Purging backup files

[WolffG]

Is there a way to get rid of backup files globally. They seem to have a way of accumulating and cluttering up the hard drive. Going through drawing folders and libraries is a tedious way to get rid of them once they're no longer needed.

On the same subject.....out of curiosity. Why is there such a wide range of file sizes in the backups. The last most recent backup is often several Mb larger than the final version.

[sbrown]

The backup files for non worksets jobs should be equal to the size the file was at the previous save. So if you have 5 backup files they represent diff. periods in time and therefore diff. sizes.

For worksets jobs, I have no idea how to make a correlation between size, if I look at one project, the working central file is approx 60mb, the backup is 1 gig.

Then I look at a second WS job, the central file is 37mb and the backup is only 200mb.

Go figure, both are set to 10 backups.

[aggockel50321]

If you do a Windows file search of your drive(s) using the file search key *.0***.rvt, you'll get the project backup files in a list, unless your backup sequence number climbs above 3 digits.

Once listed, you can highlight the list & delete them if you so choose.

The same can be done for family file backups using *.0***.rfa

[sfaust]

anyone see a problem with being able to specify a general backup folder where all backup files for a certain user go (probably set just under the settings->options->file locations)? that would keep project folders much cleaner and allow user to go get backups when needed, but you wouldn't have to sort through a bunch of .00x files to find your actual project.

just an idea...

[beegee]

anyone see a problem with being able to specify a general backup folder where all backup files for a certain user go (probably set just under the settings->options->file locations)? that would keep project folders much cleaner and allow user to go get backups when needed, but you wouldn't have to sort through a bunch of .00x files to find your actual project.

just an idea...
I've wanted that for a long time, ... but bigger fish were in the pan.

[sfaust]

I've wanted that for a long time, ... but bigger fish were in the pan.
yeah, definitely not at the top of the list, but would be nice, and I wouldn't think it would take too long (however I have very little in the way of programming experience).

Anyway, I made it a poll on the wishlist.