# Remove DBMS that now longer exists on FS **URL:** \ **Category:** Desktop\ **Created:** [May 20, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599 "2021-05-20T10:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chris3](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/chris3/32/24147_2.png) [@chris3](https://community.neo4j.com/u/chris3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 10:45am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/1 "2021-05-20T10:45:57Z")
I deleted several DBMS directories on the file system. They still show up in neo4j Desktop with an orange warning icon - and that is actually a cool feature for DBMS installs on removable media! BUT in my case I really want to delete those entries ... question is HOW? I think the best UX for this would be the red trashcan icon to appear on hover (like in the projects list) OR the 3-dots-menu with the "Remove" option (like with all other DBMS in a project) ---
**Author:** ![dana\_canzano](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/dana_canzano/32/27392_2.png) [@dana\_canzano](https://community.neo4j.com/u/dana_canzano)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 11:48am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/2 "2021-05-20T11:48:35Z")
Did you remove the databases via a OS command of `rm` or similar? Ideally we would expect you to remove said database via a `drop database ;`[https://neo4j.com/docs/cypher-manual/current/administration/databases/index.html#administration-databases-drop-database](https://neo4j.com/docs/cypher-manual/current/administration/databases/index.html#administration-databases-drop-database) ---
**Author:** ![chris3](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/chris3/32/24147_2.png) [@chris3](https://community.neo4j.com/u/chris3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 12:02pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/3 "2021-05-20T12:02:36Z")
I had several different test installs with different neo versions and some were so corrupted that Desktop didn't work properly anymore so YES I deleted them directly on the file system. Really my only problem is that I need to get those entries out of desktop somehow since they are usesless garbage now and I think the UI should really provide such a feature. Is there another way to remove those entries or do I have to look at them forever now? ---
**Author:** ![dana\_canzano](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/dana_canzano/32/27392_2.png) [@dana\_canzano](https://community.neo4j.com/u/dana_canzano)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/4 "2021-05-20T13:29:21Z")
so I suspect there is a mismatch as performing a `rm` or similar is not expected or supported. and specificially when you create a database among many things it does it also creates a record in the `system` database that this new database is now available. And when you `drop database ....` besides removing the files from the filesystem it would also remove the record of the database existence from `system`. And so your `rm` has some what short circuited the process. ---
**Author:** ![chris3](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/chris3/32/24147_2.png) [@chris3](https://community.neo4j.com/u/chris3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/5 "2021-05-20T13:53:35Z")
hm ... I am not talking about databases inside a DBMS, I am talking about the entire DBMSs ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/uploads/neo4jcommunity/original/3X/8/a/8aca9bfcd98bf5190c115fd0bfd608cf690a9ec8.png) where are these entries stored? And again, I think there really should be a feature to remove them... ---
**Author:** ![nglgzz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/nglgzz/32/10936_2.png) [@nglgzz](https://community.neo4j.com/u/nglgzz)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/6 "2021-05-26T13:24:20Z")
@chris3 I agree with you that this should be a feature (and actually I thought this was possible). Until that happens though, depending on which OS you're using, you'll find the list of DBMSs in one of these locations. - Mac: `~/Library/Application Support/Neo4j Desktop/Application/persist/databases.json` - Linux: `~/.config/Neo4j Desktop/Application/persist/databases.json` - Windows: `%USERPROFILE%\.Neo4jDesktop\persist\databases.json` We don't recommend manually editing the persist files, but in this case, it should be fine if you just remove the entries that no longer exist in the filesystem. ---
**Author:** ![chris3](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/chris3/32/24147_2.png) [@chris3](https://community.neo4j.com/u/chris3)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/7 "2021-05-26T16:35:54Z")
Thank you for the file info - it worked! 😀 AWESOME! ---
**Author:** ![restrepojuanjo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/restrepojuanjo/32/29418_2.png) [@restrepojuanjo](https://community.neo4j.com/u/restrepojuanjo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2023, 2:32am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/8 "2023-08-12T02:32:48Z")
Hi, I am sorry I have the same problem as you. My questions is: How did you solve it? I read you had to edit the databases.json file but how did you edit it? What did you add? ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/uploads/neo4jcommunity/original/3X/b/c/bcc0850a1407ec9f9d779c828993c447bc7d9964.png) ---
**Author:** ![colehempel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@colehempel](https://community.neo4j.com/u/colehempel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/9 "2023-08-24T20:15:04Z")
I just figured it out. Basically you find any of the databases that you are no longer using (the ones that are giving you the orange error) and delete the dictionaries for them within that JSON file. You can do the same for the projects.json file as well if you would like to delete those projects from the UI. ---
**Author:** ![3222051446](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/b3f665/32.png) [@3222051446](https://community.neo4j.com/u/3222051446)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/10 "2023-12-15T14:53:59Z")
but i can't find the databases.json,I don't know how to do ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/uploads/neo4jcommunity/original/3X/e/a/ea968a28c4f31f80b26dcc79238ad07c497efe9c.png) ---
**Author:** ![asifsahadh](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/asifsahadh/32/35612_2.png) [@asifsahadh](https://community.neo4j.com/u/asifsahadh)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 5:55am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/remove-dbms-that-now-longer-exists-on-fs/38599/11 "2025-07-29T05:55:47Z")
So in the app, if you go to Developer \> View Logs \> persists \> databases.json / projects.json, you remove the associated dictionary on the project you want to delete. After restarting Neo4j, the projects with warnings should be removed.