# Duplicate Database on Second Mac

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Tags:** bug-report, devonthink3, sync\
**Created:** [April 14, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702 "2021-04-14T14:39:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ikirstein)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/1 "2021-04-14T14:39:31Z")

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I opened an existing database on my laptop and added an indexed file. I did not duplicate, or create a new database. This morning I logged into my desktop and I have two databases with the same UUID and a log file populated with “Duplicate database UUID.” entries.  
I checked my Finder, and there is now a second database file in my home folder with the same name, that only contains the new indexed folder. The original database is in my home folder in a folder called “Databases” with all my other databases tucked in.  
I will move the folder over to the right database and “Clean” the new one, but I don’t know why a new database was created in this scenario.  
I am using CloudKit Sync. DTG3

I saw this entry: [Douplicate UUID problem on sync after moving databases](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/douplicate-uuid-problem-on-sync-after-moving-databases/22339) - But it still doesn’t explain why a new database was created.

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/2 "2021-04-14T14:45:42Z")

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> [@ikirstein](#):
>
> but I don’t know why a new database was created in this scenario.

It shouldn’t. Did you rename or move the existing database while it was in use?

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**Author:** ![ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ikirstein)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/3 "2021-04-14T14:46:52Z")

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I did not. I just added a folder to index. That was my only interaction.

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/4 "2021-04-14T14:56:50Z")

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What’s the full path of the indexed folder?

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**Author:** ![ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ikirstein)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/5 "2021-04-14T15:27:56Z")

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iCloud/iWriter/Obsidian

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/6 "2021-04-14T15:29:52Z")

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A screenshot File \> Database Properties… of both databases might be useful, thanks.

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**Author:** ![ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ikirstein)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/7 "2021-04-14T15:57:16Z")

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I already moved and cleaned the duplicate database and everything seems to be working well.

 ![Screen Shot 2021-04-14 at 11.51.39 AM](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/3X/a/2/a25db755d1c37ce043ed5df331641f79623abeae.png)

The other one would have been Home Folder \> Suitcase.dtBase2.

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 7:30am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/8 "2021-04-15T07:30:49Z")

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Is a verification of the database successful?

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**Author:** ![ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@ikirstein](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ikirstein)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:31pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/9 "2021-04-15T12:31:13Z")

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Yes it verifies.  
Everything is back to normal now. I am sorry I fixed it before you could test it.

I am just wondering if there was something that forces a database to the home folder even if the existing database is in another.

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**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/10 "2021-04-15T12:32:38Z")

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> [@ikirstein](#):
>
> I am just wondering if there was something that forces a database to the home folder even if the existing database is in another.

So far this is the first report of its kind ever, therefore please let us know if this should happen again.

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**Author:** ![lwb52](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/lwb52/32/16498_2.png) [@lwb52](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/lwb52)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/11 "2021-04-20T17:35:39Z")

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I had a similar issue when updating Indexed files & folders after adding a file to one of the Indexed folders: duplicate files listed. In fact, the Index showed multiple duplicates. This was a couple of weeks ago now, and I corrected it by rebuilding the database and deleting the old database. I only report it now to let you know that this is not a completely isolated event. Mac-Mojave10.14.6, DT3.6.3

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/cgrunenberg/32/7172_2.png) [@cgrunenberg](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/cgrunenberg)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 7:46am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/12 "2021-04-21T07:46:37Z")

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> [@lwb52](#):
>
> duplicate files listed.

Thanks for the info! However, this is a different issue actually. Certain actions can indeed cause duplicates but it’s hard to tell without additional details or screenshots what exactly happened.

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**Author:** ![eMaX](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/emax/32/12034_2.png) [@eMaX](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/eMaX)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/13 "2026-08-08T15:40:51Z")

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I know this is like a bazillion years old, but I couldn’t find an answer. I’ve right now 4 databases which share the same UUID. Can I just generate new UUIDs? Short of copying millions of files around, creating new databases etc. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/duplicate-database-on-second-mac/63702/14 "2026-08-08T17:21:45Z")

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No, this is not possible and we have said for those bazillion years, do **not** copy and rename databases in the Finder. 😉