How can we unload block libraies from Blocks Palette in AutoCAD 2023?

[plkr89s]

I have a lot of block libraries used in AutoCAD 2023 and most of them i am not using now. I have used Desktop as a block library and i want to remove it from the list of block libraries. I know if you rename a folder and go to the pull down menu and select the folder, it gives you a popup that tells you the location is unavailable and asks if you want to remove it from your list. The problem is I can’t change the name of my Desktop to make that happen.

[pendean]

So you just want to clear the list's history in that pulldown? Nothing does that AFAIK, open more folders to drop it from the list is a workaround.

[plkr89s]

Hi Pendean,
I have tried another workaround that worked for me. I have changed the Folder name in local drive and then opened AutoCAD > Blocks Palette and then select the folder name from the list which gives a popup to delete that folder since we have renamed that folder in Local Drive.

Anyways, Thanks for your time.

[pendean]

Nice tip: thanks for confirming.

[Ed__Jobe]

For anyone interested, the recently used Libraries are stored here in the registry, which will vary depending on your profile:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.2\ACAD-6107:409\Profiles\<<VANILLA>>\Dialogs\BlockStream\BlockLibraries

[TomBeauford]

I've generally adapted to new and updated commands and interface additions but I gave up on Blocks palette when I realized the minute or so I had to wait every time I opened a drawing was for every block in the Blocks palette to regen. Whoever decided to add this feature needs to be fired!

So much easier to save blocks in a drawing and add a ADCNAVIGATE macro to open it in ADCENTER which never causes a regen.

You can also use an -INSERT macro to insert a block or a drawing as a block or an ADCNAVIGATE (added in 2021) macro to insert a block from another drawing.

[serge]

They keep coming back, even when deleting in the Registry.
If you use the 'View all blocks in file' (RMB on a listed drawing) then you palette is filled with all kind of blocks
and you are not able to delete them, on top of it...
no preview om them?

[TomBeauford]

System variables that may be helpful:

The BLOCKMRULIST (System Variable) 

Set this system variable to 0 to clear the blocks displayed in the Recent tab.

I added a blockmrulist command to our custom CUI

Description  Toggle # Blocks displayed 50 ↔ 0 to reduce command delay after restart. 0-100

Macro            'setvar;blockmrulist;$M=$(if,$(=,0,$(getvar,blockmrulist)),50,0)

BLOCKNAVIGATE (System Variable)

Valid values are folder paths, full file names that include the path, file name, and extension of an existing file, or "." for none. When set to none, the last-used file or folder is retained the next time the palette is opened and persists across sessions.

[rkmcswain]

@plkr89s wrote: I have tried another workaround that worked for me. I have changed the Folder name in local drive and then opened AutoCAD > Blocks Palette and then select the folder name from the list which gives a popup to delete that folder since we have renamed that folder in Local Drive.

Anyways,

That is not an option since the end users cannot rename a folder.

But even if it was, we are not even getting to this point because launching the blocks palette results in about a minute wait, and eventual crash of AutoCAD. We believe this is due to a non-existent path (why don't you just ignore AutoCAD....?) - and the registry location does exist as pointed out in a later post, but clearing that does nothing either.

Autodesk - please add a "clear MRU folders" button to the GUI here.

[rkmcswain]

@Ed__Jobe wrote:

For anyone interested, the recently used Libraries are stored here in the registry, which will vary depending on your profile:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.2\ACAD-6107:409\Profiles\<<VANILLA>>\Dialogs\BlockStream\BlockLibraries

This did not work. The entries do not disappear.

[Ed__Jobe]

I think I must have found that key using a term that located the Library. It turns out that its not in the registry at all, but in %appdata%\Autodesk\AutoCAD Electrical 2023\R24.2\enu\RecentBlocks. I did a test by closing AutoCAD, renaming the folder to "xRecentBlocks" and restarted AutoCAD. AutoCAD recreated the folder and there were no recent blocks listed. You could create a script or bat file to delete the folder or files in the folder.

[rkmcswain]

Hey @Ed__Jobe - your instructions technically worked, the folder was recreated, etc., but it had no effect on the contents of the drop down on the Libraries tab. The previous entries are still present.

Thanks.

[Ed__Jobe]

Sorry, I lost track of the topic of this thread. In my last post, deleting the key removes 'recent blocks', not libraries. I did some more research and deleting the BlockLibraries key doesn't do anything. It gets recreated with the same history. I think that the history gets stored in some online area tied to your login. Here's why I think that. I started a new 2024 profile on my personal laptop and signed in with my work ID and opened the Blocks palette for the first time. It propagated the libraries list from my work pc. It doesn't seem that there is any way to hack it.

[rkmcswain]

@Ed__Jobe wrote:

It doesn't seem that there is any way to hack it.

Good sleuthing.

Challenge accepted. There is *always* a way to hack it 🙂

[Ed__Jobe]

I created an Idea that you can vote on here.