ZIDX - WTF?

June 10, 2008 5:21 PM

What are ZIDX files? I bought a new computer about two weeks ago, and today I discovered about 175 files with a .zidx extension, contained within a ZIDX folder, that I cannot figure out.

These are apparently copies of files that are already on my hard drive. For instance, a file called abc123.pdf.zidx is a copy of a file called abc123.pdf on my system, and it is found within a ZIDX folder under the folder that contains the original. There are four groups of these files, all with the same filestamp date and time, which tells me that the files in each group were created at the same time. I cannot recall any activity that I did at that time that would have created these files.

posted by megatherium to computers & internet (6 comments total)

A program called Zoot makes files like that.
posted by damn dirty ape at 5:30 PM on June 10, 2008

It also makes a zidx subfolder.
posted by damn dirty ape at 5:31 PM on June 10, 2008

"idx" usually indicates some sort of index. so The Zoot thing might be it.

i've never used this zoot, though
posted by ArgentCorvid at 6:12 PM on June 10, 2008

Looks like the same sorts of files a lot of apps make as backups or alternate file versions. For instances, every file I create / edit in SoundForge creates a whatever.wav and a whatever.wav.sfk file in the same directory.
posted by Dark Messiah at 6:15 PM on June 10, 2008

Right on target. You damn dirty ape.
posted by megatherium at 7:04 PM on June 10, 2008

[Although I cannot figure out why Zoot does this on one computer and not on another.]
posted by megatherium at 7:18 PM on June 10, 2008