Hi @knittingand,
To answer the simplest part of your question first: yes! 😊 The free version removes both the database entry (from the Media Library) and the physical file(s) itself.
If you have the Trash feature enabled (which is on by default), here is how it works under the hood:
- The physical file is moved to a trash folder.
- The database post type is temporarily changed to a custom status.
This makes the file and media entry completely disappear from your standard WordPress views. That way, if the media was used somewhere, it will appear as broken. However, Media Cleaner keeps track of the physical file’s location so you can easily restore it if needed. When restored, the file is moved back to its original folder and the database entry is switched back to an attachment.
Just to clarify one last thing; you might have been thinking and being confused by the existence of the Filesystem Scan feature in the Pro version. That feature is specifically for analyzing files on your server that are not registered in your Media Library. So it’s something else, don’t worry about it! 😌
Thank you for the clarification and fast reply. Yes, that is exactly what was confusing me!
