Organize without moving: Virtual Folders

Group files from anywhere on disk into virtual folders — without copying or moving the originals.

A Virtual Folder is a saved collection of references to real files that may live in completely different locations. The original files never move; the virtual folder just points to them. This is ideal for project views, cross-folder collections, and review lists.

Create and fill a virtual folder

  1. 1Open the Virtual Folders module and create a new folder.
  2. 2Add files by dragging them in, or browse to select them.
  3. 3Files appear as references — double-click to open the real file.

Linked directories (auto-sync)

Instead of adding files one by one, link a real directory to a virtual folder. When you open the virtual folder, DiskDog syncs in any new files from the linked directory automatically — with optional recursion, a glob filter, and structure preservation.

  • Recursive — include nested subfolders of the linked directory.
  • Filter glob — only sync files matching a pattern, e.g. *.pdf.
  • Preserve structure — mirror the linked folder tree inside the virtual folder.

Useful actions

  • Compute MD5 of any referenced file inline.
  • Validate references to find broken links (files that were moved or deleted).
  • Rename the real file on disk directly from the virtual folder.
  • Search across the whole virtual folder, including all sub-levels.

Removing a file reference from a virtual folder does not touch the real file — it only removes the pointer. Use "Delete File Permanently" (or the policy-aware delete) if you want to remove the actual file.