Selecting Files for Removal

After Duplicate Detective finishes scanning, you will see a list of all files that have one or more exact duplicates. There are two ways to choose which copies to remove.

Auto-Select

Click the Auto-Select button to have Duplicate Detective automatically mark duplicate copies for removal. The app will always keep one copy of each file and select the rest for deletion.

You can configure whether the app keeps the oldest or the newest copy by adjusting the auto-select setting in Settings.

Manual Selection

If you prefer more control, you can manually check the box next to each file you want to remove. Click on any file to preview it in the right-hand panel and use the magnifying glass icon to reveal its location in Finder.

Important Notes

• Keep at least one copy. Unless you intentionally want to delete every copy of a file from your system, make sure at least one copy remains unchecked. The auto-select feature handles this automatically.
• Files go to Trash by default. When you confirm deletion, files are moved to the Trash, where you can recover them if needed. This behavior can be changed in Settings, but we recommend keeping it enabled as a safety net.
• Review before confirming. After making your selections, click Next to see a final summary of all files marked for deletion. Take a moment to review this list before confirming.