How to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive Mac

As we use our Macs for a wide variety of tasks, we tend to accumulate a large amount of data over time. This includes documents, photos, videos, music files, and more. While it’s great to have all this data at our fingertips, it also means that we can quickly run out of storage space on our Mac’s hard drive.

One common problem that can lead to running out of storage space is the accumulation of duplicate files. These files take up valuable storage space and can cause confusion when it comes to organizing and managing your files. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to find and remove duplicate files on your Mac’s external hard drive.

Part 1: How to Find and Remove Duplicates from an External Drive

If you’re looking to eliminate duplicate files from your external drive, you can follow these steps once you’ve configured your application settings. Keep in mind that the duration of the scanning process will vary depending on how much data you have stored on your external drive. The more gigabytes you have, the longer it will take for the application to analyze the disk.

To begin, launch Duplicate File Finder and select the “Choose other folder” option. You can then add your external drive and choose whether to scan the entire drive or specific folders. Click “Start scanning” to initiate the process.

After a period of time, you’ll see the scan results, which can be viewed in different tabs based on file types, duplicate folders, similar media, and similar folders. On the right side of the screen, you can view previews of the duplicate files and their locations.

To remove duplicates, review the items and select any unnecessary files in the group. You can also use the “Auto Select” button, which allows the application to automatically choose duplicates based on your preferences. Click “Review & Remove” and confirm the removal of selected files. By default, these files are sent to the Trash, but you can configure the application to delete them permanently or move them to a specific folder.

When scanning an external drive, there are a few crucial factors to keep in mind. First, ensure that your external drive has a Trash bin, which is generated when you delete a file via Finder. Additionally, your disk should have the appropriate extension (NTFS) and be writable. You must have a driver on the disk to manage its files.

For more effective scanning on large volumes, we recommend modifying your Mac battery preferences to disable the option to put your hard disks to sleep when possible. This will prevent Duplicate File Finder from stopping its scanning process while you continue to use your computer. To change this preference, go to System Preferences, select “Battery,” and disable the appropriate option.

Finally, we suggest turning off the search for similar photos and audio files when conducting your first search for duplicates on a large disk. This will decrease the scanning time, allowing you to clean up duplicates before addressing similar files. To disable the search for similar files, open Duplicate File Finder’s Preferences and deselect the appropriate options in the General tab.

Part 2: How to Speed up Searching for Duplicates on an External Drive

To speed up the search for duplicates on an external drive, you can follow these tips:

• Use a dedicated duplicate file finder tool: Using a specialized tool like Duplicate File Finder can significantly speed up the search process by providing advanced search algorithms and optimized scanning options.
• Exclude unnecessary folders: Exclude any folders that are not needed to be scanned to save time. For example, you can exclude system folders, program files, and any other folders that you know do not contain duplicates.
• Use file type filters: Use file type filters to search for specific file types that you suspect have duplicates. This can speed up the process by reducing the number of files that need to be scanned.
• Use advanced scanning options: Some duplicate file finder tools offer advanced scanning options such as skipping zero-byte files or skipping hidden files that can save significant time when scanning large drives.
• Disconnect unnecessary devices: Disconnect any unnecessary devices like USB drives, external hard drives, or SD cards from your computer before starting the search. This can free up system resources and speed up the scanning process.

By following these tips, you can speed up the search for duplicates on your external drive and efficiently remove unnecessary duplicate files.

Skip the Time Machine backups to be scanned

To skip Time Machine backups while scanning for duplicates on an external drive, you can follow these steps:

1. Open Duplicate File Finder.
2. Click on “Preferences” in the application menu.
3. Select the “Exclusions” tab.
4. Click the “+” button to create a new exclusion.
5. In the “Type” drop-down menu, select “Folder.”
6. In the “Path” field, type “/Volumes” followed by the name of your external drive (e.g. “/Volumes/MyExternalDrive”).
7. Under “Exclusion type,” select “Exclude by path.”
8. Under “Apply to,” select “Only to folders and subfolders.”
9. Check the box next to “Skip Time Machine backups.”
10. Click “OK” to save the exclusion.

By following these steps, Duplicate File Finder will skip Time Machine backups on your external drive while scanning for duplicates, saving you time and effort.

Part 3: How to Find and Remove Duplicates

Are you struggling to find duplicate files on your Mac external hard drive? Don’t let duplicate files on your Mac external hard drive slow you down.

Use a specialized software

There are several third-party software tools available that are specifically designed to find duplicate files on your Mac. These tools can quickly scan your external hard drive and identify any duplicate files, allowing you to easily review and delete them. Some popular options include Gemini 2, dupeGuru, and Easy Duplicate Finder.

Use the built-in Finder feature

If you prefer to use native Mac tools, you can take advantage of the built-in Finder feature to find and remove duplicate files. Open Finder, select your external hard drive and click on the File menu. From there, select the “Find Duplicates” option. Finder will scan your drive for duplicate files and display the results in a list. You can then review the files and delete any duplicates you don’t need.

Manually search for duplicate files

If you prefer a more hands-on approach, you can manually search for duplicate files on your external hard drive. This can be time-consuming, but it’s a good way to ensure you don’t accidentally delete any important files. Start by creating a new folder on your desktop, and then manually drag and drop files from your external hard drive into the folder. As you do this, keep an eye out for any files that you’ve already added. Once you’ve moved all the files you want to check, open the folder and sort the files by name, size, or date modified. This will make it easier to spot any duplicates. If you find any, delete the ones you don’t need.

Part 4: How to Find Duplicate Files on External Hard Drive Mac Using Mac Cleaner

To find duplicate files on an external hard drive using Mac Cleaner, follow these steps:

• Download and install Mac Cleaner on your Mac.
• Launch the application and select the “Delete Duplicate Files” module from the left-hand menu.
• Click on the “+” button to add your external hard drive to the scanning list.
• Select the folders you want to scan or choose the entire external hard drive.
• Click on the “Scan” button to start the scanning process.
• Once the scanning process is complete, Mac Cleaner will display a list of all the duplicate files found on your external hard drive.
• Review the list of duplicate files and select the files you want to remove.
• Click on the “Clean” button to remove the selected duplicate files.
• Confirm the deletion by clicking on the “Confirm” button.

Mac Cleaner’s duplicate finder tool uses advanced scanning algorithms to quickly find duplicate files on your external hard drive. It also allows you to preview files before deleting them, ensuring that you don’t accidentally remove important files. By following these steps, you can easily find and remove duplicate files from your external hard drive using Mac Cleaner.

Conclusion

By using specialized software, the built-in Finder feature, or manually searching for duplicate files, you can free up valuable storage space on your Mac’s external hard drive. This will not only improve your Mac’s performance but also make it easier to organize and manage your files. So take a few minutes to find and remove any duplicate files you don’t need, and enjoy a more efficient Mac experience.