Deleting Images from Pictures Folder in Desktop/Screen Saver

Question

Deleting Images from Pictures Folder in Desktop/Screen Saver

When GraphicConverter puts an image on the Desktop, it stores it in the folder, Pictures Folder, but how does one delete images from this folder? Where is this folder hiding?
I've looked all over, Spotlight can't even find it.
Does anyone know how to delete either individual or all images from the folder or the whole folder such that a new one would be built that was empty. And how does one view and delete "Invisible Files"? I see files on my hard drive from some failed attempts to download images from some Unix based site and they only show up in GraphicConverter's file finder.

PowerBookG4 Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Apr 5, 2007 11:17 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 5, 2007 11:58 PM in response to Richard Klein2

The Pictures folder is in the /Home/ folder unless you create one elsewhere. Pictures saved on the Desktop are on the Desktop, not in another folder. You can delete any file by simply dragging it to the Trash. GraphicConverter only saves files where you tell it. When you save a file GC opens a Save dialog and you can choose any location you want for a saved file. If GC saves the file on the Desktop, then that's where the file is.

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Answer 2

Apr 7, 2007 1:04 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for your response but in GraphicConverter, if you click "Put Picture on Desktop" under "Picture" in the toolbar it stores the image in the file "Pictures Folder". This folder only shows up under System Preferences>Desktop/ScreenSaver and I did not create it.

I use one that I did create called Desktop Pictures to draw from for changing the desktop every hour. That folder is accessible, deletable, modifiable, like any other normal folder but the one that (perhaps GC created) is not. In iPhoto, setting an image as the desktop DOES NOT put the image into the Pictures Folder, or any folder (so it appears) but it does put it as the desktop (background image).

Look under SysPrefs>Desktop/ScreenSaver and see if you have a folder called "Pictures Folder" and if you can delete any images from it. The image in the window will disappear with the Delete key, but the image(file) in the folder stays and re-appears in the active window with a click on it in the collection.

Thanks again for trying to help.
-RK

If you don't have a folder so named, try putting an image into GraphicConverter and setting it as the Desktop image, (not putting onto the Desktop as a file) Click "Put Picture on Desktop" under "Picture" in the toolbar. It will then show up in Pictures Folder. But you won't can't delete it once it's there.

Thanks. If

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 7, 2007 1:18 PM in response to Richard Klein2

Sure there's a Pictures folder. It's the one located in your /Home/ folder. If you have another one on your computer then either you specifically created it or allowed an application to create it when saving a file. If you don't want GC to save images to the /Home/Pictures/ folder, then when the Save dialog opens select a different location for the saved image.

There is also a Desktop Pictures folder that already exists in any installed OS X system that's located in the /Library/ folder.

Any file may be deleted from any folder, but files and folders that are owned by the system require an admin password before they can be deleted. To delete these files/folders you must select the item, press CTRL-click to open the contextual menu, then select "Move to Trash" from the contextual menu. A dialog will appear requesting an admin password.

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Answer 4

Apr 7, 2007 2:59 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks, but you keep missing the point. The folder is not Desktop Pictures, that's one I created but there are other System picture folders under that name. The folder I'm trying to find OUTSIDE of Desktop&ScreenSaver only shows up in Desktop&ScreenSavers and it's called " Pictures Folder". In the Desktop tab of that section in SysPrefs it has images that can't be deleted. Under the ScreenSaver tab, it seems to pull up images from iPhoto for a slideshow. But NOWHERE is this folder listed by Spotlight. It is NOT in any prefs folder, plist, com.apple, or any other place that I can see.

This Folder must be somewhere, but it's not where you suggested. Somehow GraphicConverter knows where it is because it puts images there and either Apple or GC created this folder. Again, I know how to delete MOST folders but this one is like, invisible except when it shows under System Preferences>Desktop&ScreenSaver>Desktop and from there it can't be deleted or edited. Images dragged to the window will switch the desktop (background image) but don't get added to the collection in the folder. GC will add them to the folder but how? Where is that folder hiding? Someone asked this same question a year ago and never got it answered. Is there an answer?

Go back and try what my last post said about GC and making an image the background. Then look to see where that picture got stored. It will be in Pictures Folder. If you can even find where that Pictures Folder is on the hard drive, then maybe it can be modified or deleted.
Thanks.
RK

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 7, 2007 8:14 PM in response to Richard Klein2

I opened an image in GC and used the Use Picture as Desktop Image option from the Picture menu. As far as I can tell no image was saved anywhere. GC simply made it a Desktop background. The only Pictures Folder listed in the preference pane is the /Home/Pictures/ folder whose name is "Pictures" and not "Pictures Folder" which is why you can't find it. The only Desktop Pictures folder listed is the one in the /Library/ folder. That folder is listed in the preference pane as "Pictures Folder." It has the same folder icon that is on the /Home/Pictures/ folder. If you select that folder the images that will be displayed are those saved in the /Home/Pictures/ folder. There is no "Pictures Folder" folder - only the "Pictures" folder.

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Answer 6

Apr 7, 2007 8:15 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. The Pictures Folder IS the Pictures folder. The images shown in the folder when it is opened through SysPrefs>Desktop&Screen Saver> Desktop are only the "loose" images not already in folders. This is the folder that GraphicConverter uses and it calls every image dumped here, GraphicConverter Desktop.pict. So it's easy to remove loose images from Pictures and when they are removed, they don't show up in the Pictures Folder when changing backgrounds. Screen Saver grabs any image in any folder in the Pictures folder and shows it as part of a slide show.
So thanks for pointing out what was obvious but has stumped me for a year. Now it all makes sense.

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.9)

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Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Apr 7, 2007 8:38 PM in response to Richard Klein2

Well, glad we got that solved. Sometimes the obvious is so obvious it's invisible! (Which i why Spotlight couldn't find it!!)

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