You can:

  1. 1️⃣ Spot exact copies and look-alike shots across folders on Windows 10 and 11.
  2. 2️⃣ Review groups before sending files to the Recycle Bin.
  3. 3️⃣ Choose File Explorer or a dedicated finder.
Duplicate Photo Finder Screenshot.
️ Eugene - CEO at SoftOrbits, Candidate of Technical Sciences, has more than 16 years of expertise in software development, photo and multimedia applications, enhancing and transforming digital images and videos.
📅 Last updated on:  2026-10-21

A phone backup to OneDrive and a camera card imported twice can leave three copies of a beach trip in Pictures. You have four ways to find and delete duplicate photos on Windows; three use free tools already on your PC.
Duplicate Photo Finder groups copies and look-alikes from your folders and marks the best shot to keep.

   
 Download for Free
Free version finds every duplicateWindows 11 / 10, 64-bitJPG, HEIC and 25 RAW formats

What you will learn
Apply in 15 min Saves 1 hBeginner

What you'll need
  • A Windows 10 or 11 PC with your photo folders
  • File Explorer and PowerShell, both already installed
  • Duplicate Photo Finder to group similar shots
  • A spare holding folder or external drive for uncertain copies

Why do you have so many duplicate photos?

TL;DR

Most duplicates come from several backup paths writing to the same PC. Syncing a phone to OneDrive, uploading to Google Photos and importing over USB can leave one shot on disk three times under different file names.

One Windows 10 user with gigabytes of pictures described iCloud and Google Photos backups as a never-ending loop on r/Windows10. Their library also held Android photos copied over USB, old OneDrive Camera Roll folders, and low-resolution versions an older phone saved alongside high-resolution ones.
On Level1Techs, a user with phone and camera photos called manual checking challenging and inefficient. A reply noted that the same image can have different names. An editor exporting "IMG_2041 (2).jpg" leaves the original in place.

If you convert HEIC to JPG on Windows and keep both versions, each iPhone shot exists twice in two formats.
A camera set to RAW+JPEG saves two files per shot. Decide which format to keep before deleting either. If you keep only RAW files, a RAW to JPG converter can rebuild the JPGs later.
Thousands of extra copies on a nearly full system drive are one reason a computer runs slowly.

What counts as a duplicate photo: an exact copy or a similar shot?

TL;DR

An exact duplicate has the same bytes as another file, even under a different name. A similar photo shows the same scene but differs in bytes: it was resized, re-saved, cropped, rotated, converted from HEIC to JPG, or taken a fraction of a second after its neighbor in a burst.

A reply on Microsoft Tech Community says "Windows has no built-in feature that can reliably decide that two merely similar photos are duplicates." This is a user's comment, not an official statement.

MethodExact copy, same nameExact copy, renamedResized or re-saved copyBurst or look-alike shot
File Explorer sort and compareBy eyeBy eye, easy to missBy eye onlyBy eye only
PowerShell Get-FileHashYesYesNoNo
OneDrive "copy" name searchOnly if "copy" is in the nameNoNoNo
Perceptual duplicate finderYesYesYesYes, with a matching level you set

Use free hashing for exact copies and perceptual matching for resized and burst shots. Mixing both in one pass risks deleting good photos. Review every "similar" match.

Does Windows 10 or 11 have a built-in duplicate photo finder?

TL;DR

No dedicated one. An Independent Advisor on Microsoft Q&A wrote that Windows 11 "does not currently have a built-in tool that automatically finds and removes duplicate photos."

The Microsoft Q&A thread is a community advisor's answer. We found no Microsoft documentation saying otherwise.

The Photos app:

In Photos for Windows 10, Linked duplicates was under the three-dot menu > Settings > Viewing and editing. Turning it on displays exact duplicate files as one item without deleting them.

2018.18081.12810.0
is the earliest Photos app version on Windows 10 with Linked duplicates, per Winaero's walkthrough
Source

Cisdem's guide reports a duplicate icon on identical-file thumbnails in the current Photos app, but says it skips copies with different names. We found no Microsoft documentation confirming this. A user who added a second drive as a Photos source said Photos "repeatedly quits seconds after launching" in a Q&A thread about duplicates on two drives.

Storage Sense and PC Manager:

Storage Sense clears temporary files and the Recycle Bin on a schedule, plus Downloads if enabled. A Level1Techs forum answer confirms it does not detect duplicate photos.
Microsoft PC Manager is free. The same advisor points to its Storage section and Duplicate files tool, though the official product page does not list that feature. Check download availability in your country, as the advisor suggests. A Microsoft Tech Community user said it finds duplicates but refuses to delete selected files; a Level1Techs reply warns of a "permission denied" error. We have not confirmed where deleted files go. Test it on a copied folder before using it on your only photo archive.

How to find duplicate photos with File Explorer

TL;DR

In File Explorer, list pictures in a folder tree, sort by size or date taken, and compare neighbors by eye. This works for one folder of a few hundred photos but gets slow with more.

1. Open your photo library's top folder, for example Pictures.
2. Click the search box and type kind:=picture to list images in the folder and its subfolders.
3. Open View, choose Details and click the Size column header. Copies have the same size and appear together.
4. Right-click a column header and add Date taken if you shot bursts or imported the same card twice.
5. Switch to Large icons and turn on the Details pane to compare dimensions and dates side by side.
6. Select the extra copy and press Delete. On an internal drive, it moves to the Recycle Bin.

Different photos can share a size, and re-saving changes a photo's size. Open both files before deleting either.

Why File Explorer misses renamed copies:

File Explorer compares names, sizes and dates rather than picture content. A Tech Community post on finding duplicate files on Windows 10 and 11 notes that manual search "can be slow and often misses files with different names." Phone backups and chat apps often rename files. If size sorting finds few pairs in a folder full of repeats, renamed copies are a likely reason.

How to find exact copies with PowerShell Get-FileHash

TL;DR

Get-FileHash reads each file's contents and returns a hash. Microsoft Learn says, "If the hash values of two files are identical, the contents of the files are also identical." Renamed copies match; a single changed byte gives a different hash.

SHA256
is the default Get-FileHash algorithm; it also accepts four others, including MD5
Source

It needs no extra software and works on Windows 10 and 11. Open PowerShell from the Start menu and paste this command. It only reads files and writes a report to your desktop.

Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\Pictures" -Recurse -File -Include *.jpg,*.jpeg,*.png,*.heic |

Get-FileHash |

Group-Object -Property Hash |
Where-Object { $_.Count -gt 1 } |
ForEach-Object { $_.Group } |

Select-Object Hash, Path |

Export-Csv "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\duplicate-photos.csv" -NoTypeInformation
Open the CSV in Excel or Notepad. Rows sharing a hash are exact copies. To scan another drive, change the folder path in the first line. Add extensions such as *.cr2 or *.nef if you shoot RAW.

Hashing reads every byte, so a large library takes time on a slow external drive. Resized copies, JPGs converted from HEIC and photos with edited metadata get different hashes.

Avoid scripts that delete all but the first file in each hash group. One in the Tech Community thread above does this without a preview; its author called it risky. The "first" file depends on folder listing order and may be the copy in your organized album. Review the CSV and delete by hand or move extras into a holding folder.

How to find similar photos that are not exact copies

TL;DR

Similar photos need perceptual matching, which checks how pictures look rather than their bytes. You need a dedicated program for this.

A perceptual hash reduces each image to a small fingerprint of light and dark areas. Resized or re-saved JPGs keep roughly the original's fingerprint. A burst of five frames lands in one group; the matching level slider controls how close pictures must be to match.
The best burst frame is usually the sharpest at full resolution, hard to judge from thumbnails at 2 a.m. after a wedding shoot. A duplicate photo finder chooses a keeper you can overrule.

If you prefer to install apps from the Store, get the Duplicate Photo Finder Software app from the Microsoft Store.
Duplicate Photo Finder compares exact copies by file size and SHA-256 hash, and similar photos by perceptual hash. It chooses a keeper by resolution, then sharpness, file size and date. Find blurry mode lists soft shots using a threshold slider. If a keeper looks soft, you can try to fix blurry photos.

The program reads JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, WebP and camera RAW files (CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG and others). HEIC matching covers exact copies only and requires the HEIF and HEVC codecs installed in Windows. Videos must be byte-identical; re-encoded clips will not match.

Sorting by hand in File Explorer
  • The size sort misses renamed copies
  • Resized and burst shots need an eye on every pair
  • You pick the keeper from small thumbnails
VS
Scanning with a duplicate finder
  • Exact and look-alike copies land in one group
  • The sharpest, largest copy is pre-marked to keep
  • Deletes go to the Recycle Bin, so you can undo

How to find and delete duplicate photos with Duplicate Photo Finder

Download and install Duplicate Photo Finder

Run the installer on Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit). Scanning stays on your PC; photos are never uploaded.

Add the folders you want to check

Click Add Folder with Include Sub Folder on. For a whole drive, use Scan Computer; system folders are skipped.

Drag and drop area for adding photo folders to the scan..

Choose exact or similar matching

Under Comparison Method, choose Exact for byte-identical copies or Similar for resized and burst shots.

Comparison Method panel with Exact Match and Similar Match options and the Matching Level slider..

Run the scan and review each group

Start the scan and open each group. A green frame marks the keeper. Check size, dimensions and EXIF in the Metadata panel.

Duplicate groups with the Keep copy framed in green and the extra copies marked for deletion..

Adjust the marks with Selection Assistant

Open Selection Assistant to change the rule, such as keeping the newest copy or the highest resolution. Every group keeps at least one file.

Delete the marked copies

Click Delete Marked. Files move to the Windows Recycle Bin, where you can restore them.

Delete Marked button with the number of marked duplicates..

Duplicate Photo Finder Duplicate Photo Finder

Duplicate Photo Finder finds and safely deletes duplicates and similar photos on your Windows PC. It intelligently detects the best copy in each group to keep.

   
 Download for Free

How to delete duplicates without losing the original

TL;DR

Send copies to the Recycle Bin or a holding folder so you can recover them. Keep the copy in your organized album, and back up before bulk deletion.

If one file is in "Pictures\2024\Italy" and its twin is in "Downloads\phone-import-3", delete the Downloads copy. Name and location identify the one you organized, even when the bytes match.
Move uncertain copies into "_review-before-delete" or another holding folder. Keep it for a week and empty it when nothing is missing. You need spare disk space.

Avoid Shift+Delete. It skips the Recycle Bin and normal restore path.
Before bulk deletion in a synced folder, check which copy OneDrive treats as the original. Check OneDrive on the web afterward.

Do not assume a USB stick, memory card or external drive has a Recycle Bin. Guides disagree on Windows' handling of these deletes. Copy the folder to your internal drive, clean it there, then copy it back.

A dedicated finder can mark hundreds of files in one click. As a forum reply put it, "you still gotta double-check what it flags."

Can you remove duplicate photos on Windows 10 for free?

TL;DR

Yes. File Explorer, PowerShell and the OneDrive name search cost nothing and handle exact copies well. Most dedicated programs require a license for similar shots.

A Microsoft Tech Community poster said cleaners they tried were full of ads or scanned useless photos. Download from the developer's site or the Microsoft Store, and scan only your photo folders.
The free version of Duplicate Photo Finder shows every duplicate and similar group. Deletion is limited per session; a license removes that limit.

How to choose a duplicate photo finder

TL;DR

Choose by the kind of duplicates you have. Look-alike shots rule out any hash-only tool. And a tool that deletes should show you a preview first and send files to the Recycle Bin.

  • Exact copies in one or two folders: File Explorer sorting is enough.
  • Exact copies across drives: use the PowerShell report if you are comfortable in a terminal.
  • Resized, re-saved or burst shots: choose perceptual matching with an adjustable matching level.
  • OneDrive files with "copy" or your PC's name in the file name: fix the cause first, as described in How to remove duplicate photos in OneDrive.

Check five things before you install a finder. It should show a side-by-side preview with file sizes and delete to the Recycle Bin. It should keep at least one copy per group and let you pick the folders to scan. And it has to read your RAW or iPhone HEIC files. The preview is what one r/windows poster requested, and it is the fastest way to catch a wrong match.

How to remove duplicate photos in OneDrive

TL;DR

Search your local OneDrive folder for "copy" to find renamed duplicates. If file names include your computer's name, apply Microsoft's credentials fix before deleting anything.

A Microsoft Q&A discussion about OneDrive duplicates suggests opening C:\Users\username\OneDrive and typing "copy" in the search box. This finds only files synced to this PC. A file with "copy" in its name may be an edit you want to keep.
A second pattern is a file with your computer name added to it. Microsoft's support page on duplicate files in OneDrive opens with exactly that case and says, "If a file is duplicated in your OneDrive with your computer name added to the filename, it could be time to refresh your credentials." Its fix is to remove the saved OneDrive credentials in Credential Manager and restart OneDrive, then reinstall it if the problem continues. Delete the copies before that, and new ones may keep appearing.

After the fix, make sure the photos are on this PC. Run Get-FileHash or a duplicate finder on the OneDrive Pictures folder. Delete from one place only and allow a few minutes for sync before checking the web version.

Free and full version

The free version is not a demo with hidden results. It scans, groups and marks everything it finds, then stops after 15 deletions per session.

FeatureFreeFull version
Exact and Similar Match scan✓✓
Auto Mark and Selection Assistant✓✓
Find Blurry Photos✓✓
Export report as JSON or CSV✓✓
Files deleted per session15No limit
  Download 
  Buy now
From $ 9.99
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From $ 9.99
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Duplicate Photo Finder Duplicate Photo Finder
Find and delete duplicate photos on Windows 10 and 11 with File Explorer, PowerShell, OneDrive search or a duplicate finder, and keep every original safe.
   
 Download for Free
Duplicate Photo Finder Screenshot.


🙋Frequently Asked Questions

A dedicated finder is fastest for a large library: one scan groups copies and pre-marks extras. For one folder with a few dozen repeats, File Explorer size sorting is quicker than installing a program.

Follow the PowerShell or File Explorer steps above. Both are free, and both miss resized or re-saved versions of the same picture.

Windows 10's Linked duplicates hides identical files. The current app's reported marker skips renamed copies and remains unconfirmed.

Delete extra exact copies, keeping the organized copy. Keep RAW+JPEG pairs and edits until you choose which versions you want.

PowerShell is free and reliable for exact copies. For resized and burst shots, pick a finder with perceptual matching and a side-by-side preview. It should also delete to the Recycle Bin and read your RAW and HEIC files.

SHA256 for exact copies, perceptual hashes for resized or re-saved pictures. Name or size sorting catches only easy cases.

Use Photos or File Explorer for browsing and albums, and a duplicate finder for cleanup. Remove duplicates before organizing so you sort each picture once.

No. It clears temporary files, old Recycle Bin items and, if enabled, Downloads.

A user on Microsoft Tech Community reports that it refuses to delete the files selected, and a Level1Techs reply warns about "permission denied" errors. Test it on a copied folder first, and switch to another method if it keeps failing.

Sources

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