Using the new Duplicates smart group in the latest beta, it’s been easy to look at all the duplicates I have in my databases. However, I’ve found a few PDF + Text files that are not actual duplicates of anything, yet they are flagged as duplicates of one another. Some of the files have related content, for example I have 3 schematics that are 1 of 3, 2 of 3, and 3 of 3 that show as duplicates. Some other files are totally unrelated, yet they show as duplicates. Is there a way to do something with these files so that they are no longer flagged as a duplicate?
Feeling kind of stupid, but where are you seeing this Smart Group for duplicates? I’m not seeing this anywhere in the interface.
Thanks,
Steve
In public beta 4, ‘Duplicates’ was added to the list of pre-defined smart groups. You should see default smart groups of ‘All Images’, ‘All PDF Documents’, ‘Duplicates’, ‘To Do’, as well as ‘Today’, ‘Unread’, and ‘Yesterday’.
I have the latest update - Version 2.0pb4 - and I don’t have “Duplicates” or “To do” as smart groups. I just checked with the “check for updates” and found that I have the latest version.
I cannot say why this smart group is not showing up for some. I have it, and it shows in the release notes here as a new feature. Can you create this smart group?
- ‘Data>New>Smart Group’
- All of the following are true
– Kind is any content
– Instance is Replicant
Search in database
- Edited to add that the smart group will only be created by default in a new database. Using the above mentioned criteria, you should be able to create the smart group in an existing database. The To Do smart group is:
All of the following are true
– State is Off
– State is Shown
– Kind is Any Content
Search in database
Oh…finally i found it. Very well hidden.
See attached screenshot.
Now i have to check out this feature…
It appears that once one sets up the original Duplicates smart folder in one of their existing databases, one can just drag this folder into each of the other databases’ viewer windows to give each previously created database that smart folder. Same for the To Do smart folder.
This thread shifted to discussing the new smart folder feature, but I’m still wondering if it is possible to edit or otherwise change a file’s duplicate status when it is actually not a duplicate?
Hello, I’m sorry, but this thread seems to have stopped several years ago without an actual answer. Is there a way to force DEVONThink Pro Office to acknowledge a series of “duplicates” as individual documents? Thanks!
i also would like to know how to force dtpo into not flagging false duplicates
Duplicates are NOT necessarily byte-for-byte copies. Please read this: blog.devontechnologies.com/2014/ … evonthink/
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@BLUEFROG Hi, your link seems to be broken.
Here is what I found :
One last note: A duplicate is not necessarily a byte-for-byte duplicate but can also be a ‘close match’. When you use the second option above, you could select Open from the context menu and edit the file and you would see the green bar on the edited file has turned gray and is shorter. DEVONthink will consider it a close match but no longer a duplicate, even if the name was still the same. It won’t be something so small as adding a comma to break the duplicate status though. (Think about it — if the only difference in two things you’ve read is a single comma or sentence, you’d functionally consider them the same.)
Thanks for the heads-up. Likely broken when we converted the blog. 
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I cannot understand this “can also be a ‘close match’” .
We should be able to require a byte-for-byte duplicate or not as an option.
This made me lose important files.
Now I cannot trust anymore this smart list
Welcome @ChrisVH
We should be able to require a byte-for-byte duplicate or not as an option.
It is an option.
Preferences > General > Stricter recognition of duplicates considers file size and file type in duplicate detection.
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Wonderful, you saved my life !
You’re welcome and I’m glad you’re still among the living! 
Cheers!
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