Deleting indexed files -- behavior different from manual

I’ve read a lot of posts about this, but I still don’t understand how to delete indexed files in the database but not in Finder.

  • I indexed one folder containing16,000 files .
  • I wanted to undo this.
  • Suddenly (probably my mistake) they all wound up in the DT trash.
  • For individual files, the language of the popup is clear about deleting only what’s in DT not Finder.
  • For indexed folders, the manual says that I could “remove all imported files” or “remove all files” – which sounds like remove only the files from the database or remove them from Finder as well, but no it means remove non-indexed files from DT trash or all files from DT & Finder.
  • But I don’t want to do either of those. I want to remove all mention of the indexed files in DT and keep them in finder, but that doesn’t seem to be an option.

How do I do this? Thanks!

Didn’t you read the In & Out > Importing & Indexing section of the built-in Help and manual ? Indexing is not something you should commit to without careful consideration, especially with 16,000 files in play.

You should have moved the indexed parent group to the database’s trash then emptied the trash. You would have been asked what to remove and you’d choose Only In Database.

1 Like