How to Delete Duplicate Photos on Windows 11 & 10 (2026 Guide)

Highlight: The best way to find and delete duplicate photos on Windows PC is by using the built-in duplicate detection support in File Explorer of Windows 11/10 or prefer the MD5 Hash-based PowerShell Script. For users who don’t want to get into the technical steps or want to save 4 hours, go for the professional scanning tool for a safer and 1-click solution, organize your cluttered file structure, and restore the disk space.

Practical Reasons to Remove Duplicate Images from Computer – Win 11/10

Here are some of the practical grounds that one should know:

Free Up Storage Space – Similar photos unnecessarily clog up your PC space, leading to storage shortages and hampering system performance.

Enhance System Speed – Cluttered photo libraries can have a significant impact on your system’s overall speed.

Easier Photo Management – Organizing and locating your favorite images gets easy by deleting identical pics from your photo collection.

Prevent Confusion – Providing shelter to duplicate pics can lead to confusion at the right times, making it challenging to find and share the shots.

Prevent Data Redundancy – Removing similar images can reduce data redundancy, allowing you to efficiently use the storage resources and easier data management.

Video Tutorial on How to Delete Duplicate Photos on PC

Watch the video guide carefully on how to delete any type of image present on your PC for free without installing any plugins. All used codes are available in the article and in the video description.

#1 – How to Get Rid of Duplicate Photos on PC Using Microsoft Photos for free?

Microsoft Photos is generally known as Photos in Windows 11. It is an intelligent scanning engine that finds out the duplicates in a folder. However, if you don’t have this application on your PC, you can download it from the Microsoft Store.

Most of us must have used this tool to view our photos, but very few of us know that it can also find duplicate images in a directory. It also detects photos with similar content using its built-in feature.

Note: If you have an older version of Microsoft Photos or Photos Legacy, you might not have the duplicate detection feature available.

Step 1. Open and Add Folder in Microsoft Photos

This step is optional. From the navigation bar on the left, go to “Folders” → “Add a folder”. Do this to add the folder where you want to eliminate the duplicates. Also, you can add multiple files as per your need.

Step 2. Choose the Identical files

In particular, duplicate detection occurs automatically in the wizard’s background. When a duplicate is traced by the application, a Duplicate icon will be visible in the top left corner of the thumbnail. Next, to detect all the identical pictures, go to “All Photos” in the navigation bar. After that, seek the images with the Duplicate icon and select them.

However, for the photos that are not exactly similar, you have to manually find them yourself. For each set, choose the redundant version(s).

Step 3. Erase Identical Photos

At last, click the Trash icon in the top right corner of the Photos app to remove the selected items. Click on “Delete” to move the duplicate photos to the Recycle Bin. However, this technique is ideal for user who have iCloud or OneDrive folders that are synced to their system.

#2 – How to Delete Duplicate Photos on PC for Free via File Explorer

You can use this free way to easily find and delete identical images in Windows 11/10. However, this easily accessible solution may not be the perfect approach to solve the decluttering issue. Basically, File Explorer is a file manager i.e included in the Windows operating system.

Step 1. Open the folder where you want to find the duplicate pics.

Step 2. This step can be optional if your folder contains only the pictures. But if it has both images and other types of files or subfolders, this step becomes necessary. Follow the sub-steps to execute:

• In the top right corner of your File Explorer window, type “kind:” in the search box.
• Next, select “Picture” from the dropdown list.
• By doing this, the explorer will show only the pictures that are in the folder. Further, if you want to change the image format to JPG, type “kind:=picture type:jpg“.

Step 3. Sort Photos to Seamlessly find Identicals

• Navigate to the View tab → “Extra large icons” or “Large icons” → “Details pane” option.
• After that, align the images by Name, Size, or Date modified to detect the duplicates easily.

Step 4. Identify the Duplicate Snap

Manually go through the sorted photos to figure out similar visual content images by comparing them and also the details like names, file sizes, and resolutions.

Step 5. Delete the Duplicate Media Files

Using the Ctrl + Right-click button, you can select multiple unwanted identical pictures and press on Delete button to erase duplicates.

Bonus Tip: Use this handy trick to search for precise like photos in a folder by name. Likewise, go to the search box of the File Explorer, and type “~”*copy*“. This will show you all the files with “copy” names in them. Keep in mind, to cross-check the pictures before deleting them to avoid accidental loss.

#3: How to Scan and Delete Duplicate Photos on PC Via Powershell – Free Approach

PowerShell is an appropriate way to check two photos for duplication using the MD5 Hash Algorithm. If you are looking for a free solution that can check the 100% identical image even with similar filenames, opt for Powershell.

Note: Unlike manual or visual sorting, hashing checks the internal content of a photo. So, if the hashing value of two pictures matches, then they are similar.

Here are the steps below to remove duplicate pictures from your Windows 11 & 10:

• Press ‘Win + x’ simultaneously and click on Windows PowerShell (Admin).

• Filter duplicate images with the same MD5 hash value, by simply copying and pasting the code below:

Pro Tip from the SysTools: Whenever you are using the PowerShell script, make sure to run a ‘-WhatIf’ command to check what files or photos will be deleted without actually removing them.

$folderPath = “E:\Files”
$files = Get-ChildItem -Path $folderPath -Recurse | Where-Object { -not $_.PSIsContainer }
$hashes = $files | Get-FileHash -Algorithm MD5
$duplicates = $hashes | Group-Object -Property Hash | Where-Object { $_.Count -gt 1 }
foreach ($group in $duplicates) {
$firstFile = $group.Group[0].Path # Keep the first file
$duplicateFiles = $group.Group[1..($group.Count – 1)] # All but the first file

foreach ($duplicate in $duplicateFiles) {
Write-Host “Deleting duplicate file: $($duplicate.Path)”
Remove-Item -Path $duplicate.Path -Force # Delete the duplicate
}
}

Write-Host “Duplicate removal complete.”

Note: You need to replace the folder path i.e. E:\Files to the location where you want perform the search, it can be Local Disk C Drive, Flash drive or External hard drive.

The remaining files will consist of a single instance of each duplicate, rest other copies are discarded. No doubt, this PowerShell technique is best for technology familiar users with 100+ images. But, for 10,000+ photos, an automated tool is safer and secure way.

#4 – How to Remove Duplicate Photos on PC through Batch File (Free Solution)

A batch file will allow you to find and delete duplicate images based on their name and size found in a specific folder. Due to which, this technique is known as Attribute-Based Duplicate Detection or File Metadata Comparison.

Step 1: Create a Batch File
Open Notepad (Press Win + R, type notepad, hit Enter).

In Notepad, paste the script given below:

@echo off
:: === EDIT THIS PATH ===
set “target=E:\Files” REM Change to your target folder

:: === MAIN SCRIPT ===
title Duplicate File Remover – SAFE MODE
echo Scanning for duplicates in: “%target%”
echo.
echo [SAFETY CHECK] Duplicates will be listed first. No files will be deleted yet.
echo Press Ctrl+C to cancel if the target path is wrong.
echo.
pause

:: Step 1: List duplicates (no deletion)
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command “$hash=@{}; Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath ‘%target%’ -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object { $md5=(Get-FileHash $_.FullName -Algorithm MD5).Hash; if($hash.ContainsKey($md5)){Write-Host (‘DUPLICATE: ‘ + $_.FullName + ‘ (Original: ‘ + $hash[$md5] + ‘)’)}else{$hash[$md5]=$_.FullName}}”

echo.
echo ============================================
set /p confirm=”Type ‘YES’ (without quotes) to delete ALL listed duplicates: ”
if /i “%confirm%” neq “YES” (
echo Operation cancelled. No files were deleted.
pause
exit /b
)

:: Step 2: Delete duplicates
echo.
echo DELETING DUPLICATES…
echo.
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command “$hash=@{}; Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath ‘%target%’ -Recurse -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object { $md5=(Get-FileHash $_.FullName -Algorithm MD5).Hash; if($hash.ContainsKey($md5)){Remove-Item -LiteralPath $_.FullName -Force; Write-Host (‘DELETED: ‘ + $_.FullName)}else{$hash[$md5]=$_.FullName}}”

echo.
echo OPERATION COMPLETED. Check above for deleted files.
pause

Step 2: Substitute E:\Files with the correct folder location to look for duplicate photos.
Step 3: Save the File as a .bat File

1. Tap on File > Save As.
2. From the Save as type dropdown, select All Files.
3. Name it RemoveDuplicates.bat.
4. Click Save.

Step 4: Run the Batch File

Head over to the folder, right-click on the newly created text file with the .bat extension, then run it as administrator. It uses MD5 Hash to identify duplicate images and automatically cleans it.

Also Read: Explore the benefits of using duplicate media finder utility.

Shortcomings in the Free Solutions to Erase Duplicate Photos

Let’s see the answer in suitable one-liner points:

• Time-Consuming
• Human Error
• Inefficiency for Large Collections
• Limited Accuracy
• Subjective Decision-Making
• No Automation
• Risk of Data Loss
• Limited Sorting and Filtering
• No Handling of Similar Images
• No Deduplication Suggestions

Method #4 – How to Find and Delete Duplicate Photos on PC Using A Quick Fix

No doubt that the manual or free approach is the best but the process is not reliable and could end up deleting the original files (Not Secure). Thus, going for a SysTools Duplicate File Finder tool can be a standout option to detect and erase identical images. Also, using this cutting-edge tech, you can easily arrange disorderly and disarrayed files. Coming to the rich feature of this utility, it incorporates a robust scanning engine, supports multiple file types, recursive scanning mode, and many more.

Follow the steps to find and delete duplicate media files instantly:

Step 1. Download and launch the above software on your machine.

Step 2. Next, tap on the Add Folder tab to choose the folder.

Step 3. In the Scan Configuration section, pick the parameters as per your needs. Then, hit on Continue.

Step 4. To remove the duplicate images, click on the Delete option.

Step 5. Once the delete action is completed under the Action it will show Deleted.

Manual Vs. Professional Way – Which is better? to Delete Duplicate Photos

Every approach has its pros and cons associated with it. To analyze the approaches better, let’s observe the comparison table for a clear outline.

Aspect	Manual/Free Solution	Tool-Oriented Method
Time Efficiency	Time-consuming, especially for large collections	Rapid and automated, suitable for extensive libraries
Accuracy	Prone to human error, may miss subtle differences	High accuracy, automated algorithms minimize errors
Scalability	Inefficient for large collections	Efficient, scalable for various library sizes
Automation	Manual, repetitive process	Automated, reduces user intervention
Risk of Data Loss	Higher risk due to human errors	Lower risk, advanced tools offer safety features
Consistency	Subjective decision-making, inconsistent	Consistent, automated processes ensure uniform results
Handling Similar Images	Limited ability to identify subtle differences	Robust algorithms can detect even similar images
Sorting/Filtering Options	Basic or limited options	Advanced sorting and filtering capabilities
Deduplication Suggestions	Lacks suggestions for duplicate sets	Provides suggestions, streamlining decision-making
Ease of Use	Requires manual effort and attention	User-friendly interfaces, less user effort
Frequency of Maintenance	Frequent manual effort for ongoing management	Less frequent maintenance due to automation
Cost	Generally free, but may have hidden costs	Varies, but some tools may require a purchase

Final Takeaway

In this article, we have shed light on answering the question of “How to delete duplicate photos on PC – Windows 10 & 11?” We also gained some insights related to various manual solutions to eliminate identical pictures. Next, we come to know where the manual solutions fail. As a result, to counteract the limitations of the free approach, we recommend the professional (Quick fix) method. Now, after going through the blog, you can decide the precise way to address the decluttering problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a built-in duplicate photo finder in Windows 11?

A: Yes, Windows 11 has a native Microsoft Photos App as a built-in duplicate image finder. Once you launch your gallery, you look at the thumbnails, and in the top-left corner, you can see the icon ” Duplicates”. You can combine duplicate copies of files, or you can get rid of the copies if you want to save some space.

Q: What is the fastest way to delete duplicate photos in Windows 10 for free?

A: The quickest manual method is via File Explorer. Open your pictures folder, then click on the View tab, then Extra Large Icons, and sort by Size or Name. This enables you to find and choose duplicate files based on a visual guide. For bigger libraries, an MD5 hash comparison in a PowerShell script is the best.

Q: Is it safe to use a tool to remove duplicate photos?

A: Yes, as long as the tool has a Preview feature. A safe duplicate remover will use “Bit-for-Bit” or “MD5 Hash” accuracy to match files, not merely filter by names. Be sure the software allows you to check the “marked” duplicates before the actual deletion to avoid loss of original pictures by mistake.

Q: Why does my pc keep generating duplicate photos?

A: Duplicates come from things like cloud syncing (from OneDrive or Google Drive), importing the same camera SD card over and over, or having been saved as a “Copy” version during photo editing. To avoid this kind of accumulation, you can disable the Automatically download from cloud setting.