Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
MallorcaMalle
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Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by MallorcaMalle » Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:08 pm

Hey all,

for some house keeping I wanted to delete unused files in my projects. Live has a function for that - like Cubase has it in its Media Bay. In Cubase it works great but in Live it makes me wonder... So maybe someone can explain it to me...

So I choose... "Manage Files..." -> "Manage Project" -> the analysis dialogue opens...
"Project Contents" shows 22 Media Files (33.7 MB) -> Show
"Unused Files" shows 22 other Files (33.7 MB) -> Show

So, when I attempt to delete one of the "unused files" it won't work (of cause), because they are ALL used in one or more Live Sets of my current project. This is the same in other projects too. These are projects where I already used "Collect all and save.."

Thanks a lot for an answer in advance and cheers,
Malte

[jur]
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by [jur] » Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:45 pm

Which Live version? OS?
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Tarekith
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by Tarekith » Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:50 pm

Are you saving all your projects in the user library?
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MallorcaMalle
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by MallorcaMalle » Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:04 pm

"Which Live version? OS?"
Live 11.0.2 Suite / Windows 10

"Are you saving all your projects in the user library?"
No, the User Library is for all user created instruments and effects presets.

What I want to do is to simply clean up each sample folder inside the corresponding project folder. Therefore all DAWs have certain functions to delete files that have no more references in a project. For example in Cubase Media Bay you can choose "delete unused files". Ableton Live has this function too, but obviously it acts in a strange way. It shows exactly the same files used in the project as unused.

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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by [jur] » Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:19 pm

This is weird indeed :?
Is it happening with another set too? Can you check please?
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MallorcaMalle
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by MallorcaMalle » Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:54 am

Yeah isn't it... :|

I checked with other projects and in every case it shows files as unused, that are definitely used. You can't even delete them, cause a message box opens telling you the files are in use. This is the opposite of how this function is supposed to work.

I guess it's a bug but wonder why nobody else is experiencing this...

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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by [jur] » Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:08 am

Where are your sets stored?
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MallorcaMalle
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by MallorcaMalle » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:22 pm

In the corresponding project folder. So you have of course several projects folders with different projects...

As you know Ableton manages projects in projects-folders containing at least one or more (if you have named set versions) Live Sets, a "samples" folder and a "Backup" folder.

In the File Manager you can choose "Manage Set" oder "Manage Project". I use "Manage Project" because it checks the projects folder and all containing Live Sets if there are any audio files that have no references in any Live Set of the project. These are unused and can be deleted. The problem is that files are displayed as "unused" that are actually used in the project.

As I said in Cubase, for instance, you can use a similar function to clean up the Project "Audio" folder. In an Ableton Live Project the corresponding folder is called "samples". But in Ableton it seems not to work as expected...

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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by Tarekith » Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:18 pm

It normally works the way you’d expect, I use it all the time for that. What you are seeing is not at all what should be happening. Might be a good idea to contact support@ableton.com and see if they have any ideas.
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MallorcaMalle
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by MallorcaMalle » Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:23 pm

OK, good to hear that it normally works fine... yep, think I'll contact support with an example log file.

vlptx
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by vlptx » Mon Sep 06, 2021 11:20 am

Have the same issue but I find how to fix it for me. Do this steps below:

0. Close the project and backup it.

1. Go to your problem project and find inside ‘Samples’ folder.

2. Need to CUT all subfolders like ‘Imported’ or ‘Processed’ or ‘Recorded’ literally all folders in the ‘Samples’ folder to another place on your hard drive in new folder like SMPLS for example.

3. Open problem project and navigate to File Manager in Missing Files and manually set the path to your SMPLS folder from step “2” after scanning and replacing missing files you need to Collect All And Save.

4.Reopen project and check your files, all should be fine now.

Lapluie
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by Lapluie » Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:33 pm

I might figured out what caused this issue.

Check Backup folder under your project folder.
Backup all of them to somewhere else on your hard drive.
And then go to check File -- Manage Files...
Then you can (at least I can) delete the unused files.

The reason for this issue I think is probably:
Ableton considered your backup .als the same important as your current .als project.
Therefore, if some of your backups used samples in your project folder, ableton will protect those samples from being deleted by accident.

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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by [jur] » Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:16 pm

Lapluie wrote:
Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:33 pm
Ableton considered your backup .als the same important as your current .als project.
Therefore, if some of your backups used samples in your project folder, ableton will protect those samples from being deleted by accident.
These sets are indeed part of the project, so the files they use can't be considered as unused. It makes sense, isn't it?
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chemistree
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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by chemistree » Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:16 am

[jur] wrote:
Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:16 pm
Lapluie wrote:
Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:33 pm
Ableton considered your backup .als the same important as your current .als project.
Therefore, if some of your backups used samples in your project folder, ableton will protect those samples from being deleted by accident.
These sets are indeed part of the project, so the files they use can't be considered as unused. It makes sense, isn't it?
I'm experiencing the same problem now; unused audio files that Ableton will not let me delete from the browser window due to the "...file you are trying delete is used in your live set," prompt.

I have verified every audio in the arrangement is consolidated and renamed, I have deleted all project backups, saved progress, restarted Ableton and computer, but still it will not let me delete the files. Is there a way to ask Ableton to navigate to where in the project the file is being used? I'm trying to be more organized with my file naming and only keeping audio I need, but this issue makes that goal hard to achieve. Any ideas on how to address this?

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Re: Manage Files... used files=unused files (?!?)

Post by [jur] » Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:06 pm

chemistree wrote:
Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:16 am
Is there a way to ask Ableton to navigate to where in the project the file is being used?
If you click the file from the Project Manager, it will show it in the Browser.
Another place to look at, is comped takes in Arrangement.
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