Why SO many random DCIM Folders? I want ONE!

I recently upgraded to Windows 10 - there's now an easy way of getting around the multiple folders in DCIM:

In any Explorer window, right click on your iPhone icon in the "This PC" drive list, and choose "Import Pictures and Videos".

This takes you to an import wizard that allows all the photos and videos to be imported off an iPhone into Pictures (or chosen folder), with the benefit of being able to select individual photos or in bulk, and also sort them into Groups via a slider. The slider will sort and import the pictures (all or selected) into a single folder or multiple folders based on time-stamp.

mrlew wrote:

Can I try and offer a practical solution to the issue

IHave made one one folder on my computer

I search DCMI for files named image

I Copy all into that folder

delete all

then replacing all back from the folder into my photo stream for which I want left on my phone

long winded but works fine for me

aledw wrote:

I recently upgraded to Windows 10 - there's now an easy way of getting around the multiple folders in DCIM:

In any Explorer window, right click on your iPhone icon in the "This PC" drive list, and choose "Import Pictures and Videos".

This takes you to an import wizard that allows all the photos and videos to be imported off an iPhone into Pictures (or chosen folder), with the benefit of being able to select individual photos or in bulk, and also sort them into Groups via a slider. The slider will sort and import the pictures (all or selected) into a single folder or multiple folders based on time-stamp.

It's a nice tip to clean things up, but keep in mind it's only temporary. Your iPhone will continue to generate new folders within the DCIM. Each folder corresponds to the month the photos within them were taken.

tab1075 wrote:

It's a nice tip to clean things up, but keep in mind it's only temporary. Your iPhone will continue to generate new folders within the DCIM.

True. Using import, or a saved search, or other software (as previously instructed on this thread) are all better options.

tab1075 wrote:

Each folder corresponds to the month the photos within them were taken.

Nope. I wish it made that much sense. The subfolder logic is completely meaningless and useless to any actual human being. It has a back-end purpose, which is why it should have stayed on the back-end.

In the age of Nokia E90 phone had Monthly photo folders like 032010 042010 052010... , i do not know why apple is using randoms numbers to divide Monthly photos on IOS 8.4, hope they would incorporate in IOS 9 folder names like was done in Nokia E90 phone. It would lot easier to access the photos. I have made list of random names of photo folder and each folder has monthly photos and new folder will be created when new month starts to view the photos. Not expected from Apple such thing.

drume wrote:

Nope. I wish it made that much sense. The subfolder logic is completely meaningless and useless to any actual human being. It has a back-end purpose, which is why it should have stayed on the back-end.

It's exactly how it works on mine. Granted, each sub-folder has a random name consisting of a string of letters/numbers, they are not in any particular order, and ALL of the folders themselves are dated with the same creation date. A date in which I don't even have any pictures on my phone from that date. And I noticed that date did change at some point. BUT, when I open the folders, each one contains only photos taken from a single month. They all get their own folder according to the month the photos were taken. I have 46 sub-folders within the DCIM consisting of 46 separate months that those photos were taken.

So what would be great to see is, each sub-folder be named according to the month the photos within it were taken. The creation date of each sub-folder correspond to, let's say, the first photo (or maybe most recent photo) taken that's in that folder. And also to have the sub-folders within the DCIM organized in chronological order according to the dates the photos within them were taken. Even if they left the stupid random folder names, it would still help us greatly if they were organized chronologically.

drume wrote:

Windows File Explorer is the single most commonly used file management tool. ...on the most common operating system. But hey, no need, right?

It may be, but it is not an image management app, so it's no good at managing images.

Just a quick note that I am able to successfully copy multiple files from an explorer search. Still doesn't resolve the issue of apple's file storage.

Also, if you empty a folder from within explorer, then reboot your phone, the empty folder gets deleted, at least on my iPhone 5, ios 8 I think (the latest firmware as of today).

TO those folks that seem to need to respond to this question with an answer other than "this is how you get back to 1 folder per month", I think it just frustrates people, maybe you could consider that before submitting multiple and seemingly antagonistic posts?

If someone asks how to make butter, telling them to go to the store because the store has 15 different kinds of butter isn't helpful. The person wants to know how to make butter.

I'm no PC or Mac lover, just a fellow individual that has to search for answers to things I consider a problem (whether it is a problem to you or not).

FOr those of you with this problem, don't feel alone. I suffer with it too and hope for a good answer.

A quick addition for those like me that are working around this problem using an Explorer search. When I pull pics off the phone (using either ctrl+x then ctrl+v, select drag shift drop, or any other copy paste method) (and I pull them off because there are only select pics I actually WANT on the phone), I find that I need to manually refresh the iPhone folder (F5) so I am not staring at the same pics I just removed.

Thanks!! the * suggestion was super helpful. I have an iPhone6 and my folders are additionally complicated because I imported photos/files from my old iPhone4S when I upgraded.

Still would love to know why Apple cannot simply generate folders that have some apparent logic to their naming.

tboake wrote:

Still would love to know why Apple cannot simply generate folders that have some apparent logic to their naming.

That has been answered many times in this thread. The folders are components of a database, and are not intended to be viewed using primitive tools such as Windows Explorer. The folder names are foreign keys to a database that you can't see with Windows explorer, and modifying anything in those folders corrupts the database index and can lead to loss of available storage.

@Lawrence

1-permissions are not such that would allow altering anything in those folders (other than deleting), so that's not a concern

2-apple implies at the very least that there is an intention to offer this interface for the PC, the poster was stating that they didn't understand why apple refuses to make it less cumbersome (and yes it is absolutely possible whether a name corresponds to database keys ar anything else).

3-windows explorer is probably the most used means of interacting with files of any sort on the market today, whether you feel it primitive or not.

@the iTunes sync pictures option

cleaning up in this manner works to a degree but pics added to the iPhone this way cannot be edited or deleted on the phone itself unless you first duplicate it.

That is not really very helpful. I happen to have a PC and an iPhone. Not uncommon. Everything else that I open with images has file folders that allow copying and pasting in a pretty sane and expected fashion. I shoot a lot of images. Last 9 day trip to Japan was 6,000 on my Nikon DSLR and 2,000 on my iPhone. This is also well beyond the storage in iCloud until I might return home and offload the originals.

I also have had Macs since I owned an Apple //e in 1984. Still also have Mac laptops and desktops. I have tried to use iPhoto and really detest how it works and stores images in ways that require a lot of effort to manipulate and sort.

There are many Apple products that have been intentionally designed to work with the iLife suite (to make cyber life easier on non tech people) that result in headaches for people who want to work without the requirement of a specifically designed App.

tboake wrote:

Last 9 day trip to Japan was 6,000 on my Nikon DSLR and 2,000 on my iPhone. This is also well beyond the storage in iCloud until I might return home and offload the originals.

8000 photos for a 9-day trip? If you view each one for one second, it will take you over two hours just to look at them. If you're going to enhance them in any way, it will take a week with no sleep! And that does not include sorting.

Amazing.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

tboake wrote:

Still would love to know why Apple cannot simply generate folders that have some apparent logic to their naming.

That has been answered many times in this thread. The folders are components of a database, and are not intended to be viewed using primitive tools such as Windows Explorer. The folder names are foreign keys to a database that you can't see with Windows explorer, and modifying anything in those folders corrupts the database index and can lead to loss of available storage.

File Explorer in Windows is not a "primitive tool" by any reasonable definition. It's still a very current, relevant part of the Windows OS, including Windows 10. It is also the most widely used method of file desktop file management in Windows, which is the single most widely used desktop OS on this planet.

Yes, there are many ways to get around this. But it shows a lack of faith in your own iCentric opinions that you label this method "primitive." It's far more accurate to call Windows and its File Explorer "the de facto standard" and Apple's iOS desktop "an aberration." Personally, I don't feel the need to label either one that way, because it dishonestly oversimplifies things and takes sides. What we should be doing is actually helping with the legitimate concerns voiced here.

Lawrence has provided some reasonable solutions. I have also provided solutions with instructions. Unfortunately, the "why" is elusive. Apple has their reasons for supporting Windows badly, but until they choose to reveal more, we are left with pure conjecture.

drume wrote:

File Explorer in Windows is not a "primitive tool" by any reasonable definition. It's still a very current, relevant part of the Windows OS, including Windows 10.

It is a "primitive tool" if it does not recognize the worldwide standard for DCIM folders and does not recognize the worldwide standard for XMP files (AKA .AAE files). The fact that there are dozens of tools that DO recognize these features of modern camera content storage proves that File Explorer is primitive. I haven't tried Windows 10 yet, but if it still doesn't recognize the most recent updates to image management used by many digital cameras (not just the iPhone), then Microsoft has dropped the ball yet again.

drume wrote:

Csound1 wrote:

You made the choice to use Explorer, this is the result, live with it or use something else. Not so difficult.

Fine. We bow to your superiority. Now shut up or be helpful.

Please be so kind as to read the mechanism for forum point awards and then compare Csound's point total with yours. Then, go away.