---
id: junk-yard.does-clearing-a-file-scrap-delete-the-file
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/does-clearing-a-file-scrap-delete-the-file
category: "Junk Yard"
subcategory: "Auto-clear, pins and deleting"
question: "If I delete a file scrap, is the file deleted from my Mac?"
alt_questions:
  - "Does deleting a Junk Yard card delete the file?"
  - "Clear all Junk deletes my files?"
  - "Will Junk Yard remove the original file?"
  - "File scrap expired, is my file gone?"
  - "Is it safe to delete file cards?"
short_answer: "No. A file scrap only points at the file, so deleting or clearing the card leaves the file untouched. Images and notes, though, live inside the Junk Yard and go with their scrap."
tags: ["files", "delete", "safety"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/what-happens-when-i-copy-a-file", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/how-do-i-clear-the-whole-junk-yard", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/junk-yard/do-junk-yard-images-take-up-space"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# If I delete a file scrap, is the file deleted from my Mac?

No. A file scrap is only a reference to the file, so deleting it — or letting it clear on its timer, or using **Clear all Junk** — removes the card and leaves the file exactly where it was.

Images and notes are different: they live inside the Junk Yard itself, so when such a scrap goes, its content goes with it. If you want to keep an image from the board, copy it into a document or save it somewhere first.