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Sorting out media files in Windows Explorer

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  • Sorting out media files in Windows Explorer

    I have used FTM over many years, including transferring from one computer to another and I need to tidy up all the files in my FTM media directory. In some cases type files are duplicated, with different file names and in others I am rationalising the file names themselves. It doesn’t help when the Ancestry hint system names the files in a different way from I prefer! I do change the file name of media files, when I remember (!), before clicking the merge now button.

    To explain, my file naming convention, which I have decided on after many years, is: <surname> <forename/s> <year> <media category>. For example: PAWLEY Philip 1946 Birth Index.jpg. This means that the files in my Media subdirectory, when sorted by name, will present the order of events by family groups.

    Now, I know that you can rename media files which have been copied to that directory by FTM within FTM, but the question I have: is there any easy way of identifying, in Windows Explorer, those files which FTM has in its Media “catalogue”. I’m looking for a way of a) identifying duplicates and b) those files not in FTM.

    Any ideas, folks?

  • #2
    Are you saying that Ancestry is full and complete with no duplicates, and it is FTM and therefore Windows folder a problem. Wouldn't it be easier to just rebuild a new tree from Ancestry? Making sure that the media files you have put on there are correctly named?

    The media that is added by Ancestry do you then save as a new name in Ancestry and then link it via citations, or are you only querying media that has not come from Ancestry?

    Sorry I may have misunderstood your query.
    Carolyn
    Family Tree site

    Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
    Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

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    • #3
      NB there is a media usage report in FTM, which may help, you can include file path and other items
      Carolyn
      Family Tree site

      Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
      Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

      Comment


      • #4
        Beware, if you rename a media file outside of FTM, i.e. in Windows Explorer, FTM will no longer be able to find that file, as it will have the old name in its database to look for.
        Avatar is my Gt Grandfather

        Researching:
        FRANKLIN (Harrow/Pinner 1700 to 1850); PURSGLOVE (ALL Southern counties of England); POOLE (Tetbury/Malmesbury and surrounding areas of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire (1650 to 1900); READ London/Suffolk

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