---
id: troubleshooting.relocate-cleanup-partial
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/relocate-cleanup-partial
category: "Troubleshooting & messages"
subcategory: "Moves and copies that didn't finish"
question: "What does it mean when a relocate finished copying but not every original was replaced with a shortcut?"
alt_questions:
  - "relocate cleanup partial destination is valid"
  - "some source files may not have been replaced"
  - "re-run relocate to retry"
  - "relocate partly finished storage studio"
short_answer: "The copy is complete, but some originals couldn't be swapped for shortcuts (often because they were open), so they're in both places. Quit those apps and run Relocate again."
tags: ["relocate", "shortcut", "in use"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/copied-but-original-couldnt-be-removed", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/troubleshooting/folder-in-use-right-now"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What does it mean when a relocate finished copying but not every original was replaced with a shortcut?

The copy on your drive is complete and valid, but while tidying up afterwards, some originals couldn't be swapped for shortcuts — usually because an app had them open. Those files exist in both places for now, so some space hasn't been freed yet.

Quit apps that use that folder and run **Relocate** again; it finishes the remaining items without copying everything twice.