Elements: Watch folder exclude list

Greetings,

I tried asking in the Adobe forum, and was told to try here.

I just discovered this file:

%appData%\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs\Shane\Watch Folder\Ignore Files Map.xml

I don't want any files in my Watch Folder to be excluded from the catalog. I started going through the list of files one by one, but there are hundreds of files in here.

I tried optimizing the catalog, but the extraneous files are still there. What causes files to be put in "Ignore Files Map.xml" in the first place?

I have PSE 15.0 on Windows 10 Home 64-bit.

Thanks,
Shane.

Shane Goodman

18 Posts
0 Reply Likes

Posted 2 years ago

2 years ago

Steve Lehman

866 Posts
96 Reply Likes

Hi Shane,

No need to worry. XML files are metadata container files (Extensible Market Language) which mirror your HTML links found on the web. They are needed for the aid of linking. Sorry they are on your drive but they take up less than 1Kb of space each. Collectively, 100 may take 1 Kb of space. They are in the "Watch Folder' for your browser to watch if you go to the same website, it will know that website and take you there much faster than searching for it. They is nothing to worry about. If you want to get rid of them, you can go to your browser, and in Internet Option (IE) or settings, you can simply click on Internet Options, then click on the Delete button on the General tab, and then check-mark everything you see, click on Delete, click Apply, click OK and done.

Steve Lehman, MCSE

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2 years ago

Shane Goodman

18 Posts
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I'm not worried about the space. My main concern is that the files in the exclude list are missing in my catalog. I don't have any HTML links on the web. I know I can delete this file, but I would have to delete it using File Explorer (not Internet Explorer). I was worried that deleting this file might cause corruption in Elements Organizer, so I haven't done so yet.

Thanks,
Shane.

Comment

2 years ago

Steve Lehman

866 Posts
96 Reply Likes

It won't make Elements poof. You can keep it intact or get rid of it, it's your choice. If you feel better to keep it in case your Elements needs it, why not keep it, again if it makes you feel better. But those files are not for Elements, they really belong to web links that you used once and their metadata file is left over which helps for your next search. Your browser has a lot more in different folders. Your browser may have deleted the history links but these are still around. Like cookies, they make for a short search for Websites when researching - the real cookies will carry data about what you searched for while on the web and pinpoints what you were interested in, then carries that image with you to other websites, you may have noticed that along the way. It's like keeping your links warm for the next search as they make the search easier.

None of them pertain to Elements, trust me. And, deleting them won't stop your browser. At the most it will do, is make your search longer as your browser will need to find the website you looked for once before but its metadata file is not helping your browser. That's all it is. It's a link to a Website somewhere.

You have the same type of links in your Windows applications. These are called .dll files which are Dynamic Link Library files which link your applications with Windows. They are provided by your application upon installation. Again, they help Windows search for the application which is kept is broken up into many page-frames throughout the drive, and Windows indexes them, or better, searches for them with a .dll file. So a .dll file is just another metadata file that helps a search, but for Windows searches. And deleting those will hamper Windows and the applications. But the other XML (HTML) files will not.

Steve Lehman MCSE

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2 years ago

Shane Goodman

18 Posts
0 Reply Likes

I'm sorry, there seems to be a misunderstanding.

The files in "Ignore Files Map.xml" are not web links. I've uploaded the file to OneDrive in case you wanted to look at it yourself:

http://1drv.ms/u/s!AiIktpCMJq_9pB2q2g50Igz2Kspt

Shane.

Comment

2 years ago

Steve Lehman

866 Posts
96 Reply Likes

Well excuse me but those are metadata files like I mentioned before I didn't make a mistake. One folder is linked to a blackberry too. Metadata files are a side-car files, which are parallel files to image files, which contain metadata in a "container file" which is a side-car file to help image files function. I didn't make a mistake. They also run parallel to browser links. They won't hurt anything if you keep them by, and they are nothing to worry about. I really don't know why this was brought up, other than to prove Elements is working.

They mostly live for websites. They can also ride in a "side-car" files, parallel to an image file. Look up "side car" files, please. Are you also using Adobe Light Room? Side-car files are generated in Adobe Light Room in a grand scale. Metadata files are usually small like yours. Larger metadata files will contain information of how a RAW file was converted to another file format such as TIFF for JPG. They are container file formats which don't function other than to assist another functioning file format. A contain file is a set of files in different formats, formatted as a subset (like yours). Contain files are mostly found in imaging, but has been known to reside container files as subsets for ascii text files from early computing. Also, thousands of type of container files are found in motion picture audio-video files, such as Adobe Premiere Standard.
Again these are nothing for you to worry about and not worth a book to explain them.

BTW the MCSE in my name stands for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, the highest certification for Microsoft. I know when I see a metadata files, but thanks for pointing yours out to me. I did not misunderstand you.

Steve Lehman MCSE

(Edited)

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2 years ago

Michel BRETECHER, Champion

1282 Posts
271 Reply Likes

No, Steve. Look better at those text files.
They don't link to anything on the web, they link to folders and files present on the computer, they are not sidecar files like .xmp. It's easier for me to check the same file in my computer in the catalog directory. The paths in this 'IgnoreFilesMaps.xml' are really built like the other similar 'Imported Files maps.xml'.
I'll have to spend some time to check what their purpose may be.
I generally don't use the watched folders service. In a catalog without any used watched folder it looks like those folders and files lists may be used as filters in the downloading process, not at all for watched folders.
What is curious is that the file date for the 'Ignore File map.xml' is really old and does not seem to be related to watched folders at all; I wonder why they are located in a 'watched folder' master folder; I supect they are remnants of past imports...

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1 person likes this

2 years ago

Steve Lehman

866 Posts
96 Reply Likes

Michel,

This is what I've been saying. They are links to existing or formrer existing image files, and they are short metadata describing the file as usual. XML files are almost the same as XMP but not exactly side-car like XMP but they exist in a mirror the same way. Allow me to help you with a definition of XML files. They are a link as I described.

".. eXtensible markup language. XML is a file extension for an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file format used to create common information formats and share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, intranets, and elsewhere using standard ASCII text. XML is similar to HTML."

Does this help you? I think this supports my claim.

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2017-11-12T08:35:32+00:00

Michel BRETECHER, Champion

1281 Posts
271 Reply Likes

Steve,
You can see that Shane and I are quite familiar with xmp and xml files. The problem is not the format of those text files, that's their contents and their supposed role in problems in using the feature.
My problem (maybe I am alone...) is that the feature no longer works for me in recent versions (see my other answer to Shane). I don't care for the feature, but when I am puzzled...

2 years ago

Shane Goodman

18 Posts
0 Reply Likes

Michel,

Thanks for your input.

Where did you find the date for "Ignore Files Map.xml"? I'm wondering if this file was created for version 15, or if it was carried in from a previous version.

I clicked File > Reconnect > All Missing Files, and it said "There are no missing files to reconnect". I picked a few random .jpg files inside the Ignore Files Map.xml, and they are included in my catalog. So I don't know why they are also listed as 'ignored'.

The fact that the few files I checked are included in my catalog is good, but it makes me more confused as to what the purpose of this file is.

The "Imported Files Map.xml" is much larger. Possibly a listing of file locations before they were imported into the catalog.

Shane.

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2017-11-12T08:29:01+00:00

Michel BRETECHER, Champion

1281 Posts
271 Reply Likes

Shane,
I'll do new tests to find the possible purpose of both xml files, but I am pretty sure that has nothing to do with the 'watched folders' feature and that we can delete them if we want. I'll try to see if there is a connection with 'import batches' in various catalogs or converted ones . I have many of them for testing, in various PSE formats, but only one for my main library. However, that looks like an academic question which does not help with any problem in using the watched folder feature.
By the way, even if I don't like or trust the feature, I have tried to understand why it no longer works for me with recent versions (15 and 2018).
That background task was implemented by a Windows service (ActiveFileMonitor V14 or similar). In my home desktop, I still have such services active for every older installed version. Nothing for V 15 or 2018.
This morning, on another computer just updated to the latest Win 10 (1709) Fall edition and PSE15 upgraded to 2018, no such Windows service... I assume Adobe has changed the way the watched folders is managed now. Maybe Steve can shed some light?
Anyway, even if I don't need or like the feature, it's puzzling that it does not work for me.

2017-11-12T09:34:11+00:00

Shane Goodman

18 Posts
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My main worry was that files were missing in my catalog, but the random spot checks that I have done so far haven't turned up missing files. It has, however, made me confused as to the purpose of the "Ignore Files Map.xml" file, but that is (like you said) academic.

I haven't had other problems with the Watch Folders feature, but I only have about 16,000 images. How big is your catalog? You said that the this feature no longer works for you. My Windows 10 is version 1703. I don't think that is the Fall edition.

If the Watch Folders feature has been deprecated in 2018, I might try deleting these two .xml files before I (eventually) install the next version.

Thanks,
Shane.

2017-11-12T09:58:23+00:00

Michel BRETECHER, Champion

1281 Posts
271 Reply Likes

My catalog is 67,000 items. I don't use face recognition and very little geotagging. I'll do new tests on the present (secondary) computer to check.
The migration from version 1703 to 1709 took still longer here... I suppose that there is no hurry to update if you don't get problems with the font cache like many users.
Remember that those two files are specific to each catalog, like the watched folders.

2 years ago

Steve Lehman

866 Posts
96 Reply Likes

And academically, since XML files are related to HTML I think they are links, and as Michel mentioned, they may be imported, and they appear to be remnants from photos copied from the web. As for keeping a catalog, I'm not sure how that's related but Michel does keep catalogs so he's the guy for that. Since my company has too many workstations and laptops, I rarely organize/clean drives. Drives are cluttered. That's life with a PC. I don't worry about XML files.