Remove .DST's from Recent Documents list

[Jeff_M]

Attached is a zip file with a standalone program to aid in cleaning up the Recent Documents list for all flavors of AutoCAD, 2009-2013.

It's pretty self explanatory, just be sure to run it with no sessions of AutoCAD, or vertical products, running. It should refuse to run if it sees any Acad.exe application in the running tasks list. Once the dialog opens it will show you all of the Autocad related products you have installed, select one and it will fill in the first list of recent documents. Then select a profile for that product and the second list will populate with the SSM related recent documents saved for that profile. You can then select any item from either list, if the same DST filename exists in both lists it will automatically select them both. Use the standard selection methods to select more than one (shift-click, control-click, window).

Be sure to Unblock, if needed, the zip file before extracting the exe file. (Check the file properties)

If you find it useful, or if you have any problems with this, please let me know at jeffm AT quuxsoft DOT com

[Anonymous]

Jeff, I have the revit structural suite 2012. Revit, Autocad, 3ds Max, showcase, sketchbook plus design review and dwg trueview. I still have Autocad 2010 too.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this.

Note the heading for the middle column has a typo: "Recent Document List found the for selected product" (Say it aloud if you have to.)

[Jeff_M · Accepted solution]

Posting an updated version of the program. Thanks to Ralph L., who located the problem with the code not working on some computers. This version should now function correctly for all users.

[rkmcswain]

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@Jeff_M wrote:

Posting an updated version of the program.

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Thanks!

[andrewpuller3811]

Jeff,

Firstly, thanks for the tool to get rid of the .dst files.

Secondly, I get an unhandled exception error when I click on Autocad Raster Design 2013.

After I have started the programme, I get a list of the autocad based applications I have installed.

One of the applications listed is Autocad Raster Design 2013. When I click on it I get an unhandled exception error.

I have attached the error text.

If I click continue your programme continues, Autocad Raster Design 2013 is selected in the autocad based products, with nothing showing in the Recent Document List. If I then click on another autocad product, the recent documents list is populated as expected. If I again click on Autocad Raster Design 2013, I get the same error.

[rkmcswain]

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@andrewpuller3811 wrote:

.....I get an unhandled exception error when I click on Autocad Raster Design 2013.

One of the applications listed is Autocad Raster Design 2013. When I click on it I get an unhandled exception error.

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I suspect that is because Raster Design is not an actual standalone product with its own set of "recent files", even though it shows up in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD.

[Jeff_M]

Thanks, Andrew, for letting me know about this. RK is likely correct, as I don't have ARD to test with with. I'll make adjustments to the code to omit ARD from the list.

[Jeff_M]

Updated version to omit Raster Design from the list.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff,

I was trying this on a machine running windows 8.1 and I get an Unhandled exception error.

I tried to Continue with no luck. Any Ideas?

Update, what it did do was delete my .dwg files, not the .dst files. Sorta the reverse fo what I wanted it to do...

[Jeff_M]

@msanders, thanks for posting that. That's the first time I've seen that error with this program. And you say it removed the drawings from the list but no dst's? I will admit that I have not tested this under Windows 8.1, nor under Mechanical. I will be able to do the 8.1 testing tonight or tomorrow. One thing in your image that makes me wonder if it could be a part of the problem...the file it was on when it threw the exception has a "." in the path. What happens if you select just that one item in the list of DST's? 

[Jeff_M]

Update: It appears that the problem is due to the use of a single quote ' in the path/filename. I've duplicated the error, working on a solution now. To avoid this error do not check any files which contain a single quote.

As for the deletion of dwg's from the list, the only way it would do that is if the were actually selected in the center list of items.

[Anonymous]

An update: I went through one at a time and was able to remove most of the sheet sets. There is one offending one that I can't figure out what is different about it. The funny thing is when I re opened AutoCAD, all the sheet sets are now gone, even the ones I would classify as recent.

It now shows drawings only (this time) so I am not complaining. The wonders of windows 8...

[jmayo-EE]

Started to use SSM, need your handy app now...

Thanks a bunch Jeff.

[Anonymous]

This is a great tool! Thanks, Jeff!

Has there been an update to fix the apostrophe problem? I have a copy of DST's with them....won't do that again!

Chuck

[Jeff_M]

Hi Chuck, glad you like this tool! Yes, I did update it and managed to neglect posting the new version. So attached hereto is that updated version.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Jeff!

Chuck

[ceethreedee.com]

Jeff

Apprciate the efforts here for sure!

Although question... this is not really a permanent solution is it? I mean after opening a few more DST's its eventually going to clog up history and you will need to run your application again?

Even though the last few items i opened are dwg's it still bumps all the dst's from the past up the line?

Is that the case or am i missing something?

Thanks Brad

[neilyj666]

As this has been an ongoing annoyance for several releases now, I can't see Autodesk allocating resources to sort it out any time soon...!!!

[Jeff_M]

Permanent solution? No.

I just run it as needed to remove the dst's no longer being used on a daily basis. Takes very little time to run, so I am no longer 'bothered' by this annoyance.

I also use this tool after opening a dwg on a network drive that isn't normally connected. Having these dwg's in the history really slows down Autocad when they cannot be found. (I use a laptop for 99% of my work, so this happens a lot for me.)

[neilyj666]

On a more general note - I find the SSM in 2015 extremely slow to open and painfully slow when creating a new SS.