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CloneX

A simple tool that finds duplicate files on your computer.

What's This About?

You know how your Downloads folder gets out of control? Files everywhere, half of them probably duplicates you forgot about. I got tired of manually checking, so I made this.

CloneX scans through your folders, compares files using SHA256 hashing, and tells you which ones are identical. Then you can decide what to delete.

Before You Start

Get Python

Windows:

  1. Grab it from python.org
  2. During install, check "Add Python to PATH" - this is important
  3. Click Install

Mac/Linux:

python3 --version

If it's not there, get it from python.org

VS Code Setup (Optional but Nice)

If you're using VS Code, these extensions make life easier:

  • Python by Microsoft
  • Pylance by Microsoft

Just search for them in the Extensions tab and hit Install.

Running It

The Easy Way (VS Code)

  1. Open the folder with duplicate_finder.py
  2. Hit the play button in the top right
  3. Type in the folder you want to scan

Command Line

python duplicate_finder.py
# or on Mac/Linux
python3 duplicate_finder.py

How It Works

Pretty straightforward:

  1. You give it a folder - Could be Downloads, Documents, wherever
  2. It goes through every file - Including stuff in subfolders
  3. Creates a fingerprint for each file - Using SHA256, so it's accurate
  4. Groups the matches - Same fingerprint = same file
  5. Shows you the duplicates - You decide what to do with them

What You'll See

============================================================
   CloneX
   Find and remove duplicate files to free up space!
============================================================

Enter folder path: C:\Users\You\Downloads

Scanning files...

Finished! Scanned 150 files total.

============================================================
DUPLICATE FILES FOUND:
============================================================

Duplicate Group #1:
   (These 3 files are identical copies)
--------------------------------------------------
   KEEP: C:\Users\You\Downloads\photo.jpg
   DUPLICATE: C:\Users\You\Downloads\photo (1).jpg
   DUPLICATE: C:\Users\You\Downloads\backup\photo.jpg

SUMMARY:
   Found 2 group(s) of duplicates
   3 file(s) can be safely deleted

Want to Test It First?

Create a test folder with some duplicate files:

test_folder/
  file1.txt (write "hello" in it)
  file2.txt (write "hello" in it too)
  file3.txt (write something different)

Run the script on test_folder. It should catch file1 and file2 as duplicates.

Common Issues

"Python is not recognized" You probably didn't check "Add to PATH" during install. Reinstall Python and make sure to check that box.

"Permission denied" on some files Some system files are protected. The script skips these automatically, no worries.

"Folder does not exist" Double-check your path. Copy it directly from File Explorer if you're unsure.

Good to Know

  • This only finds duplicates - it won't delete anything without you saying so
  • Large folders take a bit longer, that's normal
  • It's safe to run - nothing gets modified

Questions? Issues? Let me know.