Good free software to find duplicate files.

[berlingoodman]

Hello all,


I have so many duplicate music files on a hard drive of mine and I was wondering if someone knows a good, preferably free software I could use to find the duplicate files and delete them.

I am using a MacBookPro running OS 10.8.4. I have my music files backed up on 1 terabyte removable hard drive. I'm not using Time Machine, by the way.

Thanks, all!

 

[toMACsh]

I've seen Dupe Guru mentioned, but I'm not sure if it runs on 10.8.4 or not, nor if it's free. What a world we live in these days! No one wants to pay for software. It's beyond me why anyone would develop software and then give it away!

 

[berlingoodman]

Thanks for your suggestion. I tried Dupe Guru's demo. It was quite good, but I also need a software that will look for duplicate folders as well as files, since iTunes organizes music that way.

And I said PREFERABLY FREE. I never said I wouldn't pay for software. There's plenty of free software out there so it wasn't an outrageous request.

 

[chas_m]

There are some iTunes-specific dupe finders (including one built into iTunes), but if you're looking for duplicate files generally I would suggest Gemini from the Mac App Store. It's $10 but it does the trick.

 

[berlingoodman]

Hey chas,

Thanks for the tip! Gemini sounds great.

 

[toMACsh]

There's plenty of free software out there ...

Yeah, that's the part I don't get.

 

[chas_m]

toMACsh:

Sometimes people give away software because they wrote the program for themselves and then decided it would be useful to others.

Sometimes people write free software and support it by having advertising on the site (or in some cases in the program itself -- Carbon Copy Cloner did that for a while).

Sometimes people write free software because they don't think it's totally where it could be yet, but they might charge for it when the next big upgrade comes.

Sometimes they give the software away to determine interest in a more professional but similar paid product.

Sometimes they just want to build reputation, foster a community, or build a following. On occasion they build software and give it away so that it attracts investors and the eventual sale of the company for filthy lucre (see: Instagram)

Just a few reasons.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Chas stated some very good reason why there is a large amount of free software, another reason is that a lot of companies have been successful at creating a free app or free service and getting wide adoption and then turning that around into a money making business once they have the user mass to support a money making model..

As far as programs go, in MOST cases, Chas' first reason is the primary motivator.

Frankly, as a software developer by trade, I fall into that category..I've got a ton of small applications that I've written for various things on many platforms for things that I do but no application did for me..that's just the way we are..

 

[peterson07]

Duplicate Files Deleter

For me, Duplicate Files Deleter software is the best. It works fast that it can easily find and delete duplicate files.

 

[Sawday]

For images I use PhotoSweeper which finds 'nearly alike' as well as perfect duplicates. For everything else Araxis Find Duplicate Files.