HowTo: Gramps: Media Clean Up 1B (Using Media Manager to Edit Paths) (2024)

When my father added media to his family history application (PAF), he created links to where they were stored on his computer – which were all over a few different drives and several different folders. These were static or absolute links (eg: E:Family Line Mahon
877 Ann Mahon & Thomas SherlockSherlockPatrick Sherlock & Mary Doolan.jpg) and when he moved it to a new computer, not only did the links break but the file names were truncated to a DOS 8.3 name (eg: Patrick Sherlock & Mary Doolan.jpg became PATRIC~1.JPG). Once he copied his files across he wiped the old drives. - much was never seen again. Even when located, folders that should have media files within, were empty. Also many now unlinked files were digitally scanned into the computer and had auto-generated names – many people in these are still not identified.

So how do I fix this?

My paths are mostly from my father’s MS Windows computer so they are of no real use. If you wish to keep your files within the Gramps Media Folder organised in folders by something like family tree branches then you can keep the folder paths that represent these folders.

I decided however that it would be best for me to remove all sub-folders from my media folder by placing their contents the file paths directly into the media folder (this tutorial). Then go to the Gramps Family Tree and remove all file paths from the Path field of the Gramps Media Item (see next page for an example)(Part 1B: Using Media Manager and Part 1C: Manually Fix Path).

If you wish to keep all of your existing folders within the Gramps Media folder as they are then you can start with this tutorial.

Here is how...