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Cloud storage is a way of storing your data on the Internet. This means that instead of your data being stored on your computer’s hardware, it is rather stored at a remote location. This remote storage setup is made accessible to the user via a network, which in most cases is the Internet itself. Storing your data on the cloud has numerous benefits. The cloud serves as a backup for your data apart from giving you the ability to access your data across multiple devices.
How to Store Data on the Cloud?
Most cloud storage vendors cater to both desktop and smartphone users by providing dedicated apps for both categories of users, apart from their website. While accessing the cloud facility either through the website or the desktop app, the easiest way to add data to the cloud is through the drag and drop operation. This method simply entails selecting all the relevant files, dragging and dropping them into the respective folder on your cloud storage. On a smartphone or tablet, however, the mode of operation is slightly different. In order to upload data from your smartphone onto the cloud storage, you first need to click the Upload button and then select the files you want to store on the cloud.
The Problem
A common occurrence with cloud users is that sometimes they find themselves uploading the same files more than once on their cloud storage. This leads to the creation of duplicates as well as precious storage space being lost for no good. Duplication mostly occurs when your cloud storage is synced with multiple devices, and the same photograph that is already present in the cloud gets uploaded once again when the cloud is synced with another device. This leads to storage space wastage but also results in a cluttered display of photos.
Despite the vast storage capacity of the cloud, it is still necessary to ensure that you are not uploading the same photo twice (or more). You can ensure this either manually or by using specialized software. The manual method is very tiring as you have to scan all your photos one by one, organize them somehow and then ensure you’re not uploading any copies. This method might be suitable for users who don’t play with many photos but this can absolutely turn into a nightmare for users who’re too much into snapping selfies or are professional photographers. Therefore it is recommended to use software that will help you achieve the same purpose in a more timely and smooth manner.
The process of removing duplicates is known as de-duplication. A commonly used software to detect and delete duplicates (not just photos) is Clone Files Checker, which comes with a cloud scan feature that allows you to find duplicate photographs on the cloud.
Cloud Platforms
Google Drive
Google Drive is designed to warn the user if they’re somehow uploading a duplicate photo. However, this mechanism contains several limitations as Google Drive only takes into account the filename to determine if a bunch of photos are duplicates or not. This means that a photo won’t be considered a duplicate just because its name differs from the actual image. And if you’re uploading a duplicate in a location that is different from its parent photo, Google Drive has simply no means of detecting it whatsoever.
If the original image as well as the duplicate copy you’re trying to upload contain the exact name, Google Drive will show up a notification on the bottom-right corner of the screen and replace the old file with the new one. However, if you click the Keep as separate file option, it will save both the images and add (1) at the end of the filename.
Google Photos
Google Photos is a highly sophisticated product, specifically when it comes to detecting duplicate photos. Whether the original and the duplicate are in the same album or different albums, or whether they share the same filename or different ones, Google Photos is smart enough to detect duplication and make sure only a single copy of the image is uploaded.
Even though you cannot ‘force’ Google Drive into detecting duplicates, you can smartly opt to have your entire photo collection from Google Drive synced to Google Photos, where any duplicates will be, as you’ve surely guessed by now, scanned and taken care of within a flash! You can easily turn on this feature by clicking the Main menu and selecting Settings. Next, simply move the slider to the right (turn it on) for the Google Drive option which states Sync photos & videos from Google Drive. Once you’ve turned this setting on, any duplicate photos that are present anywhere on your Google Drive will be dealt with for good.
OneDrive
Microsoft’s answer to the world of cloud storage solutions has proven to be a huge hit, with its popularity going even higher with the advent of Windows 10. The basic (and free) membership plan provides 5GB of storage space for all users, and additional volumes can be purchased by simply subscribing to a paid-for plan.
Coming to the duplicate photos issue, OneDrive mirrors the exact scenario presented by Google Drive. OneDrive relies solely on the filename while scanning for any duplicate photos. Any images that are duplicate in nature but their names differ will slip out, whereas any images that aren’t duplicates but have been named exactly the same will be marked as duplicates. If it detects that you are uploading a duplicate, it presents you options to either replace the older one by selecting Replace or retain both the images by clicking Keep both in the pane that opens up on the right hand of the screen in such an eventuality.
Dropbox
Dropbox is yet another established player in the cloud market and provides secure and reliable cloud storage services to its clients worldwide. Dropbox Basic is available for free of charge and provides an allocation of 2GB to everyone who signs up. A couple of other plans are available keeping in mind the requirements of various kinds of users.
Dropbox is handicapped to an even greater extent when it comes to detecting duplicate photos. Just like Google Drive and OneDrive, Dropbox also fails to take the actual image into account and only relies on the filename to determine if the photos are duplicates or not (in the only scenario if they are in the same folder). However, the difference is when you upload an altogether different image which is named exactly like an existing image in the same folder. Unlike its peers from Google and Microsoft, Dropbox simply does not ask if you want to replace the older image or retain both of them, and automatically replaces the older image on its own! This means that you run the risk of losing out on a valuable image on your Dropbox account if you mistakenly upload another image with the same name! Better be extremely careful with the image names then.
Box
Box is a very handy cloud storage service provider that uses state-of-the-art technology to help users safely and securely backup their data in the cloud and access it as and when required. It beats OneDrive and Dropbox hands down as far as freeway storage space is concerned as it gives every user a full 10GB of space instantly upon registration! It also provides more flexibility in the shape of more variety of plans to choose from.
Just like the other cloud storage platforms mentioned in this article (except Google Photos), Box also fails to detect duplicate images whether they’re lying in the same folder or at scattered locations. It only takes the actual filename into account and replaces the older image if you upload 2 different/ same images with identical file names. However, you will notice V2 upended at the end of the filename for the newer image (standing for Version 2). The user can hover to Properties | Version History for a detailed look on all the file versions. However, there is a big deficiency of intelligent duplicate scanning in Box, just like with almost all of the other services mentioned above.