lisalisabol

Q: Why SO many random DCIM Folders?  I want ONE!

I have an ipone 4s.  I have had an iPhone for over 5 years now.  Before the DCIM folder would hold 1000 pictures.  As soon as I would take another picture (ei 1001) then it would start another folder for those thousand pictures.  So by time I got into the 5000+ I had over 5 folders.  They are random (ei 851PKYZB, 851XTGOR, 914ELZYG, etc.) Last month or so when I plugged my phone into the computer to copy my photos onto my desktop I had ONE folder.  It was glorious not to have to open every folder to figure out where the newest pictures were.

 

Then today I plug my phone into my computer to copy pictures over and I now have a folder for every 100 pictures.  YES TONS and TONS of folders (55 folders to be exact) and no rhythm or reason to the numbering system.  Some with only 1 picture in them, as I delete a lot of pictures after transferring to my computer.  So when I wanted to find todays pictures I had to open over half of them to find my pictures.

 

HOW do I get it back to ONE folder?  I understand the reason there is a DCIM folder to begin with, but I really think I should be able to have 1 folder or at least have them numbered 100APPLE, 101APPLE, or something that is numeric and I know that the very last folder are the new pictures.  Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  (I have the newest iOS 8.1.2) Thanks in advance.

iOS 7.1

Posted on Dec 13, 2014 6:24 AM

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Q: Why SO many random DCIM Folders?  I want ONE!

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  • by williewyk7,

    williewyk7 williewyk7 May 12, 2015 8:53 AM in response to T-Minator
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 12, 2015 8:53 AM in response to T-Minator

    Excellent. Tried it and it does what I want. Thanks for the tip. Saves me much time and frustrations. Why Apple, why on earth make life so difficult???

  • by joecooool,

    joecooool joecooool May 15, 2015 9:25 AM in response to lisalisabol
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 15, 2015 9:25 AM in response to lisalisabol

    I too have this problem and am disgusted with Apple that they haven't come up with a solution to this problem so many of us have.

     

    I take real estate photos and now have over 100 sub files under the DCIM folder. What use to take ten seconds now takes about half an hour trying to locate the latest folder to find the photos.

     

    There is zero reason for this. If Apple insists on creating new folders, then why the **** can't they name the new folders in sequence? Are you going to tell me that they can name the photos in sequence but not the files they are stored in?

     

    I have found the best work around yet. I dusted off my old digital camera with the SD card and left the god **** phone at home.

     

    My contract comes up in July. If this BS isn't fixed by then, Hello Android!

     

    And Lawrence, why do you have to be a smart *** Apple apologist troll? You do realize you contribute nothing to this thread right?

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 May 15, 2015 9:34 AM in response to joecooool
    Level 9 (50,786 points)
    Desktops
    May 15, 2015 9:34 AM in response to joecooool

    Buy the Android now, this is not broken so it won't get 'fixed'

     

    or use appropriate software, which Windows Explorer is not.

     

    Which Android will you get?

  • by joecooool,

    joecooool joecooool May 15, 2015 12:34 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 15, 2015 12:34 PM in response to Csound1

    Galaxy 6

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch May 15, 2015 2:31 PM in response to joecooool
    Level 8 (38,071 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 15, 2015 2:31 PM in response to joecooool

    It isn't broken. If you use the correct tools you won't have any problem. You are trying to use a screwdriver to drive nails. Use the Camera and Scanner Wizard, Photoshop Elements, Microsoft Photo, Google Picasa, or any of a dozen or so other 3rd party tools that know how to navigate DCIM folders and you will never have to look at a DCIM folder again.

  • by gail from maine,

    gail from maine gail from maine May 15, 2015 2:36 PM in response to joecooool
    Level 7 (26,299 points)
    iCloud
    May 15, 2015 2:36 PM in response to joecooool

    Please do get an Android so we don't have to read your rude and unpleasant posts. This is a user to user forum. We are not Apple here, and reading a post rife with profanity is not a pleasant experience for those of us who volunteer our time here to help people. Since you also have contributed nothing but a useless diatribe, not sure why you are criticizing Lawrence, who helps hundreds of fellow users weekly....

     

    GB

  • by joecooool,

    joecooool joecooool May 15, 2015 2:57 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 15, 2015 2:57 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    I upload photos to three to five different customers computers every day. Your solution is to have all of my customers install third party software so I can find the photos I just took?

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 May 15, 2015 3:06 PM in response to joecooool
    Level 9 (50,786 points)
    Desktops
    May 15, 2015 3:06 PM in response to joecooool

    The Camera and Scanner wizard is a standard part of Windows, use it.

  • by drume,

    drume drume May 15, 2015 4:46 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (9 points)
    May 15, 2015 4:46 PM in response to Csound1

    Lawrence Finch wrote:

     

    ...You are trying to use a screwdriver to drive nails. Use the Camera and Scanner Wizard, ....

    Csound1 wrote:

     

    The Camera and Scanner wizard is a standard part of Windows, use it.

    An import wizard is not a file browser.  Different purpose.  This is not difficult to understand.  It's ironic that you are both suggesting a screwdriver to drive nails.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 May 15, 2015 4:49 PM in response to drume
    Level 9 (50,786 points)
    Desktops
    May 15, 2015 4:49 PM in response to drume

    Then do it your way, and good luck with that.

  • by edgarjeoffrey,

    edgarjeoffrey edgarjeoffrey May 16, 2015 4:50 PM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 16, 2015 4:50 PM in response to Csound1

    I think the purpose of having this forum has been forgotten by all the bickering and trying to prove who's the smartest guy around and who's machine is superior over the other. All that's being asked for is HELP. So there's no need to be sarcastic and all.

     

    Mac users - your system is the most compatible and for this purpose, the easiest way to get things done. If you have suggestions to offer to those using Windows (which some of you have provided in this thread), then by all means give it. Windows users would appreciate it.

     

    Windows users - technology evolves every single day. The usual way to do things might no longer be applicable today. We (yes, I'm a Windows user) can't always have Apple give in to our wishes. We must have to adapt as well, find ways on how to get things done differently. It may be difficult at first but we'll get used to it. Of course, it would be better if Apple can bring the usual way back. But again, they have their reasons.

     

    If I may share, here's how I transfer my photos now:

    - Connect iPhone to PC

    - Open Photos app in Windows 8 (not sure if this is an option for Win7), right click anywhere and select Import

    - Select your phone

    - By default, all photos are selected. You can clear the selection and only check which you want to be imported. Click Import

    - Open your Pictures folder and you'll see the photos imported from your phone in one of the folders there. It's normally named using the date.

     

    Here's the article from Microsoft website: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/import-photos-videos

     

    Now, does this resolve the Local Disk concern? Not really. But at least it made transferring photos easier for me. I haven't tried deleting all photos from my phone. And I don't know if doing so will fix the Local Disk concern. But I really don't make a big deal out of it now. As long as it's not something that will mess up my photos, phone, computer, or eat up a lot of space, it's fine with me.

     

    So, to those who have provided suggestions, I thank all of you. May you be using Windows or Mac.

  • by tab1075,

    tab1075 tab1075 May 17, 2015 9:09 AM in response to edgarjeoffrey
    Level 1 (54 points)
    May 17, 2015 9:09 AM in response to edgarjeoffrey

    Thanks for your rational, thought-out response.

     

    The Local Disk files appear when we edit photos within the Photos App. One of those files appears for each photo we edit. It's why Windows Explorer doesn't transfer edited photos to a PC, because it does not transfer those edit files. We have the ability to revert edited photos back to their original state. If you do so, those Local Disk files disappear from the folders. They'll also disappear if we delete the photo their attached to from our phones.

     

    This thread tends to go awry because a few users want to interject with comments that do nothing but troll those of us who have grown accustomed to using Windows Explorer to handle our iPhone photos because it worked perfectly for so long. One of those users in particular admittedly doesn't use a Windows PC, therefore doesn't even experience the issue this thread was created to address. Yet he feels it necessary to return time after time telling people to buy a Mac or an Android phone, and even though he keeps telling us to "do it our own way," he returns only to say that way is wrong. Trolling like that doesn't help anyone. If you don't want to help, stop coming back to the thread. User Lawrence does offer alternate methods to transfer photos to a Windows PC, which is great, but he also continues to tell everyone we're dong it the "wrong way" and using the "wrong tool." Offering alternate methods helps, continuing to tell everyone we're doing it wrong does not. Windows Explorer was not the wrong tool for this job for years. That's why people come here. They're looking for a way to get it to work as good as it once did. Unfortunately, with the advancements to the Photos App, it doesn't look like Apple is going to change anything. Regardless of whether they do or not, people are going to continue to use Windows Explorer because it's what they've used for years. It's also a simple tool for those who aren't computer savvy. If any of us keep using it, that's our choice and there's absolutely no need for the same people to keep coming back here to put us down for it. I don't care what level a user is or how many points they've accrued in the Apple forums. No matter how special someone thinks they are here or how knowledgeable they are, trolling & rudeness is still uncalled for. If you're not helping anyone, which is the purpose of these forums, levels & points mean nothing. I'd much rather get helpful replies from newcomers than trolling, smart alec remarks from long-time users with a high level & points.

  • by nschmitz06,

    nschmitz06 nschmitz06 May 19, 2015 11:45 AM in response to tab1075
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 19, 2015 11:45 AM in response to tab1075

    I really surprised no one has offered up the quick fix help for this..... For all of you out there who like to use explorer to view the pictures but don't like have to "look thru" each of the folders, why are you not using the search tool in the top right corner of explorer?

     

    In explorer go to the top right corner and type "*.jpg" without the quotes. the * key denotes a wildcard which means that it will search for any filename that ends in a ".jpg". This quickly and painlessly finds your images, you can even sort by date if you wanted to find the new pictures!

     

    See pictures below:

     

    Before Search, notice the folders? --- Look under the "red X" for search option

    Folders.png

     

    After search, there's your files!!

    Search.png

    You can highlight and "drag to copy" these over to your desktop or any other folder as if they were in the same location. Windows explorer search is powerful, use it!!!

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch May 19, 2015 1:04 PM in response to nschmitz06
    Level 8 (38,071 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 19, 2015 1:04 PM in response to nschmitz06

    That actually has been mentioned a few times in the thread. The only disadvantage is if you have edited the images on the phone or iPad those edits will not be in the .jpg; it will be the original before edits, because the edits are contained in a "sidecar" file with an AAE extension, which Windows Explorer interprets (incorrectly) as a mounted disk.

  • by tab1075,

    tab1075 tab1075 May 20, 2015 8:05 AM in response to nschmitz06
    Level 1 (54 points)
    May 20, 2015 8:05 AM in response to nschmitz06

    We've suggested using the search tool throughout this thread. But instead of searching for .jpg, try just typing an asterisk ( * ) in the search box. That way it'll not only list the photos, but the video files (.mov) as well. You can then right click on a particular photo or video and choose Open file location from the context menu to open the DCIM folder that contains that photo/video, as well as any others taken that month. The biggest downfall being, as Lawrence said, it will not transfer any photos that have been edited (e.g. red eye, brightness, etc.). It will only transfer the original, unedited photo.

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