the only confirmed past issue of this (the one you link to) was due to read-only files (which obviously Zotero can't delete). If that's not the case for your left-over items, first thing would be to see if you can replicate this. I.e. locate the storage location of an item's attachment, delete the item (via right-click -->Move-item to trash - remember that removing an item from a collection doesn't delete it), empty the Zotero Trash and see if the attachment is deleted.
If it's not, submit a debug ID for the whole operation:
https://www.zotero.org/support/debug_output

The only way to remove orphaned files that I'm aware of is mronkko's Perl script in this thread:
https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/9091/orphaned-attachment-files/

Duplication, Zotero Database, Zotfile

I feel I am still seeing a version of this issue, here is my latest description,

I have a database in Firefox:

/Users/moses/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/qlcdz25g.default/zotero/storage/3NCCQ756/SomeFile.pdf

I have used Zotfile and have that same PDF, in:

/Users/moses/Dropbox/Zotfile_Zotero/Sociology\ Compass/SomeFile.pdf

... and in a folder I created in Zotero: BloodPressure, for articles, focused on BP, again the same PDF

/Users/moses/Dropbox/Zotfile_Zotero/BloodPressure/SomeFile.pdf

I am going to clean this up. I am trying to figure out why this PDF remains in the Firefox database after moving the entry to the folder BloodPressure, and why after using Management Attachment>Rename Attachments, the attachments were renamed and also created /Sociology\ Compass/SomeFile.pdf,

Of course, I dislike this mess and I am wondering the extent of such repetitions throughout the database. Any suggestions for what is happening welcome,

* Thank you for replying,
* What exactly are your renaming rules in ZotFile? I am not using Zotero(Z) to rename, have selected some of the Additional Settings: Replace blanks, Max. Length, Max author: 1, et al, https://www.evernote.com/l/AAf7DZwF1ElFCL4sGVHzI5SAY5JSImzOt2U

* And are you still seeing the PDF in storage/3NCCQ756 after using rename attachment? Yes, and this is why I think it a similar issue,

* Also, do you have, anywhere in your library, a collection called Sociology Compass? Of course, I am showing the filepath; the Sociology Compass folder was created upon Rename. Or is your "library" a reference to the Z database, if the latter I do not know, HoudaSpot only finds it in the Zotfile folder, but my experience is the Z database is only reliably navigatable via Z,

* I can clean this up, I was thinking along the lines of trying to determine how prevalent it is throughout the Z database, without looking for individual PDFs.
* Thanks

My Z library - no idea on the complicated, suspect so,
* Online storage is 1.24 GB and
* The /Users/moses/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/qlcdz25g.default/zotero/ folder is 3.78 GB,
* The /Users/moses/Dropbox/Zotfile_Zotero/ folder is 1.4 GB

- How do you interpret this distribution, if that is a reasonable question, I had some vague thought that I should be able to reconcile the numbers,

Zotero is still aware of the SomeFile PDF. Pasting 3NCCQ756 into the quick search bar - is a nice thing to know of - returned SomeFile in the results,

I see the PDF-type icon for /Users/moses/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/qlcdz25g.default/zotero/storage/3NCCQ756/SomeFile.pdf

I see the Zotfile link for

/Users/moses/Dropbox/Zotfile_Zotero/Sociology\ Compass/SomeFile.pdf


and

/Users/moses/Dropbox/Zotfile_Zotero/Sociology\ Compass/SomeFile_3.html (This is in duplicate)

and for

/Users/moses/Dropbox/Zotfile_Zotero/BloodPressure/SomeFile.pdf


... This also looks like the use of rename twice creating two Versions differently stored and leaving the PDF in the Z library.

Clearly awry, solving the glitch and the cleanup is the issue,

Best,

No,

Once in the Z database,

Twice in the ZotFile folder hosted in DropBox,

Very odd. And deleting these attachments in Zotero individually works, right? (i.e. click on one of the duplicate PDFs --> move item to trash).

And can you reliably _cause_ these duplicates to appear? I.e. they appear immediately after using ZotFile's rename or so?

(Also, just to make sure that we're talking the same language here: I would describe this as the same attachment existing three times in Zotero under a single item).

Thank you for replying,

Yes on "And deleting these attachments in Zotero individually works, right?"

Agree 'I would describe this as the same attachment existing three times in Zotero under a single item."

I see the duplicates like in the image I sent now and then, once a month max, I cannot reproduce,

... But you are right I do check for duplicates and merge them - next time I do that I will pay attention to the outcome, rather than trust,

Best,

K

Thanks!!! for letting me know about that particular quirk of Merge Duplicates. Still quirky that Rename Attachments does not rename all the attachments and leaves a remainder in the Z database. I can live with the quirky bits - just have to know they are there, Best,

I can't think of an easy way of purging multiple PDF attachments from items automatically (which I understand to be your questions)

@KevinMoses: Zotero doesn't remove linked files when you delete the items, since it doesn't know if you're using them outside Zotero. If you want Zotero to fully manage your files, you need to use stored files instead.