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[Music_Man]

Before I bumble about and perhaps make matters worse, I thought it best to ask: 
What would be the easiest and best way to remove/delete all files that were recently added to the library, after plugging in an 18tb external hard drive?  That is, I would like to return to the library as it was, before adding the 18tb drive, with no flags or remnants of the 18tb drive's files. 

BTW, I do NOT plan on using the 18tb drive and its files again.

[comox]

Many ways to do this. I would:

First back up your library.
Then select a view that displays every file in your library.
Then filter files using the search wizard for Filename (path) starts with X: where X: is the drive letter of your 18TB drive.
Then carefully inspect the files to ensure you did not make a mistake.
Then select all, and delete.

[Music_Man]

Thanks, I've delved deep enough into MC to be dangerous.  I've learned enough to know that what I may intuit, is not necessarily going to turn-out as I assumed.

So, making sure that I carefully identify and then delete the 18tb HD files, the deletion will not leave any residual traces or flags of those files in the Library? 

I spent a lot of time manipulating tags and then creating a Theater Views that would segregate and then list movies and TV shows as I wanted. Thus, I want to be sure those added files that I want totally deleted, don't somehow muck-up my efforts.     

[JimH]

The wiki has a topic on Backup and Restore. 

Remove the drive.

Backup now so you have a copy in a safe place.

MC makes automatic backups.  Try restoring one before the X drive.

To delete all files on X:, select audio, then search for X:, then press the del key.  Read carefully.

Try a few before you do very many.

[Music_Man]

Thank you Jim!!

After I get the files removed, if I down the road I create a 2nd. Library just for them, that should keep my primary Library as I've created it, shouldn't it?   

[blgentry]

For tasks like this, you should take a look at the Files view inside of Audio or Video.  Those views have a Pane up top with "Location".  This Location field is the drive the files are on.

Using this pane you can easily see every drive you have in MC's inventory.  You can also see every relevant top level directory on each of these drives, as you drill down.  This makes it very convenient to do file system oriented tasks.  Your task, to remove all files on a particular drive from MC, is VERY file system oriented!

Just find that drive and click.  Then select all files down below, REVIEW THEM, and delete.  The Files views make this very straight forward.

If you have a mix of Audio, Video, Images, Data, etc, you may want to set up your own view that does not filter by Media Type.  The Audio > Files view only shows Audio files.  The Video > Files view only shows Video files.  You can make an everything Files view that shows all file types.  But that's beyond the scope of this post.

Best of luck,
Brian.

[Music_Man]

Thanks bigentry!