How to Remove Duplicates in Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player is a powerful tool for listening to, sorting and managing your music collection. From its compatibility with many different types of audio files to its extensive library interface, Windows Media Player makes it easy for anyone to take control of the way their music is stored, arranged and displayed. However, sometimes when importing music files from a folder or CD, the program will create duplicate entries for your music files, leading to extra, unnecessary files in your library. Fortunately, Windows Media Player contains a feature that allows you to locate and remove those pesky duplicates and clean up your library.

Start Windows Media Player by selecting it from the Programs menu of your Start menu, or by double-clicking the shortcut on your desktop. If neither of these options is available on your computer, you can find Windows Media Player in the "Program Files" folder on your hard drive.

Press F3 to open the "Add to Library by Searching Computer" dialog. Alternatively, you can select this dialog from the File menu. A new window will open in Windows Media Player.

Click "Browse," and select the folder on your computer that contains your music. If your music is not contained in a single folder, you may use this process several times, each on a different folder, to the same effect. The folder's location will now be displayed in the "Look In" box.

Click the "Search" button. Windows Media Player will scan through the folder you specified and delete any duplicate entries in your library that link to the same file. When the process has completed, you may look through your library for any remaining duplicates. These duplicates that are left over actually link to two separate files, and one of them may be deleted with no harm done to the other.