Selectively delete processed audio while preserving the derived data

Sometimes IRB compliance or other restrictions require that a user delete the processed audio from which the LENA data were generated.  Different situations call for different approaches, for example:

  • bulk deletion of all audio
  • prompted deletion of certain files based on how many are in the system
  • manual deletion of selected files according to user-specific criteria (e.g., files for which feedback has been provided, files in a certain date range, files for children no longer in the program, etc.)

This article covers the third option, how to manually delete specific processed audio files while preserving the associated LENA data.

1. Export a Daily CSV, all dates, all children.

See instructions, here.  To simplify the results, you can deselect Snapshot data for this export, as you're only focused on finding audio.

Save it to a convenient location.

This exported .csv file is now viewable in Excel as a spreadsheet with one row for each recording day in your system.

2. Open the CSV.

Use Microsoft Excel or similar.

To make the next steps easier:

  1. freeze the header row, and
  2. adjust the column widths to show the full ProcessingFile (column J) as well as any columns that match your deletion criteria - for example, Firstname, Lastname, ID, or Timestamp.

Tip: To keep your work clean, we recommend working off of a copy of the main tab.  To duplicate the original sheet on a new tab in Excel, with column widths and other formatting intact, do the following:

  1. Hold CTRL
  2. Click and drag the worksheet tab over to the right
  3. Release.  

3. Identify filenames for deletion.

3.1. Use the columns corresponding to your deletion criteria to find rows containing filenames for deletion.

For example:

  • If you are deleting all audio for a certain set of children - Child IDs 100-107 - then sort and/or filter on the ID column to narrow the data down to rows for those children only.  
  • If you are deleting files by recording date, you'll sort and/or filter on the Timestamp column to return rows where the recording start date meets your criterion.  
  • If you are deleting by a combination of child ID and recording date, then do both.

The results returned will show you the .its filenames that correspond to the .upl (audio) files you'll delete.

3.2. Copy the resulting "ProcessingFile" column to a new sheet.

This column now serves as the list of filenames you will search and delete.

3.3. Optional - clean up the list.

Recordings that went past midnight will show up on two rows - one for each day.  If you wish to eliminate the extra rows for clarity, highlight the column and then use the Remove Duplicates command on the Data tab ribbon in Excel.

4. Find and delete files from your LENA data.

4.1. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the LENA data directory.

(Make sure the LENA application is closed first.)

Default Windows 7 location - C:\Program Data\LENA

Default Windows XP location - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\LENA

Note:  If you don't see the directory, show hidden folders.  If you still do not see the LENA directory, your data may have been stored to a custom location.  

Navigate to \LENA\storage\childdata.

4.3. Search in \childdata for the first filename on your list for deletion, omitting the .its extension.

The search will return a group of files with the same filename but different extensions.  (If you can't see the extensions, please adjust your Windows Explorer settings to show extensions.)

Search in \childdata for the first filename on your list for deletion, omitting the .its extension.

4.4. Select the .upl file.

The .upl file contains the audio you wish to delete.

The .itz file contains the derived data you wish to preserve.

(The .trz and .chz files are useless after the audio is deleted - you can choose to delete them manually at this time or just leave them alone.  Their presence won't affect LENA, and they do not take up much space, so do what is most convenient for you.)  

4.5. Delete the .upl file.

For a hard (permanent) delete that bypasses your recycling bin, with the .upl file selected, hit Shift+Delete.  

You will see a warning indicating this deletion is permanent and not recoverable.  

Agree to delete the file.

4.6. Repeat for the remaining files on the list.

5. Decide how to handle audio in your backup files.

Deleting the audio from your active LENA data does not delete it from your LENA Backups folders.

You can either wait for your older backups to roll off according to the schedule you've set, or you can find and delete these same audio files from your backups at this time.  

To find and delete, the steps are the same except that you'll start by navigating to your LENA Backups location instead of to your active LENA data directory.