choose All disks or a specific drive like C:. Now click the right arrow icon to start scanning for duplicates.
Step 3. View duplicates
After the scan is done, you will see the scan results, which are categorized by file type. Click the Picture type to see the found duplicate images.
(Unlike with the first two methods, you can't sort, search, or preview duplicates.)
To check a duplicate photo, you need to hover your mouse over the file and click the Open folder icon that appears. This will will locate and highlight the photo in File Explorer so that you can view the photo.
Step 4. Select unwanted duplicates
You can go through the results and manually select duplicates for deletion. Or, you can click Smart select, which will select all but one photo for deletion in each duplicate set.
If you go with Smart select, I highly recommend browsing through the selection and making sure that items in important folders (like system folders or your backup folders) are not selected.
Step 5. Delete duplicates
In the bottom right corner, choose Move (or Permanently delete) to move selected duplicates to the Recycle Bin or a specific folder (or to completely eliminate them).
Method 4. Delete Duplicate Photos in File Explorer
It's also possible to manage duplicate photos completely manually, which can be done using File Explorer.
Pros
- Built-in to Windows 10: It comes with every Windows PC and is free to use.
- Convenient image viewing: It allows you to easily preview photos and check their information.
- Helpful features: Although File Explorer doesn't have a feature that identifies duplicate photos, it offers some features that can help when you manually look for duplicates
Cons
- Inefficient with large photo collections: Since the process is entirely manual, it can take a long time handling many photos.
Steps
1. In File Explorer, open the folder or drive where you want to find duplicate photos.
2. This step is optional. If your folder contains other files in addition to photos, or if your photos are scattered across multiple folders in a drive, enter kind:picture in the search box in the top right corner.
This will display all photos (only) in the current File Explorer window, saving you from being distracted by non-photo files or having to compare photos side by side across different folders.
3. Click Sort and choose a desired sorting option, such as Name or Size.
Both options can be helpful for displaying duplicate or similar photos together, because duplicate photos share the same file size, and copies of the same photos or burst shots (and some other similar photos) tend to have similar names, such as IMG_123.jpg and IMG_123 - Copy.jpg, and IMG_278 and IMG_279.
4. Compare photos by visual content and file information to identify duplicate and similar photos.
5. Select one or multiple unwanted photos, right-click, and choose Delete. Continue deleting the rest.
FAQ
Does Windows 10 have a duplicate file remover?
Windows 10 has a built-in app called Microsoft Photos (as in method 1), which can identify duplicate photos for users to remove. However, the removal process is entirely manual.
Also, although Microsoft PC Manager (as in method 2) doesn’t come with Windows 10, it’s a native duplicate file finder and remover developed by Microsoft.
In summary, the answer is yes.
Why do I have duplicate photos in Windows 10?
There can be various reasons. For example, duplicate photos are often caused copying and pasting photos or importing/downloading the same photos more than once.
Same photos that are different in sizes or formats can be caused by resizing photos or importing both the raw version and the JPEG version of the same photo from the camera or phone.
(Visually alike images can be caused by taking photos in burst mode, taking photos of the same scene from slightly different angles or distances, or slightly editing photos, such as cropping or rotating photos.)
With a passion for tech and writing, Sarah joined Cisdem, where she focuses on creating articles about using utility tools to enhance file management and simplify contact management.
Adrian Li is Cisdem’s Chief Engineer and serves as the editorial advisor for Duplicate Finder and ContactsMate. His work and insights have been featured in leading tech publications such as Fossbytes, TUAW, Redmond Pie, SafetyDetectives, and BestForAndroid.
Aiden Nguyen
I have a large photo collection, I’ll probably try Cisdem to save some time.
Nancy Weller
Would be better if it had a filter option "with duplicate locations only" so you didn't have to scroll through all the photos. I realize most people may be looking for similar photos too and would need all photos, but it would be nice to have the choice.