huge mess

I have a huge mess within my folders (files). Mostly with pictures from my digital camera. I have photos in folders (My Documents-My Pictures-and a bunch of subfolders) that were renamed and now have duplicated (with a different filename) What is the best way to rearrange this mess?

 

Hi Marie,

I just got a digital camera last week so I am thinking myself, how to best organize .... I don't have a "mess" yet

You can open up each subfolder in My Documents\My Pictures and click View...Arrange Icons by...Date. Also try View Arrange Icons... by Size, or by Type. You can then select a group of files by holding down the CTRL key while clicking each, then right-click and drag one of the selected files to another location, or click Edit CUT, open another folder, place the cursor inside the new folder, and click edit PASTE, assuming you want to save the duplicates elsewhere (otherwise just Delete the duplicates, if they are easy to spot).

You can probably idientify which files were created on the same date that way, and identify duplicates by filesize, IF the duplicates and originals are in the same subfolder. I THINK Win98 shows thumbnails too, or if you can't tell from there open files that are the same size. I'm assuming you haven't edited or changed formats and that you are only interested in eliminating exact duplicates that are the same size and filetype.

At least that will give you a place to start.

You can also use the Windows FIND Files or Folders feature if you have lots of files scatterred all over the place, in different folders:

Either go to Start Find and change the information under "Look in:" by browsing or typing in C:\My Documents\My Pictures) or Right-click on the My Pictures folder and select Find.

You can find Files or folders named *.jpg if that is how your pictures are copied from the camera if your My Pictures folder has other formats. Make sure "include Subfolders" is checked. Further limit your search by checking for those created or modified after the time this problem began, for example, 01/01/2003 and 01/21/2003. [In Win95B there is a separate "Date Modified" tab in the Find window- Win98+ may be different]
For example:
Search for *.JPG files in C:\My Documents\My Pictures (include subfolders) for files created or modified between 01/01/2003 and 01/21/2003. That brings up a list of files, and you can see names, file size and folder location in the Find window. You can also search just for files created or modified on a specific date by using the same date twice.

Lets say you find that you have the same file listed by two different names in a My Pictures folder or subfolder and elsewhere. Once you identify the originals and copies (by creation date possibly) you can group your original photos in folders by creation date, then name the duplicates to something that makes sense to you..

As far as organization, I always make sure I have at least one original copy of each file, then make a new copy if I want to edit the file, so I can safely edit and save the new copy without worrying about changing the original by mistake.

The way I organize my files and folders, I try to have the untouched originals organized in a main folder by filetype or source (MP3, BmpImage, JpgImage, Canon , IbmManuals etc) , then in subfolders grouped logically or by date, whatever works for me.

Here is what I do, since I like to keep the originals untouched, I save a new version with any editing with a new file name (and/or location). That way, I always have the original I can go back to.

My camera saves the .JPG files in a folder named Canonxxx (if I remember right) and the files are named IMG_0001, IMG_0002, etc. After copying to my hard drive to my own Alice\Canon folder (I use a card reader and drag.drop directly from the reader drive to my hard drive),

I open each of the original files in Irfanview (a bsic Image viewer/editor) made size changes or crop as needed, then use File "save as" and save a new verwion with a name that makes sense to me, just keeping the number, for example, 1africanviolet 2xmascactus 3poinsetta temporarily to help me ID the original. I keep all these renamed photos in the same folder as the originals temporarily until I'm happy with the edited version, then I'll move the edited version to another folder where I store all my JPGImage\Photos (or you can also keep the edited versions in the same folder as the originals if you like since the files are renamed)

I haven't decided how to organize my edited digicam photos yet but I know already I want to keep the originals in the C:\Alice\Canon folder, in subfolders by date. Your camera software may already organize the originals for you. I also transferred my photps to my husband's Ibook using Apple Iphoto and that placed the originals in the \...\users\Username\Library\Pictures\2003\01\20 folder if I remember right. So, that is where I will let the originals be stored of course! Edited copies I placed in the \...\users\Username\Library\Pictures folder for now, renamed to names that make sense to me.

You can find your own system to help organize but My system has been working for me.


Good luck

 

I just checked my photos on my husband's Ibook that were imported into thre IPhoto image editing/organizing program and the software is SUPPOSED to keep the downloaded picture file in one folder (photo library) and make duplicates for the various albums you create. Also, if you EDIT a picture either inside the album or from the photo library, the IPhoto software will ALSO save the Original in a new folder named (you guessed it) ORIGINALS.

Just wanted to tell you this because your digital camera or other image organizing/editing software may also work similarly, in which case the duplicates are OK.

If you need more help, tell us what type of camera you own (make and model number) and what software you are using to organize your photos (may or may not be the software that came with the camera_