Option to Automatically Remove From Library

[Sean O]

One of the things that frequently prevents me from using LaunchBox is the lack of option to automatically remove a game from library if it is removed from a system. So many other game library launchers do this. All it has to be is just a toggle on option so people have choice and can be disabled for default install.

If the library database entry for a game, points to an EXE or ROM file, and LaunchBox detects no longer present during startup, simply remove from library automatically, OR, put it into an invisible state that no longer shows up until detected again (therefore retaining any personal db info about the game). This could be a scan that starts during LaunchBox or BigBox startup, and runs in background for a minute while person is browsing for the game they want to play, pauses when a game is launched, and can resume after game ends to reduce performance impacts.

Yes, I am fully aware of the installed filter, but no, just give an option for automatic removal/invisibility so a person who really wants to retain a clean setup of tons of games clean and lean.

Right at the bottom of the LaunchBox main page says “Live a life of gaming luxury. Feel like a kid again. And OCD all over your collection.”

Well, no option to automatically remove from a library goes against the OCD in the statement, lol.

[brian]

While I don’t disagree for an automated approach, there is currently an option to removed deleted ROMs by going to Tools > Scan > Removed ROMs. This will scan your game folders and remove all games no longer found.

We’ve definitely discussed an automated option like this, but when you are dealing with the active destruction of a user’s library, things can get a bit sensitive. There are many scenarios where a user may want to keep games in their library even though the path to the ROM may have temporarily disappeared, and if all we have for them is “well you should have turned this setting off” or “you shouldn’t have turned that setting on”, that can be a tough pill to swallow for those users.

Either way, a good feature that we’d love to eventually get to. We have a good outline on how we’d like to get this to work, but it requires a substantial amount of foundational work to get it working right.

It’s good to know that the work would be embraced by you if we end up going down that road.

Don’t forget to vote for your own feature request.