How do I safely delete duplicate files from Google Shared Drives?

Deleting files from Shared Drives is genuinely risky if done carelessly because, unlike the personal Drive, removal affects every team member with access simultaneously. One wrong bulk delete, and your entire team loses access to important project files instantly.
The safest approach follows a strict order. Scan first, review carefully, move to Trash rather than permanent deletion, confirm nothing important is missing, then empty Trash only after team confirmation.
CloudXena Google Drive Duplicate Cleaner handles Shared Drives specifically well because of its ownership-based sorting filter. You can filter duplicates by owner name and select multiple owners simultaneously using the dropdown. This helps distinguish between files your teammates created versus files you uploaded yourself.
The Trash Selected option, rather than Delete Selected, is critical for Shared Drive cleanup. Moving to Trash gives everyone a 30-day recovery window if something gets removed accidentally.
Also, use the creation date filter before selecting anything. Sometimes what looks like a duplicate is actually a newer revised version that a teammate uploaded recently. Filtering by date range reveals this immediately before you accidentally delete the version everyone is actively working from.