# Why do deleted Content Browser folders reappear? **URL:** \ **Category:** Platform & Builds\ **Tags:** directory, content-browser, folders, unreal-engine, bug-report, editor, question\ **Created:** [June 4, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003 "2014-06-04T21:47:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kenomica](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Kenomica](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kenomica)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 11:44am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/41 "2017-01-02T11:44:34Z")
Yeah, this is definitely still an issue in 4.14.1 ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Flint](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Sean\_Flint](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Sean_Flint)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/42 "2017-01-03T14:56:55Z")
Hey Kenomica, We will investigate this issue and will respond on other thread that you commented on. Please refer to thread linked below for updates as they become available: > **[Editor keeps old folders on restart : Bug](https://forums.unrealengine.com/questions/190295/editor-keeps-old-folders-on-restart-bug.html)** > > Hi. This is more of an annoyance than game breaking. The editor keeps old folders that were deleted. Sometimes i clean up projects and delete folders. I Save the game. I then run Redirection clean up. I save before this step because Redirection... Thanks for your report. ---
**Author:** ![Azpzr](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Azpzr](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Azpzr)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/43 "2017-01-29T13:14:08Z")
So, although it’s not a fix to engine itself, I’ve found a way to permanently delete folders/content from content browser so we can all avoid that clutter. Open up your project folder wherever it’s located on your PC, mine is in my documents folder within file explorer. Go into your content folder within your project and adjust your folders from within there. Deleted folders will stay deleted, moved folders will remain moved to their new locations without duplicating folders, etc… I’ve tested on engines 4.11 - 4.14, this method works on them all. I don’t know if anyone else has been doing this, but I didn’t see it posted as a solution, even if it is just a temporary solution until engine is fixed. Again, it’s not a fix to engine itself, it’s just a “desktop fix” that will help maintain that clutter within your project. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Spirit0fRabbit](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/spirit0frabbit/32/723756_2.png) [@Spirit0fRabbit](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Spirit0fRabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/44 "2017-03-18T23:28:13Z")
I am using 4.15 and having a terrible time migrating assets into a project from other workshop type projects then trying to move them to proper place within destination project. I have learned to never try to move or rename folders within content browser as this will just result in a second folder being created and editor will not allow me to delete old one regardless of when or how many times i run fix redirectors tool. Renaming assets and moving assets and folder structures around content browser is broken. This is a huge problem since migrating assets also migrates their old folder structure and there is no clean way to place incoming assets where they need to be. problem becomes unmanageable when assets have a complex set of inter-relationships which are bound to break if one resorts to file system explorer to clean things up. ---
**Author:** ![anonymous\_user\_8ca6a759](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@anonymous\_user\_8ca6a759](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/anonymous_user_8ca6a759)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/45 "2017-04-21T14:21:20Z")
I’m having trouble with this particular bug today, as well - it’s certainly not resolved… For those of us just learning how to manage larger project hierarchies, it is really a major frustration. ---
**Author:** ![anonymous\_user\_dceb25d5](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@anonymous\_user\_dceb25d5](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/anonymous_user_dceb25d5)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/46 "2017-04-21T15:47:46Z")
can confirm as well, I now just plan waaaay ahead and decide what my folder structures will be before I commit to it. otherwise I will spend an entire day fixing everything before giving up and reloading a backup and just dealing with my old folder names. We need another bug report to vote this as much as possible since this is a fundamental aspect of engine that’s still broken after years. ---
**Author:** ![DragonRelt](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/dragonrelt/32/1075747_2.png) [@DragonRelt](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/DragonRelt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/47 "2022-05-13T15:03:14Z")
best way i found for this to get rid of these pesky files is to go into File Explorer-\> (ProjectName)-\> select anyfolder you dont want to boot with and relaunch project. This works for me and it should work for ue4 and ue5 ---
**Author:** ![DragonRelt](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/dragonrelt/32/1075747_2.png) [@DragonRelt](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/DragonRelt)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2023, 5:03am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/48 "2023-09-30T05:03:30Z")
So to clarify this you need to delete the folder that you select, also when your in the file explorer/ what ever your system is running such as linux whatever the variation it is, you can see files that are still in the game and arent supposed to be there since you deleted them, you can get rid of them in there to clean up a little more as well. (There will most likly be older files that you imported and you may want to clean up since they where either deleted or just not wanted). ---
**Author:** ![Babush61](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Babush61](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Babush61)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/49 "2025-08-04T15:26:15Z")
This bug is still present in UE 5.6. Folders are restored after deletion. Files disappear (but continue to work and BP and textures but files are not visible in Content Browser). ---
**Author:** ![DragonRelt](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/dragonrelt/32/1075747_2.png) [@DragonRelt](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/DragonRelt)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/50 "2025-10-02T21:23:55Z")
If your suffering from files exsiting in your unreal still make sure you also apply “Fix up redirectors” which you right click your content folders and scroll down to it. since unreal was coded originally in 1995 there are plenty of issues that they prolly never patched and since that time, the engine suffers with these issues. More of an oh well deal with it problem that developers never fixed but arent game breaking so why worry about it kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Babush61](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Babush61](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Babush61)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 11:06am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/51 "2025-10-23T11:06:22Z")
> [@DragonRelt](#): > > “Fix up redirectors” “Fix up redirectors” doesn’t always help. ---
**Author:** ![DragonRelt](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/dragonrelt/32/1075747_2.png) [@DragonRelt](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/DragonRelt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:54pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/52 "2025-10-23T16:54:59Z")
That is true, I had to go into my files and remove some of the extra ones manually. So yes I agree to that. ---
**Author:** ![Nakiflaps](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Nakiflaps](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Nakiflaps)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/53 "2026-07-09T03:10:09Z")
Really starting to hate this engine. My project is now bugged with zombie folders I can’t delete and files that ARE there but invisible. Useless Epic developers are useless. Wishing I never started learning this buggy mess of a program. ---
**Author:** ![Symplex](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Symplex](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Symplex)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 3:42am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003/54 "2026-07-13T03:42:42Z")
@Nakiflaps I had this problem in 5.6. Solution was: 1. Backup 2. Update Redirectors 3. Close and Delete Saved and Intermediate Folders 4. Start [Previous page](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/why-do-deleted-content-browser-folders-reappear/285003.md?page=2)