Handling Duplicate Files (File Collisions)

When organizing thousands of photos, it is extremely common to run into a “File Collision”. This happens when PhotoMove tries to place a photo into your organized destination folder, but a file with that exact same name already exists there.

This dropdown menu tells PhotoMove exactly how you want it to handle the conflict. Here is what each option does:

Option 1: Do Not Move or Copy

This is the safest and most common choice. If PhotoMove sees that a file already exists in the destination folder, it will simply skip the current file and leave it right where it is.

💡 Best for: Routine backups where you might be scanning the same SD card or folder multiple times and only want to copy the new photos you haven’t processed yet.

Option 2: Add ‘-Copy###’, then Move or Copy

If you choose this, PhotoMove will keep both files. It will take the new file, add a numbered counter to the end of its name (for example, changing IMG_1234.jpg to IMG_1234-Copy001.jpg), and place it in the destination folder right next to the original.

💡 Best for: Situations where you know two completely different cameras might have generated photos with the exact same filename (like DSC_0001.jpg) on the exact same day.

Option 3: Overwrite the Existing File

This tells PhotoMove to delete the older file sitting in the destination folder and replace it completely with the new file it is currently moving or copying.

⚠️ Warning: Use this with extreme caution! If the files have the same name but are actually different photos, the original photo in the destination folder will be permanently replaced.

Option 4: Move to specified Duplicates Folder

Instead of skipping, renaming, or deleting the file, PhotoMove will redirect the “extra” file into a totally separate Duplicates folder that you specify right below in the dropdown.

💡 Why we love this option: It keeps your main, organized photo library perfectly clean, while safely piling all of your potential duplicates into one folder. You can easily open that Duplicates folder later and decide what to keep and what to delete on your own time.