why does Microstation increment Pref folder?

Hi rpsmith,

I would recommend checking out this Wiki for guidance:
https://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/w/microstation__wiki/63856/how-to-reset-temp-folder-versions

From my testing, the 10.0.0_x folder will be created if the .txt file with random characters is not already in this directory:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Bentley\MicroStation\10.0.0\

I have been doing a lot of research into this. 

If you are not aware, there are two folders called 10.0.0.  If either of them are not updated and contian the files that are installed by default, then you get the incremented folder.

C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Bentley\MicroStation\10.0.0

C:\Users\[USERNAME]\\AppData\Local\Temp\Bentley\MicroStation\10.0.0

To stop this, I have created a copy of both 10.0.0 folders on a server and copy both to each PC when the new user uses MicroStation.

below is a mockup of what I am referring too

\\server\Bentley_install\MicroStationV17.2\Local\10.0.0

\\server\Bentley_install\MicroStationV17.2\Temp\10.0.0

Ian

Thanks for the info Ian.
In addition, it would be a good idea to check the following directories (you've already listed two). If there are any 10.0.0_x folders in these locations, remove them after uninstalling MicroStation, and then install the latest version which will reset the folders.

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Bentley\MicroStation

%APPDATA%\Bentley\MicroStation

%PROGRAMDATA%\Bentley\MicroStation

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\Bentley\MicroStation

The Prefs and Temp folder key off the dirsig_CHARACTERS.txt file where the characters differ for the power product versions but so far have been the same for all releases of MicroStation connect.

if you delete or rename the dirsig text file you will get a new 10.0.0_# folder (10.0.0 if there isn't one already). If you have 2 or more directories, all with a valid dirsig file, it will use the lowest numbered folder and delete the dirsig file in the other folders.

You don't have to use a # after the _, any folder name that starts with 10.0.0_ and has a valid dirsig text file in it will be used.

The temp folder will automatically be created to match the folder name used in the appdata folder. If you delete all the temp folders and in appdata there  folder 10.0.0_Test with a valid dirsig, then 10.0.0_Test will automatically be created in the temp location.

Instead of trying to maintain the appdata or temp folders we move the user preference files to another directory altogether. 

You can relocate all files in the 10.0.0\prefs folder to a different location EXCEPT Personal.ucf that file is always in the appdata location (I think cache.ucf is the same, but that's a newer file and I haven't really tested that one).

Here's an example:

#--- User name settings
_USTN_USERNAME            = $(USERNAME)
_USTN_USERDESCR           = $(CONNECTUSER_FULLNAME) ($(CONNECTUSER_NAME))

#--- User Pref Paths
_USTN_HOMEROOT            = C:/Path/To/User/Prefs/
_USTN_HOMEPREFS           = $(_USTN_HOMEROOT)

# This is prepended to user preference filenames. It includes the directory and part of the filename
_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE        = $(_USTN_HOMEPREFS)$(_USTN_USERNAME)

Note that _USTN_PREFNAMEBASE sets both a directory and the beginning of a filename, if you set it to just a directory you'll end up with things like your upf file being named just .upf. and your function key menu file will be .funckey.mnu (with the leading period)

You can see all the individual variables for user pref files in the C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation CONNECT Edition\MicroStation\config\system\preferences.cfg file.

Note that if you use ORD or OBM or OpenRail (and I assume all the other power platforms) and dual install them then each product version will create its own 10.0.0_# folder. So ORD 10.9 may be in 10.0.0 and 10.10 in 10.0.0_1 and 10.11 in 10.0.0_2. The folders will be created in the order the products are opened. So if you install 10.10, then realize you need 10.9 and install it, 10.10 will be in 10.0.0 and 10.9 in 10.0.0_1

I handle moving the userprefs with ORD and other power products by including the application name and version in the _USTN_PREFNAME_BASE basically something like:

_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE = $(_USTN_HOMEPREFS)$(_ENGINENAME)_$(USTN_PRODUCT_VERSION_GENERATION).$(_USTN_PRODUCT_VERSION_MAJOR)/$(_USTN_USERNAME)

The Prefs and Temp folder key off the dirsig_CHARACTERS.txt file where the characters differ for the power product versions but so far have been the same for all releases of MicroStation connect.

if you delete or rename the dirsig text file you will get a new 10.0.0_# folder (10.0.0 if there isn't one already). If you have 2 or more directories, all with a valid dirsig file, it will use the lowest numbered folder and delete the dirsig file in the other folders.

You don't have to use a # after the _, any folder name that starts with 10.0.0_ and has a valid dirsig text file in it will be used.

The temp folder will automatically be created to match the folder name used in the appdata folder. If you delete all the temp folders and in appdata there  folder 10.0.0_Test with a valid dirsig, then 10.0.0_Test will automatically be created in the temp location.

Instead of trying to maintain the appdata or temp folders we move the user preference files to another directory altogether. 

You can relocate all files in the 10.0.0\prefs folder to a different location EXCEPT Personal.ucf that file is always in the appdata location (I think cache.ucf is the same, but that's a newer file and I haven't really tested that one).

Here's an example:

#--- User name settings
_USTN_USERNAME            = $(USERNAME)
_USTN_USERDESCR           = $(CONNECTUSER_FULLNAME) ($(CONNECTUSER_NAME))

#--- User Pref Paths
_USTN_HOMEROOT            = C:/Path/To/User/Prefs/
_USTN_HOMEPREFS           = $(_USTN_HOMEROOT)

# This is prepended to user preference filenames. It includes the directory and part of the filename
_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE        = $(_USTN_HOMEPREFS)$(_USTN_USERNAME)

Note that _USTN_PREFNAMEBASE sets both a directory and the beginning of a filename, if you set it to just a directory you'll end up with things like your upf file being named just .upf. and your function key menu file will be .funckey.mnu (with the leading period)

You can see all the individual variables for user pref files in the C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStation CONNECT Edition\MicroStation\config\system\preferences.cfg file.

Note that if you use ORD or OBM or OpenRail (and I assume all the other power platforms) and dual install them then each product version will create its own 10.0.0_# folder. So ORD 10.9 may be in 10.0.0 and 10.10 in 10.0.0_1 and 10.11 in 10.0.0_2. The folders will be created in the order the products are opened. So if you install 10.10, then realize you need 10.9 and install it, 10.10 will be in 10.0.0 and 10.9 in 10.0.0_1

I handle moving the userprefs with ORD and other power products by including the application name and version in the _USTN_PREFNAME_BASE basically something like:

_USTN_PREFNAMEBASE = $(_USTN_HOMEPREFS)$(_ENGINENAME)_$(USTN_PRODUCT_VERSION_GENERATION).$(_USTN_PRODUCT_VERSION_MAJOR)/$(_USTN_USERNAME)