How to delete recent files in Archicad startup?

Issue description

When starting Archicad, the startup screen displays a list of recently opened projects that can become cluttered over time, potentially causing slow startup times and making it difficult to find relevant files.

Solution

Archicad stores information about recently opened files in preference files on your computer. As this list grows, it can affect startup performance and create a cluttered interface.

Method 1: Removing individual files from the recent list

1. Open Archicad to display the Start Archicad dialog.
2. Locate the project you want to remove from the recent files list.
3. Click the blue X icon, press Delete, or press Backspace to remove the selected project from the list.
4. Repeat for any additional files you wish to remove.

Method 2: Clearing all recent files (Windows)

1. Close all instances of Archicad completely.
2. Navigate to the following location on your computer:
   C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Roaming\Graphisoft\Archicad 28.0.0 XXX R1\
   (Replace "user_name" with your Windows username and "XXX" with your regional version code).
3. Delete the file named "Recent Documents (Project).prf".
4. For a complete clean up, also delete the "Recent Documents (Symbol).prf" file which contains the list of recently opened GDL Objects.
5. Start Archicad, and the recent files list will be empty.

Method 3: Clearing all recent files (Mac)

1. Close all instances of Archicad completely.
2. Access the Library folder by holding down the Option key while using the Finder "Go To Folder" command and entering ~/Library/Preferences.
3. Navigate to the Graphisoft folder, then to the folder for your Archicad version (e.g., AC 28.0.0 XXX v1 where XXX is your regional version).
4. Delete the "Recent Documents (Project).prf" file.
5. For a complete cleanup, also delete the "Recent Documents (Symbol).prf" file.
   
6. Start Archicad, and the recent files list will be empty.
   

Tips:

• Keep your recent files list short to improve startup performance.
• In List view, you can sort projects by name, last used, size, or file type to help manage your files.
• Use the filter option in List view to find specific projects by name, keyword, or other project info data.
• Consider using the File > Open command instead of the startup screen if you frequently work with specific project files.