Windows 11 Data Deduplication: How to Install & Configure

Save big on storage space and hardware costs

8 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Data deduplication allows administrators to reduce the consumed space and save on data storage costs. While several ways exist tofind and delete duplicate files, some prefer the conventional approach. That’s where Windows 11 Data Deduplication comes into the picture.

Also known as Dedup, Data Deduplication is the first choice of Windows system administrators. And the process is just quite simple, given you have a basic understanding of how things work on the OS. So, let’s find out!

How does Windows data deduplication work?

As the name suggests, Data Deduplication is the process of identifying duplicate chunks of data and then moving them usingreparse point, which will redirect to the unique file copy.

Dedup is a multi-step process, from scanning the files, breaking them into chunks, identifying the unique ones, moving them to the chunk store, and then using the reparse point.

Remember, any changes here are registered unoptimized, and the process takes place the next time theOptimizationjob is run, typically once every hour. Though it sounds complex in theory, the process is automated and occurs in the background without requiring manual interference.

Also, as per Microsoft, configuring Data Deduplication can help reduce storage requirements by up to 95% in cases of high duplication. The average range for documents and similar files is 30-50%, while for virtualization libraries, it’s 80-95%.

The deduplication process has been developed considering two vital aspects. It does not affect the writing operations, and the programs accessing the file should be able to do so seamlessly, remaining completely unaware that these have been deduplicated.

Here are the primary benefits of Data Deduplication:

How do I enable deduplication in Windows?

1. Data Deduplication in Windows 11

This is by far the simplest method to delete duplicate files in Windows 11 without using the Data Deduplication methods or a third-party tool. It works the same way in the previous iteration, allowing users to remove duplicate files in Windows 10.

If you are unsure about the name of the duplicate file, there’s always to option to sort them and get the duplicate ones listed next to the original. Though this is way harder than Microsoft’s solution, and if you feel the same, there are a few Data Deduplication tools for Windows 11.

That’s it! When the manual methods seem a bit too exhaustive,dedicated and reliable third-party toolslike CCleaner come to your rescue.

These simplify the job and help find and delete duplicate files across the PC within seconds without installing Windows Server and enabling Data Deduplication.

⇒Get CCleaner

2. Data Deduplication in Windows Server

This is how you can install and set up Data Deduplication on Windows Server within minutes. As we mentioned earlier, the process is simple and quick.

Besides, if you findConfigure Data Deduplicationgreyed out, make sure you have not selected the system drive, usuallyC:, because you can’t enforce the deduplication process on it.

What are the disadvantages of Data Deduplication?

Like anything else, Data Deduplication in Windows does come with a set of cons, basic factors that will affect the normal workflow or the data being worked upon. Here are a few drawbacks of Data Deduplication:

That’s all on Data Deduplication in Windows 11 and the Server edition of the OS! You can now easily enable the feature or clear duplicate files using the manual approach. But you won’t need as much effort toremove duplicate drives in Windows 11.

Before you leave, find some quick ways toremove duplicate files in Google Driveandclear duplicate photos in the iCloud library.

For any queries or to share your thoughts on the subject, drop a comment below.

Windows 11 Data Deduplication: How to Install & Configure#

How does Windows data deduplication work?#

How do I enable deduplication in Windows?#

1. Data Deduplication in Windows 11#

2. Data Deduplication in Windows Server#

What are the disadvantages of Data Deduplication?#