Commons:History merging and splitting

Page history merge Simple.png

Shortcut: COM:HMS· COM:HISTMERGE This page provides information on issues and solutions relating pages and files that underwent cut-and-paste moves (which its history has to be put back together), and inappropriate merging/overwriting (of which its history needs to be split).

History merging

In the early days of Wikipedia, renamings took place manually, using cut-and-paste methods, before the move page function was enabled for non-administrators in August 2002.

Now, cut-and-paste moves are usually done by people who are not aware of that function, or when the move function fails (e.g. because the target has history), and people who aren't aware of the Administrators Noticeboard forum to ask for help from an administrator.

When a cut-and-paste move is done, the page history of an article or talk page can be split among two or more different pages. This is very undesirable, because we need to keep the history with the content for copyright reasons. In most circumstances, administrators are able to fix this by merging page histories. This could be done as follows (considering OldArticle needs to merged into NewArticle):

  1. Temporarily delete NewArticle
  2. Move OldArticle to NewArticle, using the move functionality. [In case it is a file, you have to open the Move & Replace link in a new tab or disable AjaxQuickDelete in your preferences.] (Now the old versions are the whole of the new title's history.)
  3. Undelete the NewArticle article, by
    1. Viewing the page/file history
    2. Clicking "View or restore ... deleted edits?", and
    3. Clicking on "Restore!". (Now the new title's history has both the old and new versions, including an extra copy of the most recent version of OldArticle, created by the move tool.)
  4. At this stage, NewArticle will only show the text "#REDIRECT NewArticle" (assuming a redirect was the most recent version of OldArticle, the NewArticle page will now be showing whatever the most recent version of OldArticle was). The last step is to revert (or RevisionDelete) to the last version of NewArticle from before the move.
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History splitting

Over time, pages or files may change from one underlying topic to a completely separate topic. Normally, this should be accomplished through moves of pages, or by reuploading a altered file on a slightly different filename. However, if a user is unfamiliar with those processes they may simply change the subject of a page or file (overwriting the old). If this is not caught immediately it is very easy for the new topic to build up a substantial edit history of its own. Administrators can use the following steps to fix this problem and maintain separate histories for the separate topics:

  1. Temporarily delete the page/file (original name)
  2. Restore previous revisions up to (but not including) the point where the topic was changed.
  3. Move [without redirect] the restored versions (old topic) to the desired new name [In case it is a file, you have to open the Move & Replace link in a new tab or disable AjaxQuickDelete in your preferences]
    • If there's already a file or page under the new name and you wish to histmerge into it:
    a) select the "delete the existing article" option, while moving;
    b) restore deleted revisions of new name.
  4. Restore new revisions of new topic (still at original article name)

A history merge could also be undone in this way.

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Requesting a merge or split

To request a merge or split, fill the following template, and submit it at the bottom of this page. Remember, both files need to be of the same type. Merging of more than two files may also be possible in some cases.

==== [[:FILE/PAGE 1]] → [[:FILE/PAGE 2]] ====
* Request: [Split or Merge]
* Reason:
--~~~~
  • For merges, replace FILE/PAGE 2 with the page you want FILE/PAGE 1 contents to be merged into.
  • For splits, replace FILE/PAGE 2 with the new filename which you want the newer content to be moved from FILE/PAGE 1.


Archive 1


Current requests

File:Inmaculada Concepcion.jpg

  • Request: Clean history
  • Reason: Overwrited with no permission image (--> File:Inmaculada Concepcion. La Laguna.jpg). --Gunnex (talk) 10:53, 2 August 2012 (UTC)
✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 14:23, 2 August 2012 (UTC)
Thx. Gunnex (talk) 09:58, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

File:IMG 0799.JPG

  • Request: Clean history
  • Reason: Overwritten with unsourced image. Gunnex (talk) 09:58, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
✓ Done - Moved the earlier version to File:Breslin Center Upper View.JPG --Sreejith K (talk) 15:34, 6 August 2012 (UTC)
Thx. Gunnex (talk) 21:21, 6 August 2012 (UTC)

File:Cantor Mattos Nascimento.jpg → File:Cantor Mattos Nascimento.jpg (cropped)

✓ Done --- Darwin Ahoy! 11:10, 25 August 2012 (UTC)

File:MexicaliMontage.jpg

  • Request: Clean history / revert last editions
  • Reason: Overwritten with fresh uploaded copyvios (File:Collage-mexicali.jpg, File:Estadio de las aguilas de mexicali.jpg, File:Edificio poder judicial de la federacion mexicali.jpg, etc.). Gunnex (talk) 09:24, 25 August 2012 (UTC)
✓ Done --- Darwin Ahoy! 11:03, 25 August 2012 (UTC)

File:Bos grunniens at Yundrok Yumtso Lake.jpg → File:Bos grunniens at Yundrok Yumtso Lake hires.jpg

  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: Same file uploaded separately, but higher resolution. Preserve original file history and upload date by merging new upload with original version.
✓ Done, everything is merged in File:Bos grunniens at Yundrok Yumtso Lake.jpg and File:Bos grunniens at Yundrok Yumtso Lake hires.jpg redirects to the original file. --PierreSelim (talk) 17:51, 2 November 2012 (UTC)
Thanks!

File:Italy national football team Euro 2012 vs England.jpg

  • Request: Please revert to the old version of the file and delete the latest revisions
  • Reason: File was overwritten with a copyvio image (AFP photo). Jespinos (talk) 19:51, 27 December 2012 (UTC)

✓ Done --PierreSelim (talk) 18:16, 1 January 2013 (UTC)

File:Hanford train station.jpg → File:Hanford station from train.jpg

  • Request: Merge
  • Reason: It's the same file from Flickr, but the target (from train) was uploaded without proper source information. I don't have review permissions, so I did a clean transfer from Flickr to get the source and license information. Since File:Hanford station from train.jpg is in use I think it should be consolidated there. Thanks, Mackensen (talk) 18:06, 1 January 2013 (UTC)
✓ Done by PierreSelim. Thanks. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:10, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

File:BrueckeMaxau.jpg

Please delete intermediate version http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/b/bc/20080613202704%21BrueckeMaxau.jpg . Picked wrong file. --Ikar.us (talk) 12:39, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

✓ Done --Sreejith K (talk) 15:08, 30 January 2013 (UTC)

File:Igreja matriz.png

  • Request: Please revert to the old version of the file and delete the latest revision.
  • Reason: File was overwritten with a copyvio image (Flickr, 2011). Thx. Gunnex (talk) 21:35, 14 February 2013 (UTC)
✓ Done Moved the overwritten file to File:Praça igreja.png and raised a DR. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:17, 15 February 2013 (UTC)

File:Whambo.jpg → File:Whambo2.jpg

  • Request: Split older (visible in history) version into new file
  • Reason: Someone mentions it here and it seems an easy way to do it. I didn't think the other image was that good, but I guess if someone wants it I can't see why not.

--Penyulap ☏ 13:19, 21 February 2013 (UTC)

Are you OK with the way it looks now? --Sreejith K (talk) 17:19, 21 February 2013 (UTC)

File:I-95 exit 52.jpg → File:I-95 exit 51.jpg

  • Request: Split and rename current version.
  • Reason: The original version claims to be of Insterstate 95 in Virginia approaching the Interstate 85 in Virginia junction, which is actually Exit 51 as seen in the two modified versions. Exit 52 on southbound I-95 is actually of Washington and Wythe Streets, and should be used for the original version of the file. ----DanTD (talk) 19:37, 11 March 2013 (UTC)
✓ Done. Please do the necessary cleanups. Thanks. Rehman 13:27, 18 March 2013 (UTC)

File:I95NCsouthbound.jpg → File:Northbound I-95 at exit 46; I-295.jpg

  • Request: Split and keep the current version.
  • Reason: Original version is of the northbound Interstate 95 in Virginia at the approach to the interchange with northbound Interstate 295 (Virginia). Though originally posted by mistake, it is an equally worthy file of two other interstate highways that are worth covering. ----DanTD (talk) 19:51, 11 March 2013 (UTC)
✓ Done. Please do the necessary cleanups. Thanks. Rehman 13:34, 18 March 2013 (UTC)

File:Sanmarino5.jpg

✓ Done - Moved the overwritten file to File:Sanmarino6.jpg --Sreejith K (talk) 19:23, 26 March 2013 (UTC)

File:Igreja patu.jpg

✓ Done Moved the overwritten file to File:Igreja patu 2.jpg --Sreejith K (talk) 18:53, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

File:Marienfigur in Thürnthal 0712.JPG → File:Marienfigur in Thürnthal 0712-1.jpg, File:Marienfigur in Thürnthal 0712-2.jpg

  • Request: Split
  • Reason: three different images as versions of the same image. Can you please free the versions as separate images, thanks. --Herzi Pinki (talk) 23:21, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

--Herzi Pinki (talk) 23:21, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

done, thanks --Herzi Pinki (talk) 11:29, 7 April 2013 (UTC)


File:Schloss Neuberg.jpg → File:Schloss Neuberg (2).jpg

  • Request: Split
  • Reason: different image was overloaded under same name

--Herzi Pinki (talk) 06:40, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

✓ Done Please do the necessary cleanups. --Sreejith K (talk) 14:53, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

File:Pfarrkirche in Turnau.JPG → File:Pfarrkirche in Turnau 2.jpg

  • Request: Split
  • Reason: different image was overloaded under same name (last two versions are versions of the same image and should be moved alltogether to File:Pfarrkirche in Turnau 2.jpg)

--Herzi Pinki (talk) 06:40, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

✓ Done - Please do the necessary cleanups. --Sreejith K (talk) 15:16, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

File:Nechenheim St Lorenzen.JPG → File:Nechenheim St Lorenzen 2.JPG

  • Request: Split
  • Reason: different image was overloaded under same name

--Herzi Pinki (talk) 06:46, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

✓ Done - Please do the necessary cleanups --Sreejith K (talk) 15:19, 10 May 2013 (UTC)
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Current admin volunteers

Administrators, please add your name here if you would like to volunteer!

  1. Bencmq (talk · contribs)
  2. odder (talk · contribs)
  3. Rehman (talk · contribs)
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See also

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Last modified on 24 February 2013, at 15:26