# Plugin Mishap - Uncategorized vs Uncategorized\<hash\>

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-mishap-uncategorized-vs-uncategorized-hash/97318
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [September 17, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-mishap-uncategorized-vs-uncategorized-hash/97318 "2018-09-17T00:53:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![will\_io](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/will_io/32/147541_2.png) [@will\_io](https://meta.discourse.org/u/will_io)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/plugin-mishap-uncategorized-vs-uncategorized-hash/97318/1 "2018-09-17T00:53:36Z")

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**Uncategorized topics problem**

The uncategorized topics (~3000) of my existing Discourse app were so disgruntled after a long struggle during a build process that out digested a derivative of itself some time ago in the wake of a dead plugin. Most are “else” or defaulted remnants from a migration to Discourse in 2014.

 ![2018-09-16_175758](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/5/d/5dc11dc7dc6684c0dc31b3d7a1b8eca5c660fb4f.jpeg)

I would like to drop both and reset the Uncategorized category existence to ensure its integrity before unchecking `allow_uncategorized_topics` in the admin interface and simply ignoring it. Basically my at-large questions are:

- Can I delete both? Moreover, _should_ I?
- Can I reset it through the system and if not could I concoct a mock reset?
- Do I need to be aware of what the Discourse application is expecting out of the uncategorized category (i.e. a top-5 `categories.id` to match backend processes, first posts, etc.)

If I could reuse existing code in the application at the rails console to ensure `before` or `after` functionality in ActiveRecord wasn’t lost in the mix that would be ideal. The topics will live on in a designated lost category from now on.