MOVEBAK command gives Not a directory

[karthur1]

I have used MOVEBAK for the last several releases without any issues.  Now installed Acad 2017 and when I try to set the folder to C:\TEMP, I get the error "Not a directory: c:\temp".  This works with Acad 2015, but now not with 2017 for some reason.

I am using Windows 7 x64 and my movebak folder is local (c:\temp). I have used the ACAD Reset Tool, but that didn't help, still get the same message.  I have even tried entering the "~" when it asks for the directory and then browse to the folder.  That does not work either, even though I can see the folder perfectly fine.

I can set the movebak to just c:\, but that is not desirable.  I have found this post, but nothing there solved my issue.  I also found a post that suggested it was a Windows Search Index issue.  The Windows Indexing Service is running and the c:\Temp folder is not excluded from the indexing. I also have the Advanced folder properties set to "Folder is ready for archiving" and "Allow files in this folder to have contents indexed in addition to file properties."   None of this helped, obviously.

One step forward, twos steps back......Any suggestions, or am I stuck with putting them all in the C:\ ?

Thanks,

Kirk

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

select the folder in Windows Explorer, then right-click ==> properties, change to tab "security" and look now for "users" (sorry if that is not the exact word in English Windows) and see which permissions that folder has.

Also to try: what happens if you rename the current C:\TEMP folder to C:\TEMPX and create a new C:\TEMP folder ... is that folder then recognized?

- alfred -

[karthur1]

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@Alfred.NESWADBA wrote:

Hi,

select the folder in Windows Explorer, then right-click ==> properties, change to tab "security" and look now for "users" (sorry if that is not the exact word in English Windows) and see which permissions that folder has.

Also to try: what happens if you rename the current C:\TEMP folder to C:\TEMPX and create a new C:\TEMP folder ... is that folder then recognized?

- alfred -

---

Checked the "Users" permissions and set "Full Control" to allow... same error.  I tried renaming to c:\tempX and still get the same error.  I created a new directory named c:\Temp-Temp and that does not work either.

Kirk

[Alfred.NESWADBA · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I should have tried it ;(

I get the same message, but tested now with AutoCAD 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 ... all the same issue (on Windows 10). So for me command _MOVEBAK does not allow C:\TEMP or C:/TEMP or C:\TEMP\ or C:/TEMP/ ... but it allows to be set to D:\TEMP.

That gave me the chance to search through the registry to find where it's stored, maybe that's a help for you. It's stored in:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R19.1\ACAD-D001:409\FixedProfile\General\AcetMoveBak

And changing that value in the registry works then for AutoCAD (tested this workflow now with 2014/R19.1 ... but I guess it will work with other releases too).

HTH, - alfred -

[pendean]

Win7 no longer uses the WinXP Indexing feature so it should not be the problem.

Are you typing the destination folder name, or using a copy/paste process (which can add a blank space at the end)? or usng c:/ instead of c:\ when typing?
Otherwise this goes back to being a system level issue: your C:/temp is not being recognized. I can't replicate it here, MOVEBAK is set to my own C:\temp folder here and I'm full Admin on my PC.

[karthur1 · Accepted solution]

Alfred,

Same thing here, I can change the registry to c:\Temp... or enter d:\Temp in the movebak command.  Both works here for me as well.

If I change it to D:\Temp and then look at the registry, it shows it correctly there. However, If I then try to change it to c:\temp, I get the error and the registry is not changed of course.  If this was some sort of system level issue, why does it change to the d:\Temp as expected?

Either way, the solution for me is to change it in the registry and move on.  Hopefully someone at AD will look at this and try to figure out exactly what the issue is.

Thanks for the help.

Kirk

[matthew_jarsky · Accepted solution]

FYI, registry key is an "Expandable String Value" named "AcetMoveBak"

The path to the registry key is:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R22.0\ACAD-1001:409\FixedProfile\General

(Be sure to insert the version of AutoCAD you're running at in place of the red text.)

In my case, there was no "AcetMoveBak" key. Invoking the MOVEBAK command did not create the required key, but using LISP at the command line did:

(setenv "AcetMoveBak" "C:/Path/To/New/BAK/Folder")

[cschnarr]

You're my hero! One line entry at command line with the lisp expression and problem is fixed!! Very good method.

(setenv "AcetMovebak" "C:/Path/To/New/BAK/Folder")

I'll say this is the best solution, stay out of the registry.  ;<) 

[cschnarr]

Awesome solution! One line of code, copy, edit, paste in the command line. Excellent work. Thanks for all your research and testing. This still works in 2019 vanilla.

[imizell]

Can I set the BAK files to be save at same folder level that it now saves in DWG under my project just in a BAK folder

This way I can still have a BAK set for all my DWG files in each project but not in my DWG folder (to many files) in the same place

Thanks for any help

Irv

[matthew_jarsky]

That would be a neat trick, but I don't know how to pull it off.

My guess is that it could be done with a LISP that runs any time a drawing is opened. The LISP would read the path to the drawing, (check to see if a BAK folder exists, and create one if it does not), then run the MOVEBAK command, inserting the path to the project-specific BAK folder.

[matthew_jarsky]

The tricky part is having more than one drawing open at a time, because any open drawing would save its BAK to the location specified by the last opened drawing.

So I am changing my advice. Instead of a LISP that runs on drawing open, you would have to replace your SAVE command with a LISP that does everything I described in my previous post before also running the SAVE command.

[jakecomer9SB2S]

I entered "LISP" into the command bar. Then entered 

(setenv "AcetMovebak" "C:/Path/To/New/BAK/Folder")

into the LISP command bar. When I checked the original folder my CAD file is saved in, I found the .BAK file still being saved there. It appears that the .BAK files aren't saved elsewhere. Am I doing somethin wrong? Please help.

[cadffm]

Hi,

I am not sure if this is related to your problem, but "AcetMovebak" is wrong

(and I don't know why you want to set this bay Lispfunction - but okay, that's your thing.

Delete your "AcetMovebak" registry item and try it again with "AcetMoveBak"

or let the MoveBak command create the environment variable - this way you are safe.

[matthew_jarsky]

We're using lisp because:

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@karthur1 wrote:

when I try to set the folder to C:\TEMP, I get the error "Not a directory: c:\temp". 

[hgaitang]

This solution is the one that worked for me well. Thank you so much.

[matthew_jarsky]

@jakecomer9SB2S:

Don't enter "LISP" at the Command Line, just the LISP script.

[jakecomer9SB2S]

Perfect, this did the trick!