How to delete target thumbs.db?
- Posts: 15
- Joined: 6 Feb 2016
I have thumbs.db files on my target (NAS) which I don't really want (not sure how they got there). FFS is set to exclude them which it seems, means they are not considered at all. Is there a way to configure FFS so they get deleted?
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- Posts: 2453
- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
First of all, make sure your Exclude Filter contains a line *\thumbs.db, otherwise you are fighting a running battle ... At least in the FFS Windows version such a line should be present by default.
I would suggest to simply use a file manager (e.g. Windows File Explorer), search for all thumbs.db files in your (NAS) target location, and select and delete these.
But if you prefer doing it the hard way via FFS, there are probably multiple options, but one such options would be:
- Take your existing FFS sync configuration as a starting point.
- change your Include Filter into (just) *\thumbs.db and empty your Exclude Filter
- Run a Compare
=> Make sure all Compare results are visible, by (also) clicking the "=" (equal) and "-" (won't be copied) icons mid below the Compare results
- Select all target-side thumbs.db files (select the top one, and hold Shift while selecting the bottom one)
- Right-click any of these selected files and choose Delete
=> Make sure not to overwrite your initial FFS configuration with this new one
I would suggest to simply use a file manager (e.g. Windows File Explorer), search for all thumbs.db files in your (NAS) target location, and select and delete these.
But if you prefer doing it the hard way via FFS, there are probably multiple options, but one such options would be:
- Take your existing FFS sync configuration as a starting point.
- change your Include Filter into (just) *\thumbs.db and empty your Exclude Filter
- Run a Compare
=> Make sure all Compare results are visible, by (also) clicking the "=" (equal) and "-" (won't be copied) icons mid below the Compare results
- Select all target-side thumbs.db files (select the top one, and hold Shift while selecting the bottom one)
- Right-click any of these selected files and choose Delete
=> Make sure not to overwrite your initial FFS configuration with this new one
- Posts: 15
- Joined: 6 Feb 2016
Thanks for the suggestions.
So, only by manual intervention, not by using FFS during backup.
I have other similar files, like .dstore & folder.jpg. I was hoping for a way to say exclude them from source, but if they exist on target, delete them.
I suppose another other way is to use a clean up tool on source, like CCleaner, then run a one-off FFS without the exclude filter.
So, only by manual intervention, not by using FFS during backup.
I have other similar files, like .dstore & folder.jpg. I was hoping for a way to say exclude them from source, but if they exist on target, delete them.
I suppose another other way is to use a clean up tool on source, like CCleaner, then run a one-off FFS without the exclude filter.
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- Posts: 2453
- Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Excluding items, e.g. *\thumbs.db really excludes these items from the sync.
That means that any such items (if present) simply will be ignored and left alone by FFS, so also will not be deleted.
Removing thumbs.db files at the source side does not help. Windows will simply recreate these.
That means that any such items (if present) simply will be ignored and left alone by FFS, so also will not be deleted.
Removing thumbs.db files at the source side does not help. Windows will simply recreate these.
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- Posts: 4059
- Joined: 11 Jun 2019
To delete them from the destination, assuming it is a mapped network drive, you can run "del /s Thumbs.db" and it should delete every one of them.
