# Using Twins Duplicate Finder

This section walks you through the details of using Twins and the process of finding and getting rid of your duplicates. The details of creating hard links for duplicates can be found below.

## 1. Select folders for scanning

Simply add a folder by pressing the + button or dropping the folder inside of the segmented circle on the Startup Window. To add multiple folders you have two options:

- In case the "Start scan immediately" option is turned off in Preferences new folders can be added before pressing the Start Scan button
- Drop multiple folders to the circle or select multiple folders in the open panel

Note: Protected system folders are always omitted from scanning. Deleting anything from such folders may harm the consistency of your System.
Start browsing through the results and switch to the Main Window by clicking the Show Results button.

## 2. Select your duplicates

Click on a duplicate group in the Main Window to see the list of its duplicated files. You have two options for selecting duplicate items:

- Automatic selection

  Press the ✓ check mark to auto select large amount of duplicate files with a single click. Every item of the listed duplicate groups that can be manually selected without a warning message will be selected automatically. Check the selected items after auto selection.
  Hints: Right-click on a single duplicate group to auto select/deselect its items.
  Use auto selection when the analyzation is finished as it only works with the current result list.

- Manual selection

  Use the checkboxes in the Select column of the duplicate file list to select single files for removal. At certain selections you're informed by a warning message about the specific scenario of the selection.
  Hint: Warning messages can be disabled in Preferences.

- Folder based selection

  The full path bar of a highlighted item can be found at the top of the item preview column. Move your mouse over a certain folder in the full path bar and click on it. This will drop down a window with some basic information about the clicked folder. Press the ✓ check mark in the bottom right to auto select the duplicated files in that specific folder.

Unselect every item of the listed duplicate groups or folders with a single click on ✗.

Use the preview to have a look at the selected file. By pressing Space on the duplicated items a Quick Look preview shows up. The full path of the files are displayed at the top, where the folder names can be clicked to reveal them in Finder. A double-click on the item reveals the item in Finder.

## 3. Trash selected duplicates

After selecting your duplicates, a click on the "Move to Trash" shows you a list of your selected items.

Check the listed items carefully and remove them from the list if needed. By pressing the "Move to Trash" button in the bottom right corner the listed items will be moved to your Trash.

To permanently delete the listed files and free up your drive space you need to empty your Trash.

## 4. Create hard links for duplicates

A hard link is a new directory entry which has the same modes as the original file. A hard link to a file is indistinguishable from the original directory entry; any changes to a file are effectively independent of the name used to reference the file.

Twins marks hard links with little red pins. Hard links can be created for duplicates within a single duplicate group.

1. Select the items inside a group that you want to replace with hard links.
2. Right click (ctrl click) on an unselected item that you would like to be the item the hard links point to.
3. Choose "Replace selected items ..." form the options, and then confirm your action by clicking the "Create hard link" button on the alert sheet.
4. Your hard linked items are now marked with the little red pin.