How to stop replicating files

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My files are "auto-replicating". I have hundreds of gifs and several of my files (ones I created or saved from elsewhere) are multiplying. I've tried deleting but they return. What is causing this and how do I stop and prevent this from occurring? Many thanks.
 
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Welcome to the forums.

Where are there files?
How are you determining they are replicating?
Which version of OSX do you have?
 
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Replicating files

The files are in "documents". The ones that "spontaneously duplicate" are saved documents and also there are hundreds of "gifs". I have no idea of the source of the latter. I've tried deleting both the duplicate documents and the gifs but the gifs and documents recur.
Regarding the documents, I thought perhaps i was at fault because sometimes if I opened an attachment from a email, I used "download" rather than "view". But in tfact this seems to make no difference.
 
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The files are in "documents". The ones that "spontaneously duplicate" are saved documents

Of what type? How are they named? (adding 1, 2, 3, etc. ?)

This sounds very strange. To copy something, the computer needs user input.
 

chscag

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These are "doc" or more recently "docx" files.

If you've selected "Always make a backup" from Word preferences "Save", a duplicate of the file will be created automatically each time you access the file to edit it. I'm not sure if that's what you're seeing, but if it is, leave it alone because that's a good thing to have in case of a crash. Just delete the duplicate when you're through editing the document.
 
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Replicating files

Okay, but how do the gifs figure in? I've never used or saved a gif - but there they are, duplicating/replicating like the famous Star Trek show, "The Trouble with Tribbles."
 
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Replicating files

No, the gifs are numerated as follows (this is a cut and paste of one gif design):

1cb4f93_594b5c8f__img_1.gif
1cb4f93_594b5c8f__img_1.gif
1cb4f93_594b5c8f__img_1.gif

As you can see, this is the same number. The different gif designs have different numbers, but as a particular design replicates itself, the number remains the same.
 
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MacInWin

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Do you know what's in the images? In any folder, no two files can have the same name, which makes this very curious.
 
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Yes, the replicated gifs are logos of agencies, letterheads (not mine), Clip Art- like figures, etc etc
There are literally dozens of different gifs, but the number is the same for the same designs.
 
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MacInWin

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And they are all in the same folder? Do you have any idea which app originally created them? Does a reboot stop the replication? Are all applications shut down? (Remember, the red X does NOT shut down an application, it just pushes it into the background, still running.)
 
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Replicating files

Thank you very much for your interest, but we seem to be getting nowhere closer to resolving the issue. Thank you.
 
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MacInWin

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We can't resolve it if you refuse to give us information to assist. Sorry you chose that path.
 

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