If your Mac is starting to slow down, our first tip is to check the remaining storage space. It is generally advisable to have a minimum of 10% for optimum operation. If you've only got a few GB left, it's time to clean up and reclaim some space.
Over time, your hard drive is likely to accumulate many duplicates that end up taking up that precious space. However, spotting and deleting them can take a long time if you do it one by one. In this article, we explore how to eliminate them quickly and effectively.
Why do you have duplicate files?
Most often, these are erroneous downloads (caused by double clicking on a link), attachments to emails and messages, etc. Unless you're a particularly picky Mac user, duplicates will keep your computer busy one way or another.
Manually find duplicates via Finder
It is possible to locate duplicate files using the New Smart Folder feature of Finder.
- Open the application Finder.
- See you in File, then click the option New smart folder.
- Click on "+" in the upper right corner.
Now you can search for documents, photos, music or several other file types. Then sort the results, sorting them by name, you should easily spot duplicates.
Don't forget to check the date to see if it's a real duplicate, you wouldn't want to delete the wrong version of an important document...
Sure, it's doable but it's far from the best solution... The time spent going through the long list of files could be better spent using a third-party program.
Use dedicated third-party apps
The Mac App Store has a number of programs that allow you to detect duplicates and remove them.
Many of them are free like Duplicate File Finder Remover, you can also try Parallels Toolbox Duplicate Finder feature, the app is free trial.
The apps scan your hard drive, then present you with a list of duplicates, along with the original file, so you know which ones are safe to delete.
In general, you will have to upgrade to a paid version for advanced functions like deleting duplicate folders, hidden files, etc.
One of our favorites is Gemini 2, it's free to download, and to benefit from its smart duplicate finder you need to upgrade to its €19,95 plan.
Not only does this app help you find duplicates of all types of files saved on your hard drive, but it also scans external drives and cloud services, such as Google Drive and Dropbox. All of this comes with the ability to immediately recover any accidentally deleted files.
All of the apps offered above will allow you to reclaim space on your Mac. You can always start with the free offerings and then upgrade to a paid version for more options.
Recommended articles:
- How to Boost a Slow Mac?
- The best software to deep clean a Mac
- How do I delete Other storage on a Mac?
- How to free up RAM on a Mac?
- How do I delete backups from a Mac?
