re: 20,536 duplicate files???? Monday, August 21, 2006 at 10:39 am Windows XP Annoyances Discussion Forum Posted by C K (6910 messages posted) Duplicates aren't always duplicates. The only way to know would be to physically examine the code of each file. Programs may install a file of the same name in a different location, and it my not be the same as another file. Even if it is, you can get into trouble, as many people have, by deleting duplicates. The only files that you are assured that might be a duplicate, would be the files you create or know beyond doubt to be a duplicate of another. IME, and from working on systems where people have deleted dups only to find they were needed, don't worry about it. Depending on your system, it isn't a lot of space being taken up. In the old days, it was possible to delete dups and get away with it as long as the programs could find a file needed but today, it is a lot more complicated. I would play it safe and leave well enough alone. Dups are far from the only reason for a slow machine. Look for malware and other problems first. On Monday, August 21, 2006 at 9:15 am, BILL wrote: >My computer was running slow so I ran "duplicate files" with my EasyCleaner 2.0 software. >When I came back sometime later the screen said "Bytes 2,002,550,983, Files 20,536, >Groups 9811." I was staggered. Is it really possible that I somehow acquired that >many duplicates? If so, how could one possibly go through all those files to determine >which to delete and whether they should be deleted at all? Does anyone out there >have any suggestions for a reasonable way to check the accuracy of this result or >to whittle down the number without several years of work? I would really appreciate >any thoughtful comments. Thank you. Written in response to: 20,536 duplicate files???? (BILL: Monday, August 21, 2006 at 9:15 am) There are presently no replies to this message. All messages in this thread [show all] 20,536 duplicate files???? (BILL: Mon, Aug 21, 2006, 9:15 am) re: 20,536 duplicate files???? (C K: Mon, Aug 21, 2006, 10:39 am) re: 20,536 duplicate files???? (werner: Mon, Aug 21, 2006, 1:30 pm) re: 20,536 duplicate files???? (BILL: Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 4:30 am) re: 20,536 duplicate files???? (werner: Sun, Aug 27, 2006, 5:37 am) Reply or follow-up to this message Search this forum Start a new thread on a different subject Report abuse of the forum Return to the Windows XP Discussion Forum