Cannot delete unused files

[Anonymous]

I've read other discussions on this. Can't seem to find a definitive solution.

I now have three files that won't delete. They were uploaded STEP files for insertion into my current design. I've since cleaned up my design drawing. All references of the inserted geometries are gone — removed, deleted, links broken. I've inspected every procedure in my design. The yellow warning events in the timeline (in my design drawing) have been deleted. Everything looks clean and tidy in my design drawing. And I've saved, closed and relaunched Fusion 360 many times over, computer rebooted, even waited several days for whatever background updating is needed in the cloud.

But problem persists. Just want to tidy my folder.

I've further changed the filenames to trashable1, trashable2, trashable3. I've also, in each trashable, deleted the bodies, leaving each trashable as complete blank file.

Error message persists.

What else to try?

[masa.minohara · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Thank you for posting! I found a similar discussion here. Please take a look at this forum thread. I assume there is no link in the current design but the older versions are still referencing those files.

I hope this information helps!

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I was already reading that discussion, but I did so again just now for your response to me. I've found something that worked, which that discussion did not properly describe.

So here's my written version for the record:

Just COPY your design drawing file. Keep a close eye on it. It will have same filename.

Then delete the original.

Then delete all the trashable1, trashable2, trashable3, etc.

Done. Happy. Good night.

[masa.minohara]

Thank you for sharing! That's very helpful!

[Anonymous]

So let me get this straight. You copy your file (so now you have TWO files of the same name)....then delete the original? Well I tried that and it STILL won't let me delete the original (same error message), but now I have two copies with the same file name (but I can delete the copy). This discussion does not properly describe the procedure either IMO. Still unresolved issue.

[Anonymous]

It's not a bypass solution. Instead, it's a sidestep for the filing glitch — if it still works (solution was posted a while back).

In other words, you absolutely have to do all the reference deletions first. Whether you're totally clean or not is still on you. You can’t just bypass the problem by duplicating file to delete. So after you’re absolutely certain your file is clean, as there seems to be a glitch when deleting file, THEN this duplicating tactic sidesteps the glitch.

[techK2XVB]

Copy and than delete the original file does not work for my file.

I have also saved, closed and relaunched Fusion 360, computer rebooted, many times over and over and also waited days for whatever background updating is needed in the cloud.

But no. File can not be deleted.

myhub.autodesk360 shows:

After all of that I have made TrashBin folder and simply moved the file there. Let it sit there and rest in peace in the cloud.

There was no other way to clean up my project.

[michal.volta]

The way the links between objects are handled seems to hide them from the user. I think this should be addressed on the programmatic/software level.

From what I see, if an object/design is referenced from another one and then the one referencing it removes the link (by removing the referenced object from the design in a newer version), the link still exists in version history. Because we have the option to roll back to older versions, these links are preserved, but not shown in the "dashboard". So the objects are still in use by the older version(s) of the other design(s), but not visibly marked as such.

The workaround is to copy the design that references whatever we want to delete - this makes the copy a "V1" and all the history is lost - then delete the original with all the hidden links. Now we can delete the files we no longer need. The problem is that any relationships base on the original design will be broken (e.g. drawings).

It would be much better to have the option to see whether a design is referenced by any older versions of other designs (a tickbox on the dashboard to enable it?). It would also be helpful to have this indicated in the file list view (just a small icon would do; hovering over it could show more info).

To address this issue properly, there should be a way of showing the latest version of the design that references a particular design (selected by the user) and based on that info the user could choose to discard all the older versions up to the first one that does not reference the objects in question.

[daniel49DTW]

I have a case like this just now

A file where I imported another detail to be able to check clearances. 
It lived as linked for about 30 versions until I decided it wasn't needed anymore.

There should be an option on the "unlink-command" to unlink it in all the prior versions too