Deleting obsolete files off a server

[Colette_M_]

We publish RoboHelp WebHelp to a server on our intranet.  I can delete obsolete files from within RoboHelp and they disappear from the generated product but the obsolete files remain on the server and show up in Search. This can be confusing to users (although I indicate if it is an obsolete document in the topic itself), especially when the topic involves corporate policies.  I have checked the box for "Check for deleted files" in my publishing properties but that doesn't seem to do anything. I have heard that you should never delete files outside of RoboHelp so I hesitate to manually delete them from the server.  Can I do that without messing anything up in RoboHelp?  We're currently using RH version 4 but will be updating to 8 in the near future if that makes a difference.

Thanks - Colette

[Peter Grainge]

If the files are not in your project, they cannot show up in the search. Have you tested that they do or are you surmising that?

"Check for deleted files" does not do what you think. When you publish without the Republish All option ticked, as many people do, RH only publishes changed files. With "Check for deleted files" checked, it also uploads any that have been deleted from the server but are still part of the project.

The rule about not deleting outside RH relates to source files. You can safely trash the files on the server as the above two options will repair things if you overdo it and trash something that is required.

This all applies to the version you have and to RH8.

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[Colette_M_]

Thanks Peter. That's good to know about the "Check For Deleted Files" option. I have confirmed that the topics appear when I do a search -I see the obsolete file and the revised file. That's what made me check to see if the files were still on the server, which they are. I confirmed that they do not appear in the RoboHelp project, thus my question As long as I know I can safely delete them off the server, then we're good to go....especially if I use the "Check For Deleted Files" option. Thanks.

[Peter Grainge]

The search is based on what is in your project so there should be no way for it to pick up the obsolete files on the server. That worries me a bit.

Before you publish, RH generates to a local folder. Do these topics also get picked in that output?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips