What are these file extensions? Do I need them?

[janeenadamsmartin]

I am renaming my old photos and in some of my previously ingested (PM4) folders I have unknown, but photo-related file extensions.   I googled but can't find a good answer of whether these are temporary internet indexing files or something important.   If they are in conjunction with a particular photo, it isn't clear to me.  There are about 5-10 of these files in a folder of 100 photos.  Not all folders have them.   It doesn't seem like I need them -- I can import into lightroom and otherwise edit -- but I am hesitant to delete or rename them or back them up.

.dat
.idx
.thm
.cpi
.mpc
.mts
.bdm
.tdt
.tid

[Kirk Baker]

Jan,

I am renaming my old photos and in some of my previously ingested (PM4) folders I have unknown, but photo-related file extensions.   I googled but can't find a good answer of whether these are temporary internet indexing files or something important.   If they are in conjunction with a particular photo, it isn't clear to me.  There are about 5-10 of these files in a folder of 100 photos.  Not all folders have them.   It doesn't seem like I need them -- I can import into lightroom and otherwise edit -- but I am hesitant to delete or rename them or back them up.

.dat
.idx
.thm
.cpi
.mpc
.mts
.bdm
.tdt
.tid

I only know .THM which go along with CRW files (older Canon RAW file format) and you should preserve those.
.DAT is a very generic filename extension and could literally be anything.
The rest of them may be camera created or were created by various applications you've used over the years.

Unless they're really large or obtrusive in some way, why not keep them around just in case?

-Kirk

[janeenadamsmartin]

Hi Kirk!

Thanks for being my personal help desk on this Christmas Eve!   

I would keep them around if I knew which photos they went with -- I have made the mistake of taking several days' "shoots" on one card.  Upon upload PM gives it a folder name with current date, not the camera capture date.    I am going into those folders and creating say,  two folders that relate to the camera capture date and "shoot."   I am not sure which folder to put these file extensions into.   

I have never had a Canon raw camera.   I've had Canon point and shoots, but my adventure with my new FZ200 is the first time I have used raw files.    I wonder if they are somehow related to photos someone has given to me.    I will look for a trend.....

[Kirk Baker]

Jan,

Look at the base name of the file (the part before the extension) and see if there is an image whose base name matches.  If none match any files in the same folder, you can delete them.

-Kirk