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My Photos Are a Mess --- Is there a program that compares images?

Anonymous
2023-01-21T18:52:22+00:00

Between iCloud, One Drive, my external backup drives, and my own folders created when I upgraded PCs not long ago, I have a disaster of organization of a couple thousand pictures. Two get everything organized, I'm going to need to consolidate all of them in one folder and then do some sort of comparison that allows me to cull duplicates on the fly.

Comparing file names is not going to work for all of them because over time, some have been downloaded from iCloud (for instance) and assigned a file name on the PC that is not reflected there.

Does any utility exist that would help me organize this mess?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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Les Ferch 10,341 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2023-01-22T17:38:53+00:00

There are MANY utilities available for finding duplicate files. Some are general purpose duplicate finders and some have image specific features. Generally, the image specific features are really only needed if you want to find similar images. Any duplicate file finder that can compare based on content (e.g. MD5 hash value) will find identical images, regardless of filename or folder. Some duplicate finders can also compare EXIF data.

Here are a couple of discussions on the topic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comments/va6ryr/is_there_a_software_that_can_find_visually/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/r88ap7/best_duplicate_photo_finder_for_8tb_of_pictures/

Here is a partial list of duplicate file/image finders that I've tested. I've starred my favorite:

https://github.com/qarmin/czkawka  * (good interface, very fast) https://www.gpsoft.com.au https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net

https://antidupl.sourceforge.net

https://www.duplicate-finder.com

http://www.visipics.info https://www.mindgems.com

The list just goes on. I didn't even look at ones that are available on the Microsoft store.

There are certainly differences in performance (i.e. time to scan a large folder of images), ease of use (very subjective), and file management features. If you ask ten different people for a recommendation, you're likely to get about 5 different answers.

I think speed is very important. Especially if you rearrange your folders and want to scan again and again for duplicates. And keep in mind that speed can vary significantly depending on the search options selected.

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Les Ferch 10,341 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2023-01-23T18:45:11+00:00

Windows SmartScreen will block execution of downloaded apps. There are exceptions for apps that are code-signed, but I won't go into all those details. When you download a well-respected, open source app from GitHub, you can be assured that it's safe and does not do data gathering. Just click "More Info" and then "Run anyway". It won't bother you again.

Please note that if you download an app from some random web site (as opposed to the developer's site) then you should think very carefully before running it. Always go to the developer's web site and also do some searching about the tool on discussion sites like Reddit. Once you've confirmed the app is good, and you're getting it from the developer's site, then go ahead and use it.

You don't need to download that runtime. Everything you need for the Windows version of czkawka is in that one zip file. It's a portable app, by the way. Just unzip it and then double-click the Exe. There's no installer.

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Les Ferch 10,341 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2023-01-24T18:06:12+00:00

One final question --- I hope. I am running the app, and it is super, quickly identifying duplicates. However, when I click on an image to delete it (trash can delete button), there is no change to the display in the app, i.e., the file image does not disappear, and the file itself remains where it was on the interface. Is this normal?

You have to first check the one you want to delete (highlighting it won't matter):

Then click Delete and that duplicate pair will disappear from the list.

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  1. Les Ferch 10,341 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2023-01-23T14:46:29+00:00

    Using czkawka (and many other dup finders) you can add multiple folders, even from different drives, to the search list. So, you don't have to consolidate everything to one folder first. But it's okay to do so and might be necessary if you have multiple removable drives that you can't plug in all at the same time.

    The process of consolidating the folders will only reveal duplicates when the exact same file name already exists in the target folder. Using the examples below, if you copy the "Photos" folder from Drive E: to the "Photos" folder on drive C:, Example 1 would result in a pop-up message asking if you want to replace the duplicate file. Example 2 would just result in a "Paris2020" folder being created at the same level as "Vacations" and, therefore, retain the duplicates.

    Drive E:

    \Photos\Paris2020\Eifel1.jpg

    Example 1:

    Drive C:

    \Photos\Paris2020\Eifel1.jpg

    Example 2:

    Drive C:

    \Photos\Vacations\Paris2020\Eifel1.jpg

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-01-22T06:15:54+00:00

    Hello Curmudgeon,

    Welcome to Microsoft Community.

    As far as I know, Microsoft unfortunately doesn't have the software to do what you need.

    There may be some third-party programs that can fulfill your needs, but I'm sorry to say that third-party software recommendations are beyond my scope.

    I can suggest you try searching in the Microsoft Store or in the Bing.

    Best regards,

    Mitchell - | Microsoft community support expert from MSFT

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