Deleting Duplicate Documents

Duplicate documents pose a problem. Besides taking up extra space on your drive, slowing searches and confusing your search results they are also difficult to delete. Unless you use the askSam Delete Duplicates command. The Delete Duplicates command (found under Document -> Delete Other) gives you the ability to view, compare, combine and delete duplicate documents. You compare the documents by fields that you select. askSam will automatically go through the database and locate duplicate documents based on the fields you selected.

Here are some steps to lead you through the process...

1. Open the database

2. Choose Document -> Delete Other -> Delete Duplicates

3. Click on the Select Fields button. Add unique fields. Choose OK. In the example below we are specifying the unique fields which qualify documents as duplicates. askSam will compare the NAME and STATE field in the database and return the documents which contain identical data in both fields for your review.

4. Options

VIEW DUPLICATES BEFORE DELETING

If this item is selected askSam will display duplicates and allow you to decide on which documents to delete. If this option is not selected duplicate documents are automatically deleted.

MATCH CASE ON DUPLICATE FIELDS

If this item is selected askSam will require that fields match in case and in order to be selected as duplicates. If this option is not selected askSam will ignore case5.  Click DUPLICATES button.

askSam will perform a search through your file and return duplicate documents in the search results window at the bottom of your screen. You can change your search view by clicking the Search View Properties icon . From the search results you can...Toggle between deleted documents to decide which duplicates to delete Cut, Copy and Paste between documents Delete Individual Duplicate Documents - Highlight document and press delete or click the delete icon .

Delete Multiple Documents - Use CTRL+Click to select multiple documents and press delete or click the delete icon .

6. Pack your file (FILE -> PACK) to permanently remove deleted documents from the file.

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