Hi,
The database had 117 orphaned files so I rebuilt the database…now it has 132 orphaned files!
If that means I have to go and refile them…DevonThink is not stable enough for me…I don’t have the time, desire and ability to find which folder each file belongs.
This obviously will occure again as it has in the past.
As much as I like the principle and design of DevonThink Pro Office, these orphan files I think have broken me; time to look start looking for another program I guess.
-BrianP
Orphaned files don’t just routinely just happen. It is likely you are doing something that causes this behaviour, like opening files and doing a Save As into the internals of the database (the most common cause).
Hi,
From what I observed with myself, I have been opening up past databases with the same name.
So I have been opening archived databases and other ones with the same name. Maybe this is the cause?
I am not sure what you mean by ‘Save As’. I don’t see that in the menu bar.
When you say opening files, what do you mean?
I have asked to “Show in Finder”.
So you are saying that as a fundemental rule, Devonthink is stable and getting orphaned files is an exception?
I am not sure what I am doing wrong then.
In the mean time, I will continue with Devonthink and see how my experience unfolds.
Thank-you for all your support.
Any suggested threads would be appreciated in relation to orphane files.
-BrianP
Why are you doing this? Archiving databases is meant for long term storage of completed databases or troubleshooting.
Also, the name of the database doesn’t matter. See this: blog.devontechnologies.com/2014/ … m-scratch/
People will open a file in its system default application, like double-clicking a Word file opens it in Word. They make changes then want to save a version. When they save the file, the location is where the file they’ve editing exists. This saves a file into the internals of the database, causing theere to be files DEVONthink doesn’t know about. These would the most common way to get orphaned files.
Yes. After 16,000+ hours working in DEVONthink, I would say that’s an accurate statement.
Hi,
To be clear on your explanation
“… People will open a file in its system default application, like double-clicking a Word file opens it in Word. They make changes then want to save a version. When they save the file, the location is where the file they’ve editing exists. This saves a file into the internals of the database, causing theere to be files DEVONthink doesn’t know about. These would the most common way to get orphaned files…”
To paraphrase:
1] The user opens a word document up in DevonThink
2] The user makes changes to the docuement and saves the document with a different name
Since the user saved the docuement in a different name, Devonthink cannot recognize it and therefore, the saved document with the new name becomes an orphan document. However, if the document was saved with the same name that was originally imported into Devonthink, then the document would not become an orphan.
Is this correct?
-BrianP
Sort of. What you’ve described would be overwriting the modified file, not saving a new version of it.
The essence of the problem is adding / deleting / moving files in the database’s internal structure by processes outside DEVONthink.
As the old saw goes, “I’m not responsible for what I don’t know about.” DEVONthink knows and controls it’s databases and ensures their integrity. If you went into the Finder, into the internals of the database’s structure, and added a file by any means, DEVONthink knows nothing about this and you’d have an orphan. Similiarly, if you removed a file via the Finder, you’d end up with missing files.