File References Have Several "In Folder" Locations In Network Location

This article explains the behavior of file location references when a user states that their file references (File > Open > References...) has more than one "In Folder" reference for files in an assembly or drawing. This behavior applies to network locations where more than one computer has access to the same file set.

EXPLANATION

File path "In Folder" locations are set by the way the file was last accessed and saved. For example, the file reference path for a mapped drive shows a path with a particular drive letter (X:\Projects , Y:\Projects , etc.) because the last time that file was saved, it was accessed via the mapped drive path way. Conversely, if the same file was accessed in the same network location by another computer that did not have a mapped network path, the "In Folder" location of the file reference will display the full network file path (\\1.1.1.1 , \\Hawk Ridge\Projects , etc.).

The behavior explained above does not affect the assembly or drawing file in which the reference are mixed. If the file references are found to be mixed, this is likely due to a subassembly or file that has been modified or saved without access to the top level assembly or drawing, which may cause the file to be out of date. A simple forced rebuild using CTRL+Q and a save (File > Save All) will update the file and the file references will update to the same "In Folder" locations.

Another way to mitigate this would be to use full UNC paths for your network locations rather than mapped drives. 

If you need further assistance please reach out to Hawk Ridge Support.