Don't delete images through Nokia Photo Browser. Tiny deletion bug.

Bugreport for Nokia Photo Browser

18-05-2009 12:35

This bug is experience with my Nokia 5800. Firmware 20.2.014

As you may already know, for every image file (currently only jpg format is supported) you save onto the phone or memory card, the phone's Gallery image viewer application creates a thumbnail of that image file in a hidden folder that can only be seen by Y-Browser or X-plore. That reduced image size of 128x96 (pixel?) is used for browsing in the Gallery application. In my case, that hidden folder is _PAlbTN located in each image folder.

That same creation of thumbnails is done with Nokia Photo Browser to be utilized in the browser application. But instead of one thumbnail file, it creates a multiple of thumbnails per image file to generate that cool display effect while running Nokia Photo Browser. You know as the images shifts across the screen, the size of each images enlarges and shrinks. Well the Nokia Photo Browser creates thumbnails in three sizes for each image, 128x128, 32x32, and 512x512.

When you delete an image through the Gallery application, it will delete the original image file and the 128x96 thumbnail it created. Then whenever you open Nokia Photo Browser, that deleted image file will no longer show up in the browser application as it update itself. The screen refreshes and deletes all three associated thumbnails it has created (128x128, 32x32, and 512x512).

The PROBLEM bug: When you delete an image through Nokia Photo Browser, it will delete the original image file and its three associated thumbnails, but NOT the thumbnail file created by the Gallery application (128x96). This 128x96 thumbnail file is untouched and left there to accumulate so imagine thousands of photos you have deleted through Nokia Photo Browser. Would you like to leave these thumbnails in there doing noting but just taking up space? It would be bothersome to try to delete them individually.

For now, I advise everyone to delete any image files via the Gallery application to avoid any accumulation of junk image files. Another question is if you delete the original image file via file manager or 3rd party file browser, would it automatically rid the associated files as well?

Comments

Submitted by StickyMick on 20-05-2009 17:56.

Thanks for the heads-up.

Prompted me to fire up Y-Browser, and yep sure enough, loads of thumbnails from previously deleted images. I'm using An N95-8GB with 20.0.0.16 firmware.

Submitted by juhakaup on 21-05-2009 07:37.

That's true, currently standard gallery app in 5800 and many other products doesn't remove thumbnails when original image is gone (e.g. using file browser, file transfer etc.). Clearly a standard Gallery bug. Photo Browser detects missing images and deletes own thumbnails.

Submitted by kinvid on 21-05-2009 12:18.

Nokia Photo Browser will only detect and delete its own thumbnails it created, not the 128x96 thumbnail created by the standard Gallery application.

Nokia Photo Browser is still in beta and doesn't fully function as a native application.

So, try to delete all your images through the native Gallery application instead of the beta Nokia Photo Browser to avoid undeleted 128x96 thumbnails in the hidden folder "_PAlbTN".

Submitted by juhakaup on 10-06-2009 11:32.

Next version will come soon and it deletes thumbnails made by standard gallery apps.
Anyway standard gallery is not very good cleaning its thiumbnail photos (e.g. if you move photos using SD card reader).

Submitted by kinvid on 23-06-2009 11:43.

I see now...standard gallery isn't perfect after all. I didn't see your point at first but now I do as I didn't realize you're one of the guys behind the application. It's nice to view them by folders now as they appear to be more organized.

Submitted by abbaka on 04-03-2010 17:59.

simple solution: delete _PAlbTN folder. that's all. problem solved! :)

Submitted by rehanforall on 05-03-2010 13:10.

Abbaka is right just delete _PAlbTN Folder by using lcg X-plor application