# "Remove" or "Delete from Disk"



## nigeld (May 25, 2018)

I just read an article by Chris Marquardt from TFTTF about regaining disk space by deleting orphan files when you've used the option to remove rather than delete from disk. Has anyone used this method or is there another way of tidying up? I probably have used remove in most cases rather than delete from disk and I think I just saw the light!


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## Linwood Ferguson (May 25, 2018)

Not sure what the method mentioned is other than to do so, but yes, delete-from-disk is a permanent deletion, and remove just breaks the catalog link leaving the file.

If you have a lot of orphan files, one danger is that you may have some that were accidentally orphaned in some way that you actually want to keep not delete.  One way to find them is to right click on a folder (including a top level folder) and do a "Synchronize".   Be sure first to check the "Show Import Dialog before importing".  It will show all the images it plans to add back in. This will give you some idea of the scale of the problem, and you could just cancel at this point without doing anything.

Or... you could let it import.  It will add to the catalog and to the Previous Import collection, which you could then use to find all the images and delete-from-disk.  You may need to un-check "Don't import suspected duplicates" if you think some orphans may be duplicates of other images.

Doing this is fairly easy to accidentally just add everything back into the catalog, so you must take care to preserve the previous import collection and use it to clean up.  If there are more than just a few images, create a new collection and add all the previous-import into it so it is permanent (as the next synchronize/import will otherwise overwrite it).

There are probably ways to find these that are easier, but none come to mind immediately; maybe someone has a plugin or tool?


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## nigeld (May 25, 2018)

Thanks for the reply. I got as far as doing a Synchronize" and checked on what was planned to be imported and there were around 2200 images. When I checked some of them, they were already in the catalog and I could access them so didn't understand where to prodeed to from there.


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## clee01l (May 25, 2018)

Synchronise on a folder is a way to import images not already in the catalog. If "Do not import Suspected Duplicates" is checked, then only images not already in the catalog are imported (It is possible that this IS 2200 images  if you have only been removing images from the catalog.  Each new import will consist of those images that were once removed and should have been deleted.   These will show up in the "Previous Import" special collection and can conveniently now be selected in that special collection and deleted properly before the next "Synchronize Folder" function is undertaken


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## nigeld (May 25, 2018)

Thanks Cletus - I'll take another look in the morning to see if I can sort it.


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## Linwood Ferguson (May 25, 2018)

When I try it, whether don't import duplicates is checked or not, it doesn't show items already in the catalog.

My GUESS is that you have 2200 images.  Some may be duplicates from moving files around?    But regardless, if you go as far as the screen that shows the 2200 images (you do not have to actually import) you should be able to see file names.  Take a couple examples, you can right-click on it to SHOW IN EXPLORER (or if you are Mac finder or some such).   Then search the catalog for what you think is the same file, and see if it is really the same physical file?


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## nigeld (May 25, 2018)

I thought along the same lines for checking it out but need to do it in the morning when I’m awake - thanks for your help


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## Linwood Ferguson (May 25, 2018)

nigeld said:


> I thought along the same lines for checking it out but need to do it in the morning when I’m awake - thanks for your help



Being awake is cheating, but whatever you need to do.


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