Purge old versioned file

[tfilipiak]

Just started using Creo (ProEngineer) again.  Found out one of the many annoying things Creo/ProEngineer does...versioned files.  It means that the Creo files are multiplying faster than rabbits!  They also obliterate the "Recent Items" in the start menu in Windows!

1. Is there a way to turn off something in Creo so versioned files are not created and files are simply overwritten (like almost every other Windows program out there?!).
2. If not, is there safe software that can be used to delete these old versioned files?  I am understandably hesitant to download and install anything that is not safe onto a work laptop!

This is clearly an ongoing frustration.  I marvel that PTC is still doing this garbage since the software hits PC's in the mid-1990's.  Why haven't the user groups gotten this changed?

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[mbonka]

Hello Tom Filipiak

Spekan purge is the tool you are looking for.

See following links:

Re: How to remove backup files suffix?

Re: Spekan Purge Tool

Regards

Milan

[pjg]

Hi Tom

You could try in config.pro to ad this line

save_file_iterations no

Regards Peter

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

You can try http://www.inneo.co.uk/product/genius-tools-purge/?_ga=1.31967550.1820602932.1455110544

MH

[KenFarley]

What I've used for years and years is a mapkey definition that binds the <F6> key to a save then a purge. It saves the current file, then purges it, removing the old versions. Here's the mapkey definition from my config.pro file:

--- BEGIN Mapkey Definition ---

! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

! Mapkey  : <F6>

! Purpose : Quick file Save/Purge operation. Saves the current file, then purges

!           old versions.

!

mapkey $F6 @MAPKEY_NAMEFile Save Purge;\

mapkey(continued) @MAPKEY_LABELFile Save Purge;\

mapkey(continued) ~ Select `main_dlg_cur` `appl_casc`;\

mapkey(continued) ~ Select `main_dlg_cur` `appl_menu.left_pane.print_casc`;\

mapkey(continued) ~ Close `main_dlg_cur` `appl_casc`;~ Command `ProCmdModelSave`;\

mapkey(continued) ~ Activate `file_saveas` `OK`;~ Close `main_dlg_cur` `appl_casc`;\

mapkey(continued) ~ Command `ProCmdFilePurge` ;;

--- END Mapkey Definition ---

It's served me well, but only operates on the currently active file (i.e. if you use it on an assembly, it will only purge the .asm file, but not any of the subcomponent .prt or .asm files).

[dgschaefer]

Spekan is the tool of choice, but there is a built in basic purge utility in Creo.

If you do a command search Creo (upper right corner of the screen) and type in "system" you'll find near the bottom "Open System Window:

That will open a command prompt window in your working directory where you can type in "purge".  That will clear out all the old versions of all your Creo files.  Of course, you can also open the command prompt directly and browse to any folder and do the same.

There's also the "delete old versions" command in the file menu.  This will only remove the old versions of the file you have open, so you'll have to do it one at a time for each file in your directory.

As far as this being an antiquated system, perhaps it is.  it's also immensely useful. Having a record of saved versions means that I can save often during concept exploration and not worry about saving over and loosing my earlier concepts. It means when collaborating with another person and one of us accidently saves the assy, overwriting the other's file,  I can "go back in time" and recover the lost work.  The config option mentioned above will turn this off in Creo 3, but I'd urge you to work with it and a good purge utility and you might find that you like it. 

[davehaigh]

If you run Creo in conjunction with Windchill, the local workspace hides all that mess from you. It still saves every iteration in the workspace, but when you check in, it just checks in the most recent file. Also if you remove a file from your workspace it removes all iterations.

There are utilities out there that can recover modified files in your workspace. If you do that you will see all the iterations of the files.