Deleted file is still visible

Deleted file is still visible

by Charles Fernando -
Number of replies: 4

A little more than a year back we provided to our students an article on the frontpage of our Moodle site (www.cfpscourseweb.com .... which is being upgraded). When we discovered that it was copyright, we deleted it from the frontpage and provided same within the course where it still is at http://www.cfpscourseweb.com/pluginfile.php/4170/mod_resource/content/1/Opening%20Harts%20Concept%20of%20Law.pdf   Evidently one needs to login to access the article. Such access is permitted.

 

Even though we deleted the file from the frontpage, when a search is done on the web the deleted article still appears at http://www.cfpscourseweb.com/pluginfile.php/2815/block_html/content/Opening%20Harts%20Concept%20of%20Law-16-01-16.pdf

 

We have been questioned by the Licensing Authority and have explained matters concerning the above article and 6 others in the same situation. Is there any way in which such files in limbo can be fully deleted?

Charles Fernando
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In reply to Charles Fernando

Re: Deleted file is still visible

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

I tried this....

- I added a file (as a link) in an HTML block

- I added the same file in a file resource in a course

- I deleted the file from the HTML block leaving the link in the text. Still accessible

- I deleted the file from the file resource... still accessible from the front page block

This sounds like a bug. However, make sure your cron is running (properly). Cron cleans up deleted files (eventually)

EDIT:

I did try it with a different file placing it in a front page HTML block and then deleting it again - it immediately becomes inaccessible as expected. So, having it in multiple places does seem critical to this. 


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In reply to Charles Fernando

Re: Deleted file is still visible

by Andy Chaplin -

Hi Charles,

I may be completely wrong here, but this looks to me like a search engine issue.

If you embedded this document (or linked to it) on your front page, then it appears that the search engine has picked up the link and is still showing it.  The fact that the front page is now different doesn't alter the address of the source material.  If that is the case, then it means that the article (or directory where it is saved) is accessible to the public if they know the correct address.

This may not be your situation, but from what you describe it's certainly possible.

All the best


Andy

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In reply to Andy Chaplin

Re: Deleted file is still visible

by Howard Miller -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Peer reviewers Picture of Plugin developers

That was my first thought... except the link still *works*. That's his problem. 

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In reply to Charles Fernando

Re: Deleted file is still visible

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Might have to use some DB queries on the DB for the Moodle to find the file

Query:

select contenhash,component,filearea,filename from `mdl_files` where (`filename` like "%16-01-16.pdf.pdf") ;

*If* the link to the PDF was in an HTML block then component will show htmlblock.
component filearea will show resources.

The contenthash shows the location in /moodledata/filedir/

'spirit of sharing', Ken


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