Manually deleting images, catalog has no record of
Ok - you appear to have a good handle on root cause, and a sensible evluation of both risk and the value of the old data. So, removing it manually would seem to be the way to go.
Final point, personally, I'd get somone else on site to agree (in writing / email) with your conclusion and decision - before deleting anything - even if for no other reason that a final double check of date ranges, and image CTIMEs.
And take a safe listing of what was deleted, i.e. take directory listings before and after... maybe along these lines...
...firstly, spend a few moments identifying a command which will list file names, in one column, sorted by name...
...then use this command to...
1) Take a safe listing before deleteing anything, and never amend this file, which we will call 'list A'.
2) Copy list A to list B.
3) Edit list B and trim down to what you think you will have left AFTER deleting.
4) Copy list A to list C.
5) Edit list C and trim down to what you think you will be DELETING..
6) Do the delete.
7) Take another full list - to list D.
...with these next three steps you'll need a command: for Unix use: diff for Windows use: fc
8) Compare list D to list B - it should be the same.
9) Take a difference list D to list A - to create list E
10) Compare list E to list C - it should be the same.
HTH.
