# Handle "file already exists" error: move to folder or recycle bin

**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/handle-file-already-exists-error-move-to-folder-or-recycle-bin/71422
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [June 10, 2026, 8:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/handle-file-already-exists-error-move-to-folder-or-recycle-bin/71422 "2026-06-10T08:33:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 4

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### Author: ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2026, 6:21am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/handle-file-already-exists-error-move-to-folder-or-recycle-bin/71422/4 "2026-06-11T06:21:01Z")

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Your suggestion has been noted, no doubt. But so has the linked one with almost the same title and description of the function.

There have also been numerous discussions about the treatment of alleged duplicates, see e.g. here (seriously)

> [@Feature Request: search folder search master library find duplicate](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/feature-request-search-folder-search-master-library-find-duplicate/53282):
>
> I inherited a lot of music lately, and am trying to import into my library. I would like to see the the file compare feature allow two kinds of of search 1st. type search - Compare songs in a base folder. for example: D:\music\new rock flac this would be the base folder, has say 100 songs. or Compare all songs in following folders: D:\music; D:\new mp3; D:\mp3 working; E:\music 1990s; E\music 2000s F:\Allmusic 1st type search - The second parameter is where to search. example: F…

In general: AFAI get the summary, the same data in the tag fields does not qualify to identify a real duplicate.  
So for serious collectors it would be mandatory to investigate for each file if it is a real duplicate or just the tag data is insufficient.

As you see that the feature has been asked some time ago (and there are other threads that suggest other functions to work around the problem of duplicate file names) I suggest for the meantime the following:  
Rename all new files with Convert\>Tag-Filename  
Format string: `%artist% - %title% (%_counter%)`  
Then move them to the new location with the method that you have used before and now all files that cannot be renamed stay with a number in parenthesis.  
You can now filter for these files with  
`%_filename% MATCHES "\(\d+\)"`  
and check if they are real duplicates.

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_[View the full topic](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/handle-file-already-exists-error-move-to-folder-or-recycle-bin/71422)._