Duplicate File Finder Script

In this post, we introduce a PowerShell script that identifies and lists duplicate files in a specified directory. This script is useful for cleaning up unnecessary duplicates and saving disk space.
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### Step 1: Define the Target Directory
The first step is to specify the directory you want to scan for duplicate files. This is where the script will look for files that have the same name and size.

$targetDirectory = 'C:\FilesToScan'

### Step 2: Retrieve Files and Group Duplicates
Next, we will gather all files in the target directory and group them by their name and size. This allows us to identify which files are duplicates.

$files = Get-ChildItem -Path $targetDirectory -File
$duplicateGroups = $files | Group-Object Name, Length | Where-Object { $_.Count -gt 1 }

### Step 3: Display Duplicate Files
Now we will display the list of duplicate files, providing their full paths for easier access. This helps you determine which files you may want to delete or manage.

if ($duplicateGroups.Count -gt 0) {
    Write-Host "Duplicate files found:"
    foreach ($group in $duplicateGroups) {
        Write-Host "Group of duplicates:"
        $group.Group | ForEach-Object { Write-Host " - $($_.FullName)" }
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "No duplicate files found in '$targetDirectory'."
}

### Step 4: Summary of the Process
Finally, we provide a summary message that indicates whether duplicate files were found or if the process was completed without any duplicates.

Write-Host "Duplicate file search completed for '$targetDirectory'."

Feel free to customize the target directory as needed. This script is an excellent tool for maintaining an organized and efficient file system! Stay tuned for more useful PowerShell scripts on our website!