Deleting scores
I can't find a way to get rid of old scores I no longer need. Have tried to open files, click on score and drag to trash, but it doesn't work. Nor do any of the usual ways of hitting delete. Can't find this in the Handbook. What am I missing?
Comments
MuseScore does not allow you to delete a score. You must delete scores using your operating system's file management system.
And to be clear: this is exactly like pretty much any other computer program. It's common for phone apps to have to provide their own file management services because neither iOS nor Android make it easy for you to do this yourself, but computer OS's like Windows, macOS, Linux have always expected you to manage files yourself using Explorer, Finder, etc.
Well, I'll have to get help from someone more tech savvy than I. it makes no sense to me that, when I create and save a file, it's all done within MuseScore. Yes, I can export them and make them documents in my Mac system, but if I don't do that, the only place I know how to find them is in MuseScore. And I want them gone from there. But I gather that there is a larger gap in my understanding of how this all works....Thanks the for the feedback. I'll do more research.
In reply to Well, I'll have to get help… by sbubul
So you know, we get the occasional statement that "MuseScore deleted my scores!" and we know it can't be true. It's a safety net so it won't happen by accident. If you just don't want to see them in the recent file list or start center then Goto File->Recent files and click Clear Recent files and the current list of files will no longer be listed in the menu or start center.
In reply to So you know, we get the… by mike320
Thanks, that will help with the small problem. The bigger problem is that I can't find MuseScore files anywhere on my system outside MuseScore--not in Documents, not in iCloud Drive, not in Downloads--no where I would expect them to be. (Except for the ones I have intentionally put there.) So I fundamentally don't understand how to manage the files.
In reply to Thanks, that will help with… by sbubul
By default the scores are saved at the folder in the menu Edit->Preferences under the General tab where it says Scores. Navigate to that folder and you should see all of your saved scores.
In reply to By default the scores are… by mike320
I apologize, but I still can't follow this. I have a MaC, with Catalina 10.15.7 operating system. If I start in Finder (the only place I think of), your sequence doesn't appear. If I go to System Preferences, General, likewise: nothing like what you indicated. Where do I start to find the sequence you describe?
In reply to I apologize, but I still can… by sbubul
You need help from someone familiar with Finder. Perhaps there is a Mac user here that will help, but I make no guarantees.
In reply to I apologize, but I still can… by sbubul
He was referring to within MuseScore - the Edit menu normally has an entry Preferences, and in there you can see the name of the default folder where MuseScore saves things. But you don't really need that, if you didn't change it (and sounds like you wouldn't have, since all of this seems new), it's MuseScore 3 / Scores in your default documents folder.
In reply to He was referring to within… by Marc Sabatella
Ah, that helps. Yes, much of this is new to me. Not MuseScore itself, or computers generally, but I'm a boomer still struggling to keep up. An amateur composer who has used MuseScore for about 5-6 years, knowing enough to do many things, but ignorant about many more (including the relationship between a program like MuseScore, and my underlying Mac functions.) But thanks for taking the time to educate me.
In reply to Well, I'll have to get help… by sbubul
Again, this is how pretty much every computer program works, since the first PC and Mac were introduced decades ago. Programs create documents and save them as files to your computer, but beyond that, for actually organizing those files, generally you use the facilities provided by your computer to delete, rename, or move those files from folder to folder.
Exporting has nothing to do with it. That's a way to save them in different format - like PDF instead of the default MSCZ. But files are files, and you find them and organize them in the exact same way whether we are talking about PDF files created by exporting or MSCZ files created by saving.
To find your files, use Finder to go to your main documents folder. Within that you'll see MuseScore 3, and within that, Scores. If you didn't choose to save your files somewhere else, that's where they are - as you'll see if you try creating a new score and saving it (the save dialog shows you what folder it is about to save to - same as with every other computer program). if you did choose to save your scores somewhere other than the default location, only you can possibly know where, so you'll have to try to remember,m then go there with Finder.
Again, none of this is unique to MuseScore, it is how every computer program works, whether on macOS, Windows, or Linux. Only phone apps work differently, for the reasons I explained.