Managing Your Archive Files

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I see that every time I create a new plan or layout file, the program creates an archive folder and then automatically saves copies of the file into that folder. Will all these files slow down my computer's performance? Also, what should I do when the program prompts me to manage these archive files? 

ANSWER

Chief Architect products automatically create a historical archive of each plan and layout file that you name and save. The intention of these archives is to enable a quick recovery in the event that your production files become unusable. If your main plan or layout file is damaged and unusable, you can open an archived copy to retrieve some, although not necessarily all of your work. Because of this, archive files should not be regarded as an alternative to regularly saving and backing up your work yourself.

Archives are created and stored in the program's Data folder, which by default, is located in the user's Documents folder. For more information on accessing your archives, please see the "Accessing Your Archive Files" resource in the Related Articles section.

While it may be a common concern, it's important to realize that archive files won't take up much room on your hard drive, nor will numerous archives inhibit or otherwise slow down your computer. Why? Most modern hard drives are very large, and the amount of space consumed by the archives is minuscule by comparison. Because only open, currently running files will slow down your computer's performance, the archive files (which you won't need to open in most circumstances) won't adversely affect your computer's performance.

When you save your drawing, a Question dialog may open, letting you know how many files are currently in the file's archive for the file and asking if you wish to manage these archived files. Managing these files means either deleting old, unneeded archives, or backing up these files somewhere off of your computer, such as on an external hard drive or server, or onto a USB flash drive.

To manage archive files

1. When a Question dialog appears asking if you'd like to manage the archive files, click Yes. A Windows Explorer or Finder window will open, displaying the contents of the Archive folder for the current plan or layout file.
   
   
   
2. If archives are set to save hourly or daily, your archive files will have a date/time stamp appending their file names.
   
   
   Note: If you don't see date/time stamps on your archive files, select View> Details on a Windows computer or select the List View option on a Mac computer. This will allow you to see the last Date Modified for each file so you can identify the oldest files.
   
   
3. Copy the archive files to an external hard drive or a server, or back up these archives to external media like a USB flash drive.
   
   
   
4. Once your archive files are backed up, you can delete some or all of the archive files in the Archives folder if you wish.
   
   

The dialog regarding the management of archive files appears once the number of archive files reaches a specific, predetermined number. You can specify this number or, if you want to, you can turn off this warning feature altogether.

To control the Manage Archive prompt*

*Applies to Chief Architect Premier, Chief Architect Interiors, and Home Designer 2025 and newer products.

1. With the program open, select Edit> Preferences  if you're on a Windows PC or Chief Architect> Preferences  if you're on a Mac. 
   
   
   
2. On the left side of the Preferences dialog box, under General, select File Management.
   
   
   
3. Specify how many archive files should be created in the Maximum Files text field before this dialog displays.
   
   
   
   
   • The default value is 14.
     
     
   • If you would like to turn off this prompt completely, uncheck the Auto Archive Warning box.
     
     

     You can also specify whether Auto Archive Files are created Hourly, Daily, or by Previous Save here on this panel. The default option is Daily.
     

     
     
   
   
4. Click OK to confirm your changes.