# Find orphan files on Server



## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Hi All!!

This one goes out to you webmasters out there . . .


have any of you found a free utility that will be able to go through your site, and your host, and identify orphaned files that are no longer being used by the site?

I need to clean up my host, and it is messy, and I know that there are loads of files that are not being used, especially images.

can any of you point me to a utility that will help me out here??

Thanx!


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## bassetman (Jun 7, 2001)

That would be a good thing. I wonder if you listed the files, say in FTP as Last Accessed, would that work at narrowng the "not accessed" files to the bottom of the list?

Just a thought.


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

Interesting...are there any that aren't free?


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## bassetman (Jun 7, 2001)

A google search for
Free server orphaned file finder

Got this:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&q=Free+server+orphaned+file+finder&spell=1


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Yes, I've been searching myself for the last few days, and have tried many different variations, but the majority of these are pay for programs, or are for removing orphan files after uninstalling programs.

The important thing is that my site is database driven, so it's not a simple matter of checking it all through Dreamweaver. I need something that will spider the site, and all links, and then allow me to match that list with my host files, and find the ones that aren't being used.

The PITA about this is that a database driven site is never-ending.

i am trying out a utility called Linkbot Pro, which has been discontinued and is now part of a paid package. It's only an evaluation, but after letting it run overnight, it had found over 40k links, and validated about 32k of them. Unfortunately, that means that it did not stop when it found duplicate links, and the file it saved is 125MB!

Bass - you could sort the files by last date accessed, or even go pain-stakingly through the logfiles, but that will only tell you the last time something was accessed, not if it is orphaned.


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## southernlady (May 6, 2004)

If you find on, let us all know, Please. I need to do the same thing  I was thinking about that this week. Liz


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

I was thinking of writing something to do this...if I get a chance, I'll let you all know.


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

if you need someone to test it for you, I'm your man!!


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

I thought as much


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

What do you use for a web page editor Randy? Most higher end ones (even Front Page) have a link check and orphnaed file facility built in.


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## southernlady (May 6, 2004)

I don't know about Randy, but I write my own html on notepad...why bother with a program when notepad is free and it's easy and the tutorials are all out there? It's also satisfying to write your own. Liz


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

ltramsey, try textpad, it's like notepad on steroids.


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## southernlady (May 6, 2004)

Okay, Gibble, I give...where do I find textpad? I'm running windows xp pro. Just head me the right direction. Liz


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

www.textpad.com


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## southernlady (May 6, 2004)

Thanks, I'll look into it. Liz


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Hi Rockn,

I use Dreamweaver MX, but it will only check static links that are located in the local site directory, and since my site is asp and database driven, I need something to check all the *possible* pages that can be generated form the live site, and that have that compare with what is located in the host server, and allow me to remove the unnecessary files from the host server.

Liz - Take a look at Xenu LinkSleuth, which will scan your local files to see if any orphaned files are located there. If you do not have a local version of your site, then ftp it en masse to your hard drive and run Xenu on it. It will check all links on an active site, but won't do anything about orpohaned files on it.


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## southernlady (May 6, 2004)

Thanks, Randy...I adore freebies! Liz


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

Xenu's a great program, for a freebie!:up:


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

Hmm...so randy, I take it your main problem is that many file (eg. images) links are in your db, so none of the code directly references them ... and thus, it's hard to tell if they are orphaned or not?

That's the main problem with what's out there correct?


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

exactly.

I have a product page template that calls information from the database, so if I want to change how all of my products are displayed, I simply change the template. That is why I would need something to be able to drill down m,y site, as a spider or robot would, but disregard links it had already checked, because there are no deadends on my site, so a stupid spider would get lost in a never-ending loop. Then, I would need to check it against all the files currently residing on the host server and advise me of which ones I can remove, or have the utility do it itself.

that's why I can't use the inbuilt Orphan File checker in Dreamweaver, as it only shecks links on the templates, and not the database filled ones.


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

Hmm...do you access your files through ftp?


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

You mean fo rupload and download?

Yes


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

ok then...I'll see what I can come up with


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## RandyG (Jun 26, 2000)

I'm leaving now, but am in the process of downloading the entire site to another folder, thinking that I might as well have something, locally, that is exactly like what is on the host server.

talk to you later!:up:


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## Gibble (Oct 10, 2001)

No problem. I'll write something up, and you can be my tester...allthough I may make the world pay, muwahahahaha...err...I mean...have a nice day


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