How Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive in Just 5 Easy and Quick Steps

Quick Navigation:

1. 1. Why Is It Necessary to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive (5 Key Reasons!)
2. 2. How to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive Manually (Windows built-in program）
3. 3. How to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive Automatically (With an efficient duplicates finder!）
4. 4. FAQs About Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive

Deleting duplicate files on an external hard drive can save up a lot of space. So, how do you do it?

Finding and deleting duplicate files can be a challenge. It mainly requires an extensive amount of work, and it's not exactly convenient to find and compare two files. Furthermore, the two very identical files can be different after all, that's why there may be duplicate files with same content but different names.

In the case of an image, the one with the better quality might be taking up more size. At the same time, a document with more information may not be different at all. You need to be 100% sure when removing duplicate files from an external hard drive. So, let's find out how to do it properly.

Why Is It Necessary to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive

Finding and deleting duplicate files on external storage has many benefits. External storage's performance is often a little underwhelming compared to internal hard drives. This is mainly because external storage connects through USB.

While internal storage has a direct connection to the motherboard and, therefore, its other components, therefore, when you have unwanted files on an external HDD, you are slowing down an already compressed performance.

So, here are reasons to remove duplicate files on an external HDD:

• Duplicate files take up additional storage for the same file
• It can slow down or choke the performance of external HDD
• It might make it difficult to find the proper/latest file
• Take up more space than needed
• Removing duplicate files removes the need to get another external HDD

Therefore, if you're looking to gain these benefits, you need to find and delete duplicate files on an external hard drive.

How to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive Manually

Finding duplicate files on an external hard drive manually isn't difficult. Suppose you're looking to delete such files manually/without any duplicate file finder. In that case, you can try the method that involves using the Windows File Explorer program.

While this option isn't always convenient on hard drives with a lot of data, it does work if you thoroughly follow the steps. Here's how you can do it:

• Connect your external/USB hard drive to the computer
• Open File Explorer by pressing Windows+E buttons on your keyboard
• Navigate to the USB Drive - in this case; it's H:

• Sort the files by Name, Date, or Size
• Compare the files side-by-side to look for duplicates
• Look for similar files by searching its name - In this case, it's "TV Tool."

• Repeat this action until all similar files are removed from your external or USB hard disk

While the process might be simple, it does have its advantages and disadvantages, such as:

Pros

• No third-party tool is needed
• Easily doable

Cons

• Not always convenient
• Takes uptime
• Might not find similar-sized files

How to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive Automatically

The other method you can use is by employing a tool. Since finding thousands or hundreds of files manually is never convenient, using a tool can help you remove them effectively. In this case, you can use EaseUS DupFiles Cleaner - a remarkable and efficient tool for finding duplicates.

Why is this your best option? Because you don't have to go through any of the hassles, as all you need to do is:

Step 1. Open EaseUS Dupfiles Cleaner and click Scan Now to start cleaning. EaseUS Dupfiles Cleaner will automatically select all data in all partitions. You can delete partitions you don't want to clean up by pressing the "-" sign in Scan Folders and choose the file types in Filename Pattern.

* You can click Advanced to customize the scan, and the system will turn on file protection mode by default. 

Step 2. The scanning process begins, please wait patiently. The time depends on how many files you have to scan.

Step 3. After the scan is completed, you can click Auto Remove to achieve a one-click cleanup. 

Step 4. If you still have some concerns, you can choose to click View Details to have a check.

* You can click Smart Selections to further check which type of files you need to clean up and if you cannot identify the content from the file name, you can directly click the file name in the upper right corner to preview it.

You can also pick the minimum file size, so you don't end up deleting files that are either too small or too big. But why should you choose this tool over a manual method? Here are a few reasons:

• Delete various files at once
• Ensure only unnecessary files get deleted
• Remove unwanted large files and their duplicates
• Scan - whether internal or external HDD

Besides all these factors, the tool helps you save minutes and maybe hours of your precious time. EaseUS DupFiles Cleaner is your best choice for removing any similar or duplicate files from your external drives.

Related How-to Guide:

People Also Ask

1. Is there a duplicate photo finder for the external hard drive?

Yes, there is. You can use EaseUS DupFiles to detect duplicate photos on your external hard drive. It will analyze names, file sizes, and dates to ensure you delete only the unnecessary ones.

2. How to find duplicate files on an external hard drive Mac?

You will have to download the Mac version of EaseUS DupFiles Cleaner from the website. Once you download and install the program, you need to follow the steps mentioned above.

3. How do I search for duplicate files on my external hard drive quickly?

Download and install EaseUS DupFiles Cleaner on your computer. Then, plug in the external hard drive, browse your computer through the program and pick your external hard drive. EaseUS DupFiles Cleaner will scan your HDD quickly and find any duplicate files.