Is it generally safe to delete duplicate files -- or could that be asking for trouble?

What application are you using to detect duplicate files?

Its generally not a good idea to delete duplicate files as each application loads its own dll files from Folders that have been hard coded into the application causing the application to fail.

Besides, the space that you save on today's huge hard drives by removing them is usually not very much.

I have seen members reporting that they used "such and such" cleaner or washer and the old Windows CD install disc having to be found.
If you do ,do your backups first.
I have done it one at a time but not with automatic type software.
I haven't seen much discussion about this topic but it would be beneficial.

I am glad you asked such a good question.
davey
P.S. It also depends on the type of files we are talking about.
I have never just straight out deleted a "duplicate" without first making a copy with a different name of course and then renaming the so called "duplicate".It turned out in some cases the file I thought should be deleted, was the copy that needed to be kept.
The job is tedious and can be just as dangerous as having to do too much Registry "fixing".
Sometimes best to leave well enough alone.

I'd have to say leave well enough alone, this is from personal prior experience. Really if you use something to remove duplicates you could very easily cause more grief than any so-called benefits.

Removing things like .dll files, etc., will result into registry cleaning issues too with invalid entries, and the end result is you'd be opening a potential can of worms that System Restore would have to bail you out of.

Like Andavari said, better leave them alone. Messing with them can cause problems.

Thanks to all of the input. Pretty much what I thought.