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Automatically Remove Missing Games

šŸ“‹ Summary

Add an option in LaunchBox for Windows to automatically remove games from the library when their associated files no longer exist on disk


ā— Problem

Currently on Windows:

  • LaunchBox can scan for missing ROMs, but this requires manual action

  • Libraries do not update automatically when files are removed or reorganized

  • Users maintaining collections at the file system level must repeatedly rescan and clean up

For large or frequently changing collections, manual cleanup becomes tedious.


šŸ’” Proposal

Introduce an automatic missing file cleanup option:

  • Periodically or on startup, LaunchBox checks whether linked game files still exist

  • Games with missing files are automatically removed from the library

  • Optional settings:

    • Enable or disable automatic removal

    • Prompt before removal

    • Restrict to specific platforms or folders


šŸ“¦ Benefits

  • Keeps libraries in sync with the file system automatically

  • Reduces manual maintenance for large collections

  • Supports workflows where ROMs are frequently added or removed


šŸ’” Notes

  • Should reuse existing ā€œscan for missing ROMsā€ logic

  • Default behavior should remain manual to avoid surprises

  • Clear messaging is needed when games are removed automatically

Status: Open To Community2 comments

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Comments2

  • AstroBob changed status to Open To Community
    Team•

    Feb 1

    Pinned

    Hi there!

    Thanks so much for submitting this request and for taking the time to explain your use case — that context is always super helpful.

    I’ve gone ahead and fleshed out the main idea using the info you provided, and I’m opening it up to the community for further discussion and feedback. Please let me know if this fleshed-out version doesn’t match your original intended request.

    Feel free to let me know if you have any extra thoughts, examples, or edge cases you think might be relevant!

    Cheers,
    The LaunchBox team

  • fursphere

    •

    Feb 1

    Auto-Remote Titles from LB when game no longer exists

    This was recently added to Launchbox for Android, not sure why its been left out of the Windows version.

    This allows collections to be maintained at the file level, with LB updating as needed.