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Photos / Orphaned media

Orphaned media #

Orphaned media are files stored in the media library but no longer linked to an active record, site or species gallery. They usually appear after a photo is detached, a record is deleted or galleries are cleaned up.

Go to the application #

What “orphaned” means #

A medium is treated as orphaned when ENTOMONE does not find an active use for it in records, sites or species galleries. The system also checks whether the medium is still used in the user private database. If such a link exists, the file should not be listed for deletion.

An orphaned medium is not automatically a bad file. It can be a working photo, duplicate, detached record photo or material the user may still want to use later.

When orphaned media appear #

  • after deleting a record with the option to remove unused media;
  • after detaching a photo from a record, site or species;
  • after gallery cleanup where only links were removed;
  • after an interrupted or temporary media upload, when the file was saved but not used.

Safe cleanup workflow #

  1. Open Orphaned media from the menu or from the Media library.
  2. Review thumbnails, media codes, filenames, media type and upload date.
  3. Select only the files you no longer need.
  4. Click Delete selected files and confirm the operation.

Deletion is limited to media owned by the signed-in user. If the file still has an active link, the deletion mechanism should block it.

Google Drive #

If orphaned media come from Google Drive, a separate Files waiting for deletion from Google Drive section may appear. It covers files that no longer have links in ENTOMONE, but whose physical Google Drive file still exists.

Permanently delete from Google Drive removes the file from Google Drive. It is not the same as detaching a photo from a record. Use it only after checking that the file is no longer needed.

What not to do #

  • Do not delete every file in bulk just because it appears on the list.
  • Do not treat this list as the record trash. This is file cleanup, not record recovery.
  • Do not delete files from Google Drive if you may still need them as originals.