Ahoy ahoy,

I just realized I have almost 200 gb of libraries on my hdd, and I only use a fraction of them. I don't like things to be cluttered up so I want to delete a good part of them.
The thing is: how do I choose which ones to delete? I don't want to end up having deleted some samples I used in one or another song...
I use Ableton Live and yes, I could use the collect all and save function, but really, I don't want to do this with all the sketches and ideas I've ever created.
So, is there a tool that checks for cross-references in the project file or something?

 

Keep the ones you use more and delete the other libraries. Just my 2 cents...

 

If you have enough space my suggestion is, don't delete them, try to experiment more. Although sometimes is great you can focus just on a few libraries and actually make something done, it will come the times, you want to try something different. If you really want to delete something, try to choose between those, that do more or less the same job(keep one or two that give you most satisfaction with workflow and sound on average) and keep those that are different and unique enough to each other.

 

I'm at about 1,2TB now... ... ... I could die

 

Don´t delete.
Buy a cheap HDD and store it there. Maybe you regret the delete. Because on any time in a production you remember a sound, which you heard in a library, which you could need.

Greets

 

If you're the kind of person who always like to start anew when opening the DAW, just keep a handful of sample packs and delete the rest, you won't regret it whatsoever. If, however, you have many completed projects or always pick up past project to finish/polish them, then backup your library on a drive and delete what you don't need on the main drive (in order to avoid missing files).

 

There are means, on OSX and WIN, to know the last date a file was accessed (opened).
Of course, it will not tell you if you REALLY used it or not. But at least, you know if you ever opened it.
If creation=accessed...it means it was never used ;)

http://www.howtogeek.com/219157/how-to-easily-view-recently-modified-files-in-windows/
http://osxdaily.com/2013/10/21/show-last-access-time-of-file-mac-os-x/

 

5-6 TB of samples, Kontakt libraries and 5 DAWs, and I make shit music. WTF, somebody stop me!!!

 

I was also in the similar position. To delete not delete...contemplated too long.....then finally came to conclusion. The answer was easy. Most of them were freely available so if I really need them I will download again. I have put this method in practice now. After three, four months if I have not used any library I won't likely to be using it in future. So I delete it.