Media Files – can't get unattached files to 'attach'
-
I noticed I have 50+ unattached items in my media folder. Out of almost 2000 images that is not too bad, I guess…but still, I’d like to tidy things up. When I display the List, we have the handy link that should simply attach the said items. However, it doesn’t seem to be working? So far only about 3 of them attached by using the link and then Selecting the post that an image needs to be connected to… I keep hitting the links but nothing happens. Why won’t the list of Unattached images get smaller, they should just attach as I go…easier said than done apparently !
I have performed this little task before without any problems, but now it’s getting aggravating…
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
-
Hi there. This feature works fine for me, so it could be an issue restricted to your browser. Try clearing your browser cache and cookies and see if that helps. You can also check if you can attach images using a different browser: http://en.support.wordpress.com/browser-issues/
-
My Tools – Options – Privacy is set to clear history each time FF is closed. I am not entirely sure I have it correctly set to clear the cookies as well. Anyway I did clear the current history but still no changes in the Media Files. However I do notice that some of the unattached images are things like headers, texture graphics, even several screenshots for the forum here; those are either not being used at present or don’t have a blog post (like the screenshots). Some of the others might be duplications, I have not looked carefully into that yet although I am pretty sure one or two are dupes…
Ugh, I am not fond of Google Chrome but I might switch to it just to see how it works with WordPress…
-
I use Firefox and the attach feature works without problems, so this could be something else. I’ll tag this thread for staff to follow up. Please make sure you’re subscribed so you’ll be notified when they respond and be patient while waiting.
-
Thanks! Yep, agreed, I think it might be a bug in the soup somewhere… I have been around WP for years and never had any hair-pulling issues with the media folder before, so…
-
Hello there!
Please take the following steps and confirm you’re unable to see the link to Attach:
- Click Media → Library.
- Notice that you can see the Media items as a grid. Click to adjust to List view, rather than thumbnail view:
- Once in list view, are you able to see the “Uploaded to” column?
Let me know and we can work further to troubleshoot your issue. Many thanks!
-
Yes, I can see the “Uploaded to” column… A number of the listed items (such as screenshots used here at the forum, old texture graphics, handmade headers not currently in use) I feel certain are unattached because they don’t have their own post. Some images might be duplications. But I still suspect other items that should be attached are on the “unattached” list for some unknown reason…
-
I did a Search in Media for names of images that were not attached and I thought might have duplications. They did not! There is no great number of those (thank goodness); but as I said, there is some unknown reason why items that ought to be attached are persistently on the “unattached” list…
-
I suspect that some of the images may have been uploaded when we were in the midst of updating our image editor. It’s quite possible they don’t appear attached simply because of the unhappy timing coincidence. I am sure you’re doing this already, but before you delete those images, please make certain that you don’t need them.
Also, you can Bulk Delete anything you don’t need. You can click the boxes next to the image names in your Library, use the Bulk Actions drop down box to delete permanently, and click Apply. Thought this might save you some time.
Let me know if you have any other questions, or if I can help further. Thank you!
-
Just an idle question, but what would have been the time frame of the image editor update?? Without looking into my folder, I am not certain whether dates of my own uploads will show, but I was just wondering, that way I can do a little detective work! I will have to do some checking anyway to find out whether these unattached images are duplications maybe…
-
I’m so sorry it took me a while to get back to you! I believe the image editor update that may have interfered with your upload took place in mid-June. That’s a theory, not a fact, but if you know dates you uploaded those detached images, we can get to the bottom of it.
Thanks so much!
-
Sorry but there are so many of them (maybe 160 now), I can’t say offhand unless I go thru them all. I can do that, though :)
One thing that I noticed, it seems that many, perhaps most, images that are made into galleries on my blog are “unattached.” Only minutes ago I wondered why some new images were not attached to posts which had only been created in the past week or two. I went and looked, sure enough the images were appearing in their galleries. How could they be displaying correctly in their galleries if they are UN-attached??
Something else–Sometimes I make the mistake of “attaching” the wrong image to the wrong post, even though the mistake does not show on the post :)
When this happens, I find I have to delete the image “permanently” and then re-upload it in order to take the needed steps to attach it to the right post. There is no means to correct such mistakes as these, other than what I describe. I personally think the WP monkeys should consider giving us an easier means of editing such errors…and we’re all human, I’m sure I’m not the first blogger to do that :D
-
I did a search here for “gallery images unattached” and I found that this problem has occurred for bloggers before me. I see there are several interesting threads concerning the issue, here is one–
https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/unattached-images?replies=2#post-1855223
-
Hey there! Thanks for all this followup!
Because of the way images are included in galleries, they do display as ‘unattached.’ That is totally fine in the case of galleries. Of course, if your images aren’t displaying properly in a gallery, that’s another story altogether. Do let me know if this happens! Otherwise, this shouldn’t be an area of worry.
I find I have to delete the image “permanently” and then re-upload it in order to take the needed steps to attach it to the right post. There is no means to correct such mistakes as these, other than what I describe.
You are absolutely correct — your process is the only way to do this currently. I will add your suggestion to our developer’s queue. If enough of your fellow users want this feature as well, it will be considered for development.
Let me know if you have any other questions or ideas. Thanks!
-
How could they be displaying correctly in their galleries if they are UN-attached??
As far as I can tell, the Media update in November 2012 no longer made it necessary for images to be attached (i.e. uploaded) to a particular post in order to display them in a Gallery. (And actually this change probably occurred even earlier following the introduction of the Photo Carousel.) Oddly enough, single images inserted normally are always attached to their post.
But as far as not being able to attach images, it does seem like a browser issue and there have been a number of reports in the forums that FF 31 does have “issues” with the WPcom site. FF 32 was just released, so see if updating Firefox now allows you to do this: http://en.support.wordpress.com/media/unattached-files/
-
Also, my 2¢ on “tidying up the Media Library”
This single thought has caused no small amount of misery to any number of community members who discovered after the fact that Whoops! I guess that image was being used in a post.
If you don’t have to, don’t.
If space is an issue, the $20US/year for the 10GB space upgrade will last you several lifetimes of images that have been resized and optimized prior to uploading.
-
-
-
Oh Wow…I didn’t know about that, justjennifer….thank you again ;)
Yes, it is true that all single images are invariably attached to their post. Unless, of course, you run across some stupid mistakes as I have done several times (“WHY is ‘xxx333’ attached to ‘yyy444’, I have no clue how that happened!”)
I only wish there was a simple means of correcting such problems without deleting the image, then having to relocate it in my own storage folders before re-uploading and then choosing the correct post.
And yes, eventually space in media could become an issue, and I will certainly bear in mind the 10 GB upgrade…
-
Hey there,
I only wish there was a simple means of correcting such problems without deleting the image, then having to relocate it in my own storage folders before re-uploading and then choosing the correct post.
I’ve added this to our queue for developers’ consideration! Thanks much :)
- The topic ‘Media Files – can't get unattached files to 'attach'’ is closed to new replies.
WordPress.com Forums 