Whether you go to high school, college, or work, you have a plethora of tasks to do on a daily basis. The internet and diverse devices help us to get done all these tasks faster. We have our accounts connected to our laptops and cell phones. Options like this are great because we can access our files on different platforms. Still, it occurs that we have duplicate files that make our memory space full. It makes our MacBook run slower. 0
Rethink the memory space on your MacBook
Having a full hard disc memory isn’t eco-friendly. A full hard disc takes more energy. And nowadays, we don’t have the opportunity not to think about planet Earth. So, it is time for you to rethink your Mac and its memory space. Here are options and apps that will help you spend less time on your Mac finding duplicate files and assist you in clearing out your storage.
How to get rid of matching files on your MacBook
There are several ways to find matching items and clean them up. They include manual detection; using Terminal command; and apps such as Gemini and Disk Drill. You can choose which option suits you best.
Manually by Finder
You can use the Smart folder in Finder on your MacBook. How do you use it?
- Open Finder.
- Select File on the menu bar.
- Click on the New Smart Folder.
- On the Search section type which kind of files you wish to find.
- Next step is to create a new smart folder that will hold the duplicates you need to find.
You can go through PDFs, photos, downloads, and other folders. You can delete duplicate items in Smart Folder.
Using Terminal command
It seems a little complicated to use Terminal, but it is not. If you choose this way, here are the steps you should follow:
- Open Terminal on your Mac.
- Use the cd command to switch direction.
- Then enter this command: find . -size 20 \! -type d -exec cksum {} \; | sort | tee /tmp/f.tmp | cut -f 1,2 -d ‘ ‘ | uniq -d | grep -hif – /tmp/f.tmp > duplicates.txt
- Pres Enter and Terminal will create a text file that includes all duplicate files depending on the folder you are looking for.
However, keep in mind – the Terminal doesn’t delete matching files. You should research those files and delete them.
Applications for finding and removing matching files
Still, the best way to find and delete duplicate files lies in using Gemini and Disk Drill apps. How do these apps work?
- Go to your App Store and download Gemini.
- When you open this app, you can drag and place a folder onto the main window.
- The moment the app finishes scanning, it will reveal how many identical items it found and offer you to delete it automatically.
- You can choose the button for instant deletion. Also, you can review results and decide which files you want to delete.
Amazingly, this app finds similar files too, not just matching items.
The Disk Drill functions similarly. However, this app has extra features. For example, it can recover removed files, rescue files from a failed HDD, and scan the state of your hard disks.
You have noticed that time passes faster now when you are older. Scientists claim that the velocity at which we process visual information slows down, so we have a feeling that time speeds up as we grow older. Don’t let life pass you by. Snap out of it – get rid of duplicate items on your MacBook, think of planet Earth and ease your life as much as you can!
