I have started to see files in my folders of images with the leading characters of ._imagefilename.jpg since Microsoft updated me to Windows 11. Google tells me the ._ indicates an "extended attribute" file. What are the extended attributes they contain? What purpose do they serve? And can I delete them without corrupting the associated image file?
Stan
Interesting.
On two computers (Win 11 Pro and Win 11 Home) none of my image files have the "._" prefix.
Longshadow wrote:
Interesting.
On two computers (Win 11 Pro and Win 11 Home) none of my image files have the "._" prefix.
Here is a screen shot of the files on a flash drive that I was going to download to my PC. These files are on a flash drive onto which I have downloaded files from the SD card of my Lumix ZS100. The corresponding image files for the ._ files shown are farther down the list of P* files.
Stan
Longshadow, please Google "extended attribute files" and then translate for the rest of us. There's a ton of technical talk
From wiki:
Extended file attributes are file system features that enable users to associate computer files with metadata not interpreted by the filesystem, whereas regular attributes have a purpose strictly defined by the filesystem (such as permissions or records of creation and modification times).Stan, are you able to open and read one of them? 4 kb, a line of text?
Linda From Maine wrote:
Longshadow, please Google "extended attribute files" and then translate for the rest of us. There's a ton of technical talk
From wiki:
Extended file attributes are file system features that enable users to associate computer files with metadata not interpreted by the filesystem, whereas regular attributes have a purpose strictly defined by the filesystem (such as permissions or records of creation and modification times).Stan, are you able to open and read one of them? 4 kb, a line of text?
Longshadow, please Google "extended attribute... (
show quote)
No. When I click on it to open it, my image viewer opens with "It looks like we don't support that file format" I suppose the .jpg extension indicates an image file and the photo viewer tries to read it. I don't know of any other application that would open it, like a text file. I'm a computer user, not a programmer or other technical geek.
Edit: I did try Notepad and got this:
Mac OS X 2 ° â ATTR;šÉÿ â À & À com.apple.lastuseddate#PS Ð com.apple.quarantine CnÖ` e
# 0082;60d66e45;Preview; This resource fork intentionally left blank ÿÿ
I have no idea why the references to MAC OS is in there - this flash drive has never been plugged into a MAC. And of course, a Lumix camera is not an Apple product.
Stan
StanMac wrote:
No. When I click on it to open it, my image viewer opens with "It looks like we don't support that file format" I suppose the .jpg extension indicates an image file and the photo viewer tries to read it. I don't know of any other application that would open it, like a text file. I'm a computer user, not a programmer or other technical geek.
Stan
Can you attach one to a reply and post it here?
Longshadow is a computer techie; I'm hoping he's doing research as we speak
StanMac wrote:
Here ya go ....
No joy. From the App Store I got the message that the app to open isn't available in my region or country
Linda From Maine wrote:
No joy. From the App Store I got the message that the app to open isn't available in my region or country
They are not a bother to me other than they show up in my file listing, take up memory, and I don't know what use they are.
Stan
StanMac wrote:
They are not a bother to me other than they show up in my file listing, take up memory, and I don't know what use they are.
Stan
The ones in your screenprint are only 4 kb each. Miniscule storage. I wonder if they function similar to the sidecar xmp files, so that when you open that jpg there is additional info (in exif maybe).
You could take a new photo, and if it generates that file, open the photo and look at all the data. Then delete this extra file and see if there's a change. I'd be curious enough to do it, if I could, but I use a Mac.
The odd thing is, not all the image files have an associated ._ file. I'll try what you suggest, Linda.
Stan
I was mistaken - the ._ files I show in the screenshot above are on the SD card from the camera, and not on a separate flash drive, which implies the camera created them. Even more curious is that the ._ file is dated differently (later date) than the image file with the same file name/number.
Stan
StanMac wrote:
I was mistaken - the ._ files I show in the screenshot above are on the SD card from the camera, and not on a separate flash drive, which implies the camera created them. Even more curious is that the ._ file is dated differently (later date) than the image file with the same file name/number.
Stan
I do love a good mystery! Is the "later date" the date you downloaded those pics to your computer?
I can't download the file or copy-and-paste to a directory.
If it was placed on the memory card, I would imagine that the camera created it?
Notepad (and a good "file" editor) will usually open <any> file, but the funny characters you see in it are the result of it being a particular (unique) data storage format.
Some OTHER <special/unique> program most likely knows how to use the data file. Does LUMIX provide a photo editor?
StanMac wrote:
I was mistaken - the ._ files I show in the screenshot above are on the SD card from the camera, and not on a separate flash drive, which implies the camera created them. Even more curious is that the ._ file is dated differently (later date) than the image file with the same file name/number.
Stan
Did you rotate images in playback, or mark them as favorites or as protected, or do any other similar minor thing to them ?
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