After moving directory,sometimes the old one won't delete

Sometimes, when I move a folder with assets, the old one still shows up in the Asset browser. Actually most of the times. I do check for redirectors and fix them, I close and restart the editor, but the DELETE function in the editor just does nothing. I have to go into Windows explorer and delete them there.

Any idea why this is so? I would report this as a bug, but I guess I can not be the only one who has noticed this so I would feel stupid reporting this.

Is this a bug? Is there a reason for it and if so, why is that reason not made clear when I select DELETE?

Edit: Ignore, I can’t read :slight_smile: apologies to OP

There is a file left behind by the engine called a redirector (it is invisible, but the folder won’t delete until it is “fixed up”, see the documentation here for detailed information on how unreal handles moving files and how to “fix up” redirectors.

Deleting the folder in explorer prior to fixing up redirectors may cause you very many more problems than you had before not reading the basics. I hope you make regular backups :wink:

A good rule of thumb in thought process in this type of scenario is to think, “this is probably by design” instead of “this is probably a bug”.

I hate to be that guy, but please note that this falls under the “Basics” section of the Unreal engine documentation and the basics section of the documentation should be the very bare minimum of reading you do when starting to use the engine. The AnswerHub will be better for it should people just do that first.

Thank you very much for your answer.
I also hate to be that guy but please note that reading the original question completely also falls under the “Basic” section of answering in any forum and should be the bare minimum before you attempt to “answer” a question.
Try again and you might just see the sentence in which I stated that “I do check for redirectors and fix them”.
Also, after about 4 years of working with UE, I have come to realize that "this is whacky, so it is probably a bug they haven’t fixed in all those years"instead of “this makes no sense so it’s probably by design” is also a good rule of thumb.

Ah ■■■■, I can’t read :slight_smile:

Lol, the irony is real :wink: my bad

OK dude.

Have you tried creating a blank project and migrating your existing project to that? Could be worth a shot.

Nah not yet, but I doubt it. The point is, it happens sometimes and sometimes not. I think it’s mostly when a redirector is left behind and I fix it. I checked around a little and I noticed when that happens there is a file in the directory, but that file does not show up in the asset browser, even though I have “show Redirectors” turned on. Restarting the editor doesn’t change this. I can delete the directory in the explorer then without any consequences. I suspect there must be some sort of “leftover” from that process that UE never shows, some sort if “invisible asset junk” that it forgets to clean up, but that prevents it from deleting the directory

Note to Grumpy: It’s OK, I was just ■■■■■■ that you lectured me. Sorry, Hub won’t let me eliminate the -1 I gave you anymore.