# Deleting folders from library



## Annewickham

I have tried to delete an empty folder from the library. There is nothing in it and the pictures are trashed from the desktop where they were. How do I delete the folder out of the library. I saw the instructions to do it and it won't do it.


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## Hal P Anderson

Anne,

Welcome to the forum!

Just ctrl-click on the folder name and choose "Remove":




Hal


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## clee01l

Annewickham said:


> I have tried to delete an empty folder from the library. There is nothing in it and the pictures are trashed from the desktop where they were. How do I delete the folder out of the library. I saw the instructions to do it and it won't do it.


Anne, Welcome to the forum. 
There must be nothing in the folder to remove it from the HD.  Open the folder in Finder and verify that there are no files of any type in this folder.  If the folder is empty in as viewed in finder and the image count shows '0' in the Folder panel, you can right click on the folder in the LR folder panel and choose {remove} form the context menu. 

If this is not working for you, then a screen shot of the folder panel and another of the folder in a column view in Finder will help further assess the problem.


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## ipri

Hi I have same problem.....I have "Added folder" as a test. It is empty...it does not appear in the LR file structure unless I choose "Import photos + videos" then I ca see it..rt clicking does not show a delete option. thanks   PS can I safely delete this from Explorer  file list?


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## clee01l

ipri said:


> Hi I have same problem.....I have "Added folder" as a test. It is empty...it does not appear in the LR file structure unless I choose "Import photos + videos" then I ca see it..rt clicking does not show a delete option. thanks   PS can I safely delete this from Explorer  file list?


The only place that folders are critical to Lightroom is in the Library Folder panel.  If the folder appears there and there are no cataloged images. (i.e. image count in the folder panel is zero), you can right click on it in the folder panel to remove it from the catalog.  If (AND ONLY IF) the folder contains not other files, LR will delete the folder from the filesystem.

In the Import dialog, LR will always show you a true representation of the folders in the file system for both the source panel and the destination panel.  These represent folders in the file system and not necessarily folders cataloged in the LR catalog file.  IF the folder in the Library folder panel has no cataloged image files in the catalog, you can always delete the folder using Windows Explorer without harm to the contents of the catalog.


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## ipri

Thanks, when I open library > file> import folders & video...I can scroll down to my test folder. there are a couple of options , but not delete. I'm doing a little experimentation to learn a bit more about LR .


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## clee01l

ipri said:


> Thanks, when I open library > file> import folders & video...I can scroll down to my test folder. there are a couple of options , but not delete. I'm doing a little experimentation to learn a bit more about LR .


Yhis is as a said, the import dialog. It listed the filesystem folders but does not have access to other filesystem commands.   The Folder panel in the Library has access to some filesystem commands (but not all). You can ADD, MOVE (drag and drop), RENAME, and when appropriate DELETE a folder.  You can not used the filesystem command "COPY"


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