OLD VERSION folder

[Anonymous]

I am a new user. I run Pro 2016 on Windows 10 and 7. I am an Instructor at a local Junior College. I am trying to understand what the OLD VERSION folder actually holds. Some times when I check a students folder for files I also look in the OLD VERSION folder to see if the same files are in the old version folder. There are times when the list in the working folder and the list in the OLD VERSION folder is not the same. What can cause this? Is it because some students do there work at home and then bring in the files on a flash drive and then just copy to there working folder?

[CCarreiras]

Hi!

Old versions folder is a folder where the program saves previous versions from your parts.

If a file become corrupt, or if you need to grab aprevious version because you make some mistake and you want o step back some steps, you can grab a part from old versions and start your work from previous versions.

You can setup how many old versions you want to keep in this folder.

[mcgyvr]

No need to double post..

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-general-discussion/old-version-folder/td-p/6318049

[Anonymous]

The question really is what causes the content to be different from the working folder.

[Anonymous]

so don't reply to a bad answer

[CCarreiras]

Basically, in the working folder is your current part with your last save. In the old versions are the parts with previous saves.

example: Imagine you are creating a new part, and you save it one time. At this time, the old version folder is still empty. By the time you save second time, a part is created in that folder and represent the part as it where by the first save.... and so on..., when you save the third time, a parte is created (or substituted) with the second save.

[mcgyvr]

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@Anonymous wrote:

The question really is what causes the content to be different from the working folder.

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Any changes to the part from when it was last saved..

[Anonymous]

Here is an example:

Working folder contains

file-1
fil3-2
file-3
file-4
file-5
file-6

OLD VERSION folder contains

file-1
file-2
file-5

My original question is what would cause the contents of these 2 folders to be different. Would it possibly be because a student copied some files into his working folder and didn't create them in that folder?

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous

Yes that is possible.  Like @CCarreiras pointed out, the files in the oldversion location is solely based on when you save after your initial save.  If the students are taking their work over after the first save and working on a different machine then the oldversion is not going to be the same.

I'm just wondering what's your concern is over the oldversion folder and why they are not the same?   As many years I have been used Inventor I only need to access it when I have a corrupt file.  I never compare its content with the working folder.

Edit:  It could also mean students are sharing files  and thus there's no need to save the file again..  

[jalger]

It means they did the files in one go without saving until the end.

Edit: ( I posted this before I read Mark's post... yes it also means they could have copied the files)

Any time the file is opened up and edited after the intial creation it will create save an old version of the file.

Assuming they have the project set create the old versions.

Its possible to have every single edit captured. (-1 in Old version to keep)

Its also possible to capture NO changes. ( 0 in Old version to keep)

I hope this helps,

James

[blair]

To add to this, when the status of an Inventor file changes in iProperties from to "Released" and run the "Purge" function from Windows Explorer it will delete all "Released" status items from the "Old Versions" folder.

Open Windows Explorer, RMB on your Work-Folder and select the "Purge" from the drop-down menu bar.

[Anonymous]

Mark you are very close to the answer I am looking for, As I have stated before, I am an Instructor, and sorry to say even college students try to cheat once and awhile. We dont move our files and we dont do any releasing. I suspect that a certain student is copying other students work, therefore this is why I am asking about content, When I say content, I mean quantity is different. I am finding more files in the suspected students folder than in his OLD VERSION folder. The students can work at home also and bring their work to school. Once these new files have been added to their folder (via flash drive), what makes them get copied to the OLD VERSION folder. Or do they? Do they have to have something done to them like being  printed ??

[mcgyvr]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Mark you are very close to the answer I am looking for, As I have stated before, I am an Instructor, and sorry to say even college students try to cheat once and awhile. We dont move our files and we dont do any releasing. I suspect that a certain student is copying other students work, therefore this is why I am asking about content, When I say content, I mean quantity is different. I am finding more files in the suspected students folder than in his OLD VERSION folder. The students can work at home also and bring their work to school. Once these new files have been added to their folder (via flash drive), what makes them get copied to the OLD VERSION folder. Or do they? Do they have to have something done to them like being  printed ??

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@Anonymous

Search this forum for "students cheating" you will find plenty of methods to help find lazy cheaters..

I think this "internal name" method by Curtis might be the easiest.. but search here and there is plenty of discusson on methods,etc... old versions isn't really the best

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-general-discussion/file-plagiarism/td-p/5956291

[Mark.Lancaster · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous

If a student creates a model and saves it while at college..  There's no file created in the oldversion folder.  If this student takes this file and puts it on a thumb/usb drive and works on it away for college and saves it, there's a file created in the oldversion folder on their machine.  When the student comes backs and copies over fromt the USB drive onto the school's computer, there is still no oldversion file created.  IF the student then makes a change and saves it then a file is created in the oldversion folder.

Same holds true if students are getting files from other students.  If they copy over the file into their work area and hand it in, there's no related file in the oldversion folder.

There has been many posting about instructors trying to detemine if their students are cheating or not..  Here's a recent one.  Review it and see if the solutions the users have offered will work in your case.

Although you have indicated you're trying to catch your students, I didn't mean to accept your reply as a solution.   I was trying to hit repy and the mouse was a little too low when I clicked.

[jalger]

Just because the Oldversions don't match does mean anything.

I Have made many files that I did in one go and no old version were created. 

Old version are ONLY created when a file is edited AFTER creation... I would be more suspect of multiple old versions as that would mean they were opened and changed ( like changing iproperties, like say the Designer ).

If you want to know if a student is cheating do a file in class and make them hand it in before the end of the class.

That will tell you who knows the program and who is copying off of someone else.

Or you can pull aside the student and question him / her to find out... But you better be sure of it.

Other have already told you old version IS not the best method for determining cheating.