Media check shows Unused: ⁨neerlandais-4-3.mp3⁩ Unused: ⁨neerla3.mp3⁩ Unused: ⁨neerlandais-9-5.mp3⁩ I resolved all the typos for the neerlandais* files, but there is no neerla3.mp3⁩ in the directory. I even did ls *n*e*e*r*l*a*3*.mp3 but nothing showed except neerlandais*.mp3

What happens if you use the button to delete unused media? Does the file still appear when you next use check media?

I didn’t want to delete any until I had resolved the notes they should have been on. But after I had done that, the check media window said there were 39 unused. Then I clicked delete, and got # Error An error occurred. Please use Tools > Check Database to see if that fixes the problem. If prob…

That’s odd, and one explanation is the directory entry is corrupt. Maybe the First Aid option in Disk Utility will reveal something?

That may be it. Disk utility found no errors in any disk volume. But, as an extra precaution, I did mkdir AnkiTmp time rsync -av Anki2/ AnkiTmp rm -rf Anki2 mv AnkiTmp Anki2 and relaunched Anki. Check media said there were 33 unused, and delete got no error. But I have another hypothesis: …

It’s not clear from the last message, but I guess running Check Media again reports no unused files since they’re in the media.trash folder now and everything is fine. It’s been mentioned on Changes - Changes media check now place deleted files in a media.trash folder inside your profile, instead…

That’s interesting, but “isolation characters” around three file names¹ doesn’t explain one of them being an error. Nor does it explain “delete unused” deleting only one and then crashing. ¹Actually, there were forty unused, then 39, then 38, … I just pasted the immediate context in the post.

The file could also start with an empty space (on their name) [image] Upper case and Lower case for filename / Bug report Anki Desktop I found a bug in anki desktop. Tools menu > check media , when media was checked there are two kind of files : Type 1) The following f…

New related problem? I now have two files shown as unused that ARE in the media directory and ARE referenced on cards. Running the output of media check through od -xc reveals that something has added bytes E2816E to the beginning of each of these two filenames in the Deck. ls | od -xc shows that…

Well, even weirder. I did that edit on both of the allegedly unused files. ONE of them is still listed as unused.

I added over a hundred MP3 files to the collection, edited them into the import file, and imported. Anki added three bytes after the “[sound:” (before the file name) to seven of the updated notes. I verified that the import file did not contain those bytes. Result is that the correct file name is…

Unused file—but it doesn't exist

Anki Help

addons_zz July 24, 2020, 5:07am 8

The file could also start with an empty space (on their name)

Topic		Replies	Views
Unable to play longer audio on cards Help	34	5708	May 1, 2023
"Check Media" improperly reports new imports as both missing and unused Help	4	54	April 30, 2025
Audio file names bug on check media (reported as missing and unused at the same time) Help	2	553	May 1, 2023
Media changes only partially sync’d Help	5	472	May 1, 2023
Audio files left unused Help	4	101	June 11, 2025

Unused file—but it doesn't exist

Related topics