---
id: duplicates.how-do-i-stop-smart-care-offering-to-clean-duplicates
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/how-do-i-stop-smart-care-offering-to-clean-duplicates
category: "Duplicate files"
subcategory: "Duplicates and Smart Care"
question: "How do I stop Smart Care offering to clean duplicates?"
alt_questions:
  - "Turn off duplicate cleanup in Smart Care"
  - "Disable Let Smart Care clean duplicate files"
  - "I don't want Smart Care to touch duplicates"
  - "Remove duplicates from Smart Care routine"
short_answer: "Go to Preferences → Rules → Global overrides and switch off \"Let Smart Care clean duplicate files\". Smart Care keeps its normal safe run, and the Duplicates window still works on its own."
tags: ["duplicates", "smart care", "settings"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/can-smart-care-clean-duplicates-automatically", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/how-do-i-turn-off-auto-scan-for-duplicates"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I stop Smart Care offering to clean duplicates?

Open **Preferences → Rules**, find **Global overrides**, and switch off **"Let Smart Care clean duplicate files"**. Smart Care then runs its usual safe clean-up without the duplicate step.

The Duplicates window keeps working as before, and background scanning continues for each source unless you switch its **Auto-scan** off too.