Using the Media Cleanup Utility

Written By Brian Faeran

Last updated 6 months ago

The Media Cleanup Utility is a powerful tool within LaunchBox that helps users identify and remove unnecessary media files from their collections. Whether you want to clean up images, videos, manuals, or music, this utility streamlines the process while ensuring your files are safe from accidental deletion. Here's a complete guide on how to use it effectively.

How the Media Cleanup Utility Works

The Media Cleanup Utility identifies files to remove based on several criteria:

  • File Not In Use: Media files that are not being used by your current themes in either LaunchBox or Big Box.

    • Lower Priority Files: Files deemed less important based on image group priorities under Tools > Options.

    • Unassigned Files: Media not assigned to any image group or type, meaning they won't be displayed in the UI under any circumstances.

  • Duplicate Files: Identifies files that are exact copies (same hash) or visually similar (if the rough matching option is enabled).

Accessing the Media Cleanup Utility

To launch the tool:

  1. Navigate to Tools > Clean Up Media in LaunchBox.

  2. Choose to clean media for either:

    • The platform you are currently viewing.

    • All games in your collection.

  3. Select the types of media to clean up, such as Images, Videos, Manuals, or Music. You can also enable the Scan Images for Rough Matches option to identify duplicates based on visual similarity.

Features of the Cleanup Tool

Detailed Identification

The cleanup utility provides essential details for every file it flags:

  • Game Title: The name of the game associated with the file.

  • Platform: The platform the game belongs to.

  • Media Type: The type of file (image, video, manual, etc.).

  • File Path: The exact location of the file on your system.

  • Reason Identified: Why the file is flagged, such as being unused or a duplicate.

Note: Files flagged as "unused" are not utilized by your current themes but may still be useful if you switch to another theme in the future. Proceed cautiously with these files.

Batch Selection and Actions

Users can efficiently manage flagged files using batch selection tools:

  • Check All/Check None Buttons: Quickly select or deselect all flagged items.

  • SHIFT and CONTROL Keys: Highlight specific files or ranges for selection.

  • Right-Click Menu: Allows you to check or uncheck highlighted items.

File Management Options

After selecting files to clean up, choose one of the following actions:

  1. Move Checked Files to Folder: Safely relocate flagged files to a specified folder for potential recovery later.

  2. Delete Checked Files: Permanently remove flagged files.

Additional Notes

  1. Safety Features:

    • The utility only processes files for games currently in your library.

    • It will never ask you to delete files it knows nothing about, ensuring the safety of unrelated files.

  2. Performance:

    • The rough matching option for images can take considerable time, especially for large collections, as it analyzes visual similarities.