{"id":"external-drives.an-app-started-keeping-its-own-copy-of-moved-files","url":"/faq/external-drives/an-app-started-keeping-its-own-copy-of-moved-files","category":{"id":"external-drives","title":"External drives"},"subcategory":{"id":"checking-the-drive","title":"Checking your drive"},"question":"What does \"An app has started keeping its own copy of files we'd moved to your fast drive\" mean?","alt_questions":["Two copies of moved app data","App recreated folder on internal drive","Both copies left alone Storage Studio","app copy forked fast drive","Why is the moved data back on my Mac?","App ignored the shortcut and made new files"],"short_answer":"An app replaced Storage Studio's shortcut with its own folder, so there are now two copies — one on your Mac, one on the drive. Storage Studio leaves both untouched until you decide which to keep.","answer_markdown":"An app replaced the shortcut Storage Studio left with a real folder of its own — so there's now one copy on your Mac and the moved copy on the fast drive. Apps sometimes do this after an update or a reset. Storage Studio leaves **both** copies alone rather than guessing which one you want.\n\nCheck which copy the app is now using — usually the new one on your Mac. Once you are sure you no longer need the older copy on the drive, you can remove it; until you decide, nothing is deleted.","answer_html":"

An app replaced the shortcut Storage Studio left with a real folder of its own — so there's now one copy on your Mac and the moved copy on the fast drive. Apps sometimes do this after an update or a reset. Storage Studio leaves both copies alone rather than guessing which one you want.

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Check which copy the app is now using — usually the new one on your Mac. Once you are sure you no longer need the older copy on the drive, you can remove it; until you decide, nothing is deleted.

","answer_text":"An app replaced the shortcut Storage Studio left with a real folder of its own — so there's now one copy on your Mac and the moved copy on the fast drive. Apps sometimes do this after an update or a reset. Storage Studio leaves both copies alone rather than guessing which one you want.\n\nCheck which copy the app is now using — usually the new one on your Mac. Once you are sure you no longer need the older copy on the drive, you can remove it; until you decide, nothing is deleted.","tags":["integrity","app data","notice"],"related":[{"id":"external-drives.files-moved-to-the-fast-drive-are-not-on-it-any-more","question":"What does \"Some files we moved to your fast drive aren't on it any more\" mean?","url":"/faq/external-drives/files-moved-to-the-fast-drive-are-not-on-it-any-more"},{"id":"external-drives.files-on-the-fast-drive-nothing-points-to","question":"What does \"Some files are still on your fast drive but nothing on this Mac points to them any more\" mean?","url":"/faq/external-drives/files-on-the-fast-drive-nothing-points-to"},{"id":"external-drives.something-changed-files-moved-to-the-fast-drive","question":"What does \"Something has changed files we moved to your fast drive that nothing should be writing to\" mean?","url":"/faq/external-drives/something-changed-files-moved-to-the-fast-drive"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What does \"An app has started keeping its own copy of files we'd moved to your fast drive\" mean? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"An app replaced Storage Studio's shortcut with its own folder, so there are now two copies — one on your Mac, one on the drive. Storage Studio leaves both untouched until you decide which to keep.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"External drives","path":"/faq/external-drives/"},{"name":"What does \"An app has started keeping its own copy of files we'd moved to your fast drive\" mean?","path":"/faq/external-drives/an-app-started-keeping-its-own-copy-of-moved-files"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/an-app-started-keeping-its-own-copy-of-moved-files","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What does \"An app has started keeping its own copy of files we'd moved to your fast drive\" mean?","alternateName":["Two copies of moved app data","App recreated folder on internal drive","Both copies left alone Storage Studio","app copy forked fast drive","Why is the moved data back on my Mac?","App ignored the shortcut and made new files"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"An app replaced the shortcut Storage Studio left with a real folder of its own — so there's now one copy on your Mac and the moved copy on the fast drive. Apps sometimes do this after an update or a reset. Storage Studio leaves both copies alone rather than guessing which one you want.\n\nCheck which copy the app is now using — usually the new one on your Mac. Once you are sure you no longer need the older copy on the drive, you can remove it; until you decide, nothing is deleted.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/external-drives/an-app-started-keeping-its-own-copy-of-moved-files"}}]},"fragment":"
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External drives · Checking your drive

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What does "An app has started keeping its own copy of files we'd moved to your fast drive" mean?

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Short answer: An app replaced Storage Studio's shortcut with its own folder, so there are now two copies — one on your Mac, one on the drive. Storage Studio leaves both untouched until you decide which to keep.

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An app replaced the shortcut Storage Studio left with a real folder of its own — so there's now one copy on your Mac and the moved copy on the fast drive. Apps sometimes do this after an update or a reset. Storage Studio leaves both copies alone rather than guessing which one you want.

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Check which copy the app is now using — usually the new one on your Mac. Once you are sure you no longer need the older copy on the drive, you can remove it; until you decide, nothing is deleted.

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Last reviewed

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