Safe to eliminate duplicate files?

Safe to eliminate duplicate files?

I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over time. So, I
used Easy Duplicate Finder http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com
(protecting however system folders and other system files
*.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite surprised by the large number of
duplicate files.

But perhaps these duplicates are necessary?
I noticed, that very often the same file, e.g. windows.edb, is located in
two locations:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
Is it safe, to delete one of them?
Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified duplicate files
in windows vista home premium?

Thanks in advance, Gerhard

Gerhard wrote:
> Safe to eliminate duplicate files?
>
> I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over time. So, I
> used Easy Duplicate Finder http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com
> (protecting however system folders and other system files
> *.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite surprised by the large number of
> duplicate files.
>
> But perhaps these duplicates are necessary?
> I noticed, that very often the same file, e.g. windows.edb, is located in
> two locations:
> C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
> C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
> Is it safe, to delete one of them?
> Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified duplicate files
> in windows vista home premium?
>
> Thanks in advance, Gerhard
>

Why bother? What are you going to save 100kb? 2mb? 10mb? 50mb? This
is peanuts

And to add to that--many so called duplicates are not real duplicates at all.
If you delete one of those, you delete the real file as well. Files listed
under Desktop, YourName are not actual files, just links to the real thing.
The only files you should consider deleting are those you created
yourself--ones you recognize and know you don't want to keep.
"fatsteve" wrote:

> Gerhard wrote:
> > Safe to eliminate duplicate files?
> >
> > I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over time. So, I
> > used Easy Duplicate Finder http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com
> > (protecting however system folders and other system files
> > *.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite surprised by the large number of
> > duplicate files.
> >
> > But perhaps these duplicates are necessary?
> > I noticed, that very often the same file, e.g. windows.edb, is located in
> > two locations:
> > C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
> > C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
> > Is it safe, to delete one of them?
> > Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified duplicate files
> > in windows vista home premium?
> >
> > Thanks in advance, Gerhard
> >
>
> Why bother? What are you going to save 100kb? 2mb? 10mb? 50mb? This
> is peanuts
>

"fatsteve" <> wrote in message
news:48e58179$0$22580$...
> Gerhard wrote:
>> Safe to eliminate duplicate files?
>>
>> I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over time. So,
>> I used Easy Duplicate Finder http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com
>> (protecting however system folders and other system files
>> *.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite surprised by the large number of
>> duplicate files. But perhaps these duplicates are necessary? I noticed,
>> that very often the same file, e.g. windows.edb, is located in two
>> locations:
>> C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
>> C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
>> Is it safe, to delete one of them?
>> Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified duplicate
>> files in windows vista home premium? Thanks in advance, Gerhard
>>
>
> Why bother? What are you going to save 100kb? 2mb? 10mb? 50mb? This is
> peanuts

Apparently you don't know enough to know that those duplicates are not
really duplicates. Have you not examined your own system? They are a
duplicate *list* and form of link to the original. Your response may have
caused this user to lose some of his original material.

LesleyO wrote:
>
> "fatsteve" <> wrote in message
> news:48e58179$0$22580$...
>> Gerhard wrote:
>>> Safe to eliminate duplicate files?
>>>
>>> I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over time.
>>> So, I used Easy Duplicate Finder http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com
>>> (protecting however system folders and other system files
>>> *.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite surprised by the large number of
>>> duplicate files. But perhaps these duplicates are necessary? I
>>> noticed, that very often the same file, e.g. windows.edb, is located
>>> in two locations:
>>> C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
>>> C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
>>> Is it safe, to delete one of them?
>>> Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified
>>> duplicate files in windows vista home premium? Thanks in advance,
>>> Gerhard
>>>
>>
>> Why bother? What are you going to save 100kb? 2mb? 10mb? 50mb? This
>> is peanuts
>
> Apparently you don't know enough to know that those duplicates are not
> really duplicates. Have you not examined your own system? They are a
> duplicate *list* and form of link to the original. Your response may
> have caused this user to lose some of his original material.
>

Huh? My response was against searching for and deleting duplicates.

"fatsteve" <> wrote in message
news:48e595c4$0$22545$...
> LesleyO wrote:
>>
>> "fatsteve" <> wrote in message
>> news:48e58179$0$22580$...
>>> Gerhard wrote:
>>>> Safe to eliminate duplicate files?
>>>>
>>>> I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over time.
>>>> So, I used Easy Duplicate Finder http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com
>>>> (protecting however system folders and other system files
>>>> *.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite surprised by the large number of
>>>> duplicate files. But perhaps these duplicates are necessary? I noticed,
>>>> that very often the same file, e.g. windows.edb, is located in two
>>>> locations:
>>>> C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
>>>> C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
>>>> Is it safe, to delete one of them?
>>>> Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified duplicate
>>>> files in windows vista home premium? Thanks in advance, Gerhard
>>>>
>>>
>>> Why bother? What are you going to save 100kb? 2mb? 10mb? 50mb? This
>>> is peanuts
>>
>> Apparently you don't know enough to know that those duplicates are not
>> really duplicates. Have you not examined your own system? They are a
>> duplicate *list* and form of link to the original. Your response may
>> have caused this user to lose some of his original material.
>>
>
> Huh? My response was against searching for and deleting duplicates.

Not in a way that showed you knew anything about the fact that they weren't,
in fact, duplicates! All you did was chide OP down about saving a "peanuts"
amount of space. No caution about *absolutely not doing it because he would
lose his originals*!

LesleyO;852268 Wrote:
> "fatsteve" <internet@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:48e595c4$0$22545$...> > >
> > > LesleyO wrote:> > > > >
> > > >>
> > > >> "fatsteve" <internet@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > >
> > > news:48e58179$0$22580$...
> > > >>
> > > >> Apparently you don't know enough to know that those duplicates ar
> > > not
> > > >> really duplicates. Have you not examined your own system? They ar
> > > a
> > > >> duplicate *list* and form of link to the original. Your respons
> > > may
> > > >> have caused this user to lose some of his original material.
> > > >>> > > >
> > >
> > > Huh? My response was against searching for and deletin
> > duplicates. > >
>
> Not in a way that showed you knew anything about the fact that the
> weren't,
> in fact, duplicates! All you did was chide OP down about saving
> "peanuts"
> amount of space. No caution about *absolutely not doing it because h
> would
> lose his originals*!

Hello fatsteve,

I believe those apps. like doublekiller and the one you are using ar
only intended to be run on folders containing your own pictures
documents, music files, etc. If Vista decides it needs copies of files
best let it keep them.

A safer idea may be to keep all your personal docs, pics, etc. on
separate partition from the operating system - any cleaning you do o
that partition won't damage the o/s.

Then use proper disk cleaning tools like Vista's cleanmgr.exe to kee
the o/s partition in shape.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76...k-cleanup.html

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/87...ta-64-bit.html

Hope that helps

SIW

--
SIW2

SIW2;852285 Wrote:
> > LesleyO;852268 Wrote:
> > "fatsteve" <internet@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:48e595c4$0$22545$...> > > > >
> > > > LesleyO wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Huh? My response was against searching for and deleting duplicates. > > > >
> >
> > Not in a way that showed you knew anything about the fact that the
> > weren't,
> > in fact, duplicates! All you did was chide OP down about saving
> > "peanuts"
> > amount of space. No caution about *absolutely not doing it becaus
> > he would
> > lose his originals*!> >
>
> Hello fatsteve,
>
> I believe those apps. like doublekiller and the one you are using ar
> only intended to be run on folders containing your own pictures
> documents, music files, etc. If Vista decides it needs copies of file
> - best let it keep them.
>
> A safer idea may be to keep all your personal docs, pics, etc. on
> separate partition from the operating system - any cleaning you do o
> that partition won't damage the o/s.
>
> Then use proper disk cleaning tools like Vista's cleanmgr.exe to kee
> the o/s partition in shape.
>
> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76...k-cleanup.html
>
> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/87...ta-64-bit.html
>
> Hope that helps
>
> SIW2


You may also like to try glaryutilities, free from 'Glary Utilities
Glarysoft' (http://www.glarysoft.com) . It has a duplicate finde
function , which searches the other way round - only looking for file
it knows are safe. I just ran it on my C drive and it reported n
duplicates belonging to the o/s/

7038

SIW

+-------------------------------------------------------------------
|Filename: DUPLICATE2008-10-04_041734.jpg
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.p...achmentid=7038
+-------------------------------------------------------------------

--
SIW2

LesleyO wrote:
>
> "fatsteve" <> wrote in message
> news:48e595c4$0$22545$...
>> LesleyO wrote:
>>>
>>> "fatsteve" <> wrote in message
>>> news:48e58179$0$22580$...
>>>> Gerhard wrote:
>>>>> Safe to eliminate duplicate files?
>>>>>
>>>>> I wanted to eliminate duplicate files that had accumulated over
>>>>> time. So, I used Easy Duplicate Finder
>>>>> http://www.easyduplicatefinder.com (protecting however system
>>>>> folders and other system files *.sys,.*ocx,*drv,*dll) and was quite
>>>>> surprised by the large number of duplicate files. But perhaps these
>>>>> duplicates are necessary? I noticed, that very often the same file,
>>>>> e.g. windows.edb, is located in two locations:
>>>>> C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\ Windows and also in
>>>>> C:\Users\AllUsers\ Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows.
>>>>> Is it safe, to delete one of them?
>>>>> Or more general, is it safe to eliminate all thus identified
>>>>> duplicate files in windows vista home premium? Thanks in advance,
>>>>> Gerhard
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Why bother? What are you going to save 100kb? 2mb? 10mb? 50mb?
>>>> This is peanuts
>>>
>>> Apparently you don't know enough to know that those duplicates are
>>> not really duplicates. Have you not examined your own system? They
>>> are a duplicate *list* and form of link to the original. Your
>>> response may have caused this user to lose some of his original
>>> material.
>>>
>>
>> Huh? My response was against searching for and deleting duplicates.
>
> Not in a way that showed you knew anything about the fact that they
> weren't, in fact, duplicates! All you did was chide OP down about saving
> a "peanuts" amount of space. No caution about *absolutely not doing it
> because he would lose his originals*!


ooh well ladi da

SIW2 wrote:
> SIW2;852285 Wrote:
>>> LesleyO;852268 Wrote:
>>> "fatsteve" <internet@xxxxxx> wrote in message
>>> news:48e595c4$0$22545$...> > > > >
>>>>> LesleyO wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Huh? My response was against searching for and deleting duplicates. > > > >
>>> Not in a way that showed you knew anything about the fact that they
>>> weren't,
>>> in fact, duplicates! All you did was chide OP down about saving a
>>> "peanuts"
>>> amount of space. No caution about *absolutely not doing it because
>>> he would
>>> lose his originals*!> >
>> Hello fatsteve,
>>
>> I believe those apps. like doublekiller and the one you are using are
>> only intended to be run on folders containing your own pictures,
>> documents, music files, etc. If Vista decides it needs copies of files
>> - best let it keep them.
>>
>> A safer idea may be to keep all your personal docs, pics, etc. on a
>> separate partition from the operating system - any cleaning you do of
>> that partition won't damage the o/s.
>>
>> Then use proper disk cleaning tools like Vista's cleanmgr.exe to keep
>> the o/s partition in shape.
>>
>> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76...k-cleanup.html
>>
>> http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/87...ta-64-bit.html
>>
>> Hope that helps
>>
>> SIW2
>
>
> You may also like to try glaryutilities, free from 'Glary Utilities |
> Glarysoft' (http://www.glarysoft.com) . It has a duplicate finder
> function , which searches the other way round - only looking for files
> it knows are safe. I just ran it on my C drive and it reported no
> duplicates belonging to the o/s/
>
> 7038
>
> SIW2
>
>
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> |Filename: DUPLICATE2008-10-04_041734.jpg |
> |Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.p...achmentid=7038 |
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
>

I was not the OP