PSE 2025 Elements Organizer: Find By Visual Search_ Duplicate Photos

I'm convinced that all instances of "duplicate files" are user caused.   You tell Organizer to track so and so folders in one version of pse but in another version you tell organizer to montior slightly different locations, evber so slightly different. 

My recommendation:  use Ccleaner (not just orgainzer)- set it up to find duplicate files-- you will probably find out that some files may be "duplicated"- but are in different locations- which makes them not duplicates.

IN YOUR CASE You seem to be concerned about the program- Organizer in particular creting duplicate images.   I honestly think Organizer is doing what you tell it to do- no more, no less.   Are you looking at actual duplicate files, or thumbnails of images in different locations?   

For example:   I have copies of images from a trip to the boston area a couple of years ago.   They are in oganizer, they also are in their own albums labelled "Boston trip 1" or "Fenway park" -- exact same photos just different albums. 
I think a key here is your "Watch Folder" list.    I have only two locations monitored simply becouase I don't care about organizer that much. 

I also have about 12 versions of PSE installed- that's 12 different Organizers- you think I'm going to worry about all those organizer contents?  Nope. 


WHATEVER YOU DO: Do not have organizer monitor C:\*.*-  JUST DON'T DO IT. 
 



    

If the files are true duplicates with the same file names, they must be in different storage locations.  The Operating System would not allow them to be in the same folder.  So that should be the first thing for you to investigate.  To determine the file's folder location, you can select the thumbnail in the grid and look at the location link in the information panel.  Perhaps that will offer a clue as to what is happening.

My other thought is that you have files auto synced with the Elements Web and somehow duplicates are being created there.