is there a software program available that will identify duplicate
files and eliminate them?

Hello and thanks for the question.

There are indeed a number of programs that do exactly what you are
looking for. A popular option is called “Check Identical Files” and
can be downloaded for free at:

ABC-View.com
http://www.abc-view.com/cif.html

I downloaded and tried this utility and found the user-interface to be
very intuitive and easy to use.  I was actually surprised to find the
number of duplicate files on my hard-drive! I ran a couple of cursory
tests: (1) creating a duplicate file with a different name, and (2)
creating a copy of a file with a slight modification.  In the first
case the program successfully detected the duplicates and in the
second case the program correctly did not identify the files as
duplicates.

There is a FAQ for this utility at:
http://www.abc-view.com/ciffaq.html

And customer testimonials at:
http://www.abc-view.com/cifawards.html#Testimonials

If you don't mind spending some money on a "deduper" there is also a
program called "DeDupe" which is available for $24.95 and can be
located at:

Technopundits
http://www.technopundits.com/dedupe.htm

This one seems to have a few more capabilities than the shareware
version, so depending on your needs this might be a better product. 
There is also a trial version that is available for download on their
website.

Also, I did a search on download.com for "duplicate files" and
received several results.  The results of this search can be found at:

Download.com
http://download.com.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=duplicate+files&tg=dl-2001

A nice feature of this website is that many of the programs have user
ratings which provide some indication as to how good the utility is.

Finally, there are some words of wisdom on deleting duplicate files
at:

Chron.com
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/tech/98/07/24/help.html 

This Q&A addresses some of the dangers involved in deleting duplicate
files.  Deleting duplicates is to be avoided in cases of system files
and .dlls.  Some of the programs I looked at such as DeDupe have
certain protective features built in so as to avoid the deletion of
necessary files.  This might be a feature to consider in choosing a
product.

Search strategy:

delete duplicate files
dedupe
delete identical files
delete duplicate files shareware

Best of luck!

-blinkwilliams-ga

Prompt, thorough, on target.  Can't ask for mor than that.

You can also try NoClone which features a byte-by-byte comparison
which compare file contents regardless file name and file time. And
smart file removal mark file by file name pattern, date, folder, size
and version. NoClone can be found at http://noclone.net and was
recommended by ZDNet
(http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-7297-5131605.html).

That's exactly what "Check Identical Files" does. It was the first
duplicate checker that did byte-to-byte comparison, instead of relying
on checksums.

It also does this very fast, faster than any other duplicate checker I
know of. "Check Identical Files" has a very liberal trial policy: you
can use it at least 10 times throughout months or years (so not
limited to a trial period of 30 days). If you only check duplicates
occasionally, then use the trial period wisely :)

Nils Haeck
Author of "Check Identical Files"
www.abc-view.com

FREEWARE is really nice.

look for  Duplicate File Finder 
at http://www.freewarefiles.com

also suggest search for:
freeware duplicate files file finder