How to Delete Duplicate Files on USB Drives (2 Ways)

USB drives are widely used due to their compact size and large storage capacity. However, they often contain duplicate files due to various reasons, which consume valuable space and slow down performance. How to find and delete a large number of duplicate files gives you a headache.

If you’re on this page, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will explain how to delete duplicate files on USB drive and prevent duplicate USB files.

Besides, if you unfortunately delete or lose your USB files, you can also find a way to recover them via reliable USB data recovery software if you don’t have file backups.

Why Are There Duplicate Files on the USB Flash Drive?

Duplicate files on USB drives make saved files become cluttered and occupy inefficient storage space. Here are 5 common reasons why duplicate files might exist on your USB drive:

1️⃣ When people handle lots of files, they might accidentally copy things twice because they're not paying close attention or aren't very organized.

2️⃣ Certain computer programs can create extra copies of files as part of their normal operations, especially when they're managing data or different versions of files.

3️⃣ Incomplete data transfers, where files don't fully move from one place to another, can create partial copies on the USB drive.

4️⃣ Some folks deliberately make duplicates, thinking they're creating backups, not realizing they already have the same files somewhere else.

In short, these unwanted files on a USB flash drive happen for different reasons and they take up tons of space. That's why it's important to find and delete duplicate files on USB drives.

How to Delete Duplicate Files on USB Drives? (2 Easy Ways)

In this session, we will show you how to delete duplicate files on a USB flash drive. Now, please refer to the following 2 easy and effective ways to finish it. Have a try!

1. Find and Delete Duplicate Files Using Windows Explorer

You can manually find duplicate files on USB drives using the search and sort functions in Windows File Explorer. However, this method is time-consuming and not suitable for a large number of duplicate files. Here are the steps to find and delete duplicate files from a USB drive using Windows File Explorer:

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer and press the Win + E key to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Double-click the USB drive > go to the top right corner or press the F3 key.

Step 3. Type the extension of files. (it can be .doc, .xlsx .jpg, .png, .docx, .mp3, etc.) in the search bar.

Step 4. Go to the View > click Sort by > Name to sort the search results by file name.

Step 5. You can find and remove duplicate files by referring to the file name or the “Copy”, “(1)” or “(2)” characters following the file name.

2. Find and Delete Duplicate Files on USB Drives via Partition Assistant Wizard

How to find duplicate files on USB drive and delete them quickly? Here, Partition Assistant Wizard is another of the fastest and handy solutions you can count on. This comprehensive disk partition management tool comes with a "Duplicate Files Finder" feature.

It allows deep scanning, covering various file types like pictures, videos, audio, documents, and archives, etc. After scanning, you can easily remove duplicates from your connected USB according to your situation with just a few clicks.

Step 1. Connect your USB to your Windows PC, and download and run this software.

Step 2. Click the Free up and select Duplicate Files Finder.

Step 3. Choose your connected USB stick partition and click Scan.

Step 3. After scanning, all duplicate files will be displayed. You can click Preview to see the details.

Step 4. You can select the duplicate files you want to delete. Or, click Smart Select to select duplicate files automatically. Then, click Move to folder.

How to Recover Accidentally Deleted Files from USB Drive

Sometimes, Using File Explorer's search feature to delete duplicate files on USB drives can be risky because it may result in the accidental deletion of important files. In this case, you don’t need to panic, because professional data recovery software MyRecover comes to the rescue. It’s extremely easy to recover deleted files from USB drives.

MyRecover

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• Recover 200+ formats: It can recover deleted Microsoft Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, JPG, MP4, MP3, CDA, ZIP, RAR, MSG, and more.
• Scan the USB drive deeply and find out all the recoverable deleted USB files.
• Support different brands of USB sticks such as SanDisk, Kingston, Samsung, ADATA, Transcend, PNY, Lexar, etc.
• Has a high success rate and keeps the original file format, path, and size for the deleted files.

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Step 1. Connect the USB drive to the PC. Download, install, and launch MyRecover, hover the mouse over the USB drive, and click Scan.

Step 2. Then the scanning process will start automatically. You can use the Search Box or the Filter feature to quickly locate the deleted files you want.

Step 3. You will see a list of data and choose the deleted files that you want to recover. Then, click Recover x files.

Step 4. Please select a new location instead of the original location and click Select Folder to confirm it. Avoid saving recovered files to their original location. If overwritten, it’s hard to recover permanently deleted files.

5 Hot Tips: Prevent USB Drive Duplicate Files

Recognizing the space duplicates occupy on your USB device is crucial. These extra files can create chaos in your storage system. 5 common tips to prevent duplicate files on USB drives for you.

1️⃣ Disable the USB Drive for ReadyBoost.

Using the ReadyBoost feature of the USB drive can improve computing performance. However, this can cause duplicate files on your USB drive. So, you may consider disabling the USB drive for ReadyBoost.

Step 1. Connect your USB to the Windows > press the Win+ E key to open File Explorer.

Step 2. Go to the This PC section and right-click the USB drive to choose Properties > ReadyBoost > Do not use this device > click OK to save these changes.

2️⃣ Organize Your Data: Maintain a well-organized folder structure and be mindful while copying or moving files.

3️⃣ Use File Sync Tools Carefully: If using synchronization tools, configure them properly to avoid creating unnecessary duplicates.

4️⃣ Regular Cleanup: Periodically check your USB drive for duplicates and remove them manually or use reliable duplicate file remover tools like CCleaner, Easy Duplicate File Finder, and SearchMyFiles to streamline your storage.

5️⃣ Mindful File Naming: Adopt a consistent and clear file naming convention to prevent confusion between similar file names.

FAQs

Summary

The above 2 methods will help you learn how to delete duplicate files on USB drives. In addition, if your USB duplicate files are deleted due to mistakes or accidental operations, you can try reliable data recovery software like MyRecover to get them back easily and quickly. It can also recover data from SD cards, hard drives, computers, and other storage devices with easy steps.