I brought a file into my Database last month. It is an old PDF and I believe (cannot confirm) that I brought it in via an indexed folder that lives on my desktop where items are imported and OCR’d. [It’s important to note at this stage that I don’t use this folder very often, which may or may not be a pertinent detail.]
As far as I can recall, the file looked fine whilst it was sat in my inbox. Earlier today I opened and read the file on DTTG. During this time I added a couple of tags, before moving the file to its final group.
I’ve since come back to my laptop and the file is showing in the correct group, but is italicised red which I believe means it’s a replicant. I’ve right-clicked>Get Info, and it says “1 replicant”. It shows the file location as the group the replicant file is in.
I’ve run a search for the file across all databases (two - Global Inbox and this one) and it’s only finding one occurrence of the file - the replicant. From what I understand I’m meant to be finding a second file somewhere?
I don’t really know how I’ve done this, or how I’m meant to fix it. The manual has baffled me and I can’t find a similar post on here.
Does an “original file” exist, and if so how do I find it?
I didn’t make any changes to the file today other than moving it and tagging it on DTTG: did I somehow create this replicant, and how do I not do that again?
Is it related to the way the file was moved into DT and something I need to be aware of?
Clicking on the Instances option and studying has shed a little light, which may or may not have made the situation more confusing So when I looked at it again following your instruction, I noticed that two groups were listed, the current group and “Inbox” were in red. I went off to the inbox, and sure enough there is a Replicant of the same file in there. I didn’t understand that two separate groups were listed when I looked before.
So, I thought I’d be clever and “right click>Move to” on the replicant in the Inbox and put it in the correct folder. I thought that would magically resolve the situation. It did not I now have the same file listed twice in the folder. If I delete a replicant does it delete all occurrences? I think from what you’ve said (that it’s all the same file) that this is bad and I shouldn’t do it?
I have got the Exclude Groups option ticked. I don’t know what it is and assume someone on here said to do it so I did
If I delete a replicant does it delete all occurrences? I think from what you’ve said (that it’s all the same file) that this is bad and I shouldn’t do it?
No. A replicant is an instance of a file. You’d need to delete all the instances to fully delete the file.
Imagine a superpower where someone can clone himself. You have to fight all of them as they are all perfect copies of each other. Even if you destroy all but one, there’s still the one left…
I have got the Exclude Groups option ticked. I don’t know what it is and assume someone on here said to do it so I did
No worries. That’s kind of the default option, so it shouldn’t be in play here.
I’ve been brave and deleted one and a file remains! Thanks for your help Jim, and your great explanation of replicants! I’ve figured out how I did it too - on DTTG the “Replicate to” option is underneath the “Move to” option and I must have clicked it by mistake.
So when I looked at it again following your instruction, I noticed that two groups were listed, the current group and “Inbox” were in red. I went off to the inbox, and sure enough there is a Replicant of the same file in there. I didn’t understand that two separate groups were listed when I looked before.
