In many cases, duplicate files are unnecessary. You don’t need two copies of the same photo of your cat, unless you are keeping the extra one as a backup.
When organizing your files, if you spot two files with the same name, you can take a closer look and delete any identified duplicate. But what about duplicate files with different names? These can be harder to find.
In this article, I’ll show you how to easily, quickly and safely find and remove duplicate files with different names on Windows PC and Mac.
The article consists of two parts. You can directly go to the second part for the steps, but I recommend reading the first part if you want a better understanding of the matter.
Cisdem Duplicate Finder
A set of duplicate files is two or more files that are exactly identical, regardless of their file names (or simply names). They can share the same name or have different names.
When you look for duplicate files yourself, the name can be helpful. For example, when you see two files named “IMG_0050.jpg” and “IMG_0050 copy.jpg”, you can tell by the name that they may be duplicates. However, if they have completely different names, you may not notice them.
When duplicate file finder software uses algorithms to automatically detect duplicate files, the names don’t matter.
For example, Cisdem Duplicate Finder focuses on comparing hash values of files. Each file has a unique hash value that represents its content. This is just like each person has a unique fingerprint. File names don’t affect hash values. This tool also compares files sizes and types to further ensure accuracy.
Names can help you spot potential duplicate files in manual identification, but software tools don’t consider names. They can easily find duplicates even if they have different names.
Since using software is the easiest way to handle duplicate files, I only discuss this method and skip the manual method.
Available on Windows PC and Mac, Cisdem Duplicate Finder can help you easily, quickly and safely get rid of duplicate files, regardless of how they are named.
Below are the steps.
Step 1. Install Cisdem Duplicate Finder.
Download and install the tool on your computer. Open it.
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 
Free Download macOS 10.11 or later
Step 2. Add the location(s) to scan for duplicate files.
To find duplicate files in a folder or drive, add location using drag and drop or the Add button. (The Add button is recommended on Mac.) To find duplicate files within and across multiple locations, add these locations.
To scan a location on an external hard drive or in a cloud storage service, please first connect the external drive to your computer or install and set up the service’s desktop app.
Step 3. Start the scan.
Click the Scan button to start the scan. Optionally, you can go to Settings 
for customization if needed.
Step 4. View detected duplicate files.
When the scan is complete, the results window will appear, displaying all found duplicate files. You can conveniently view, sort and search them.
Step 5. Select duplicates for removal.
In each set of duplicate files, the tool has automatically selected all but one file for removal. You can manually adjust the selection if needed.
In addition, there are preset rules for mass selection. On the left side of the results window, highlight the sets to which you want to apply a rule. Next, choose a preferred rule. For example, choosing the Select Newest rule will select all but the oldest file for deletion in each set.
Step 6. Delete all duplicates at once.
Click the Delete button to remove all the selected duplicate files. Confirm the deletion.
By default, deleted files will go to the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac), allowing easy restoring of files when needed. There are two other removal options: Remove Permanently and Move to Folder.
Tip
By following these steps, you can efficiently get rid of duplicate files, including those in your photo collection.
However, when dealing with duplicate images, it’s important to note that some photos look the same to the naked eye but have different file sizes, resolutions, or formats. While technically speaking these are similar photos, many people consider them duplicates.
To handle them, Cisdem Duplicate Finder uses two comparison methods. One compares the histogram (how colors are distributed in an image) similarity, and the other compares feature similarity. Both methods ignore names. Therefore, even if such duplicate photos have different names, this tool will still find them.
Duplicate files can easily accumulate over time, cluttering your storage and taking up space. It’s a good practice to clean them up regularly. However, finding duplicates can be challenging, especially when they have different names. Luckily, dedicated software makes it easy to identify and remove duplicate files, regardless of their names. Using such tools can help you maintain a clutter-free and organized computer.
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.
Josef Lechle
Using smart folder can locate and delete most of my duplicate files. the professional tool you recommended will be more efficient. thanks for your sharing!