[Sticky] File Cleanup Utility

Some of the Geometrics magnetometers include a feature, called the "File Cleanup Utility", that removes files that are no longer useful from storage on the instrument. The feature's accessible from the "Support" link in the Settings page in MagNav.  You might be reading this post because that page directed you to read this post before using the utility.

[This feature is not the same as the feature in MagNav to delete all of a survey's data. That feature removes information only from the database on the Android tablet, and doesn't remove any data in the instrument].

How do I use this feature?

1. If this is the first time you've used this feature, please read the rest of this post before proceeding.
2. Make sure that you're connected via WiFi to the instrument
3. Go to the Settings page in MagNav
4. Select the "Support" link. 
5. If your instrument supports this feature, the support page will include a link to "Delete project storage". Tap it.
6. You should see a list of projects, with a name and a "Delete project" button for each project. This feature cleans up the data for all of the surveys in a project.
7. Delete any projects for which you don't want to keep the in-instrument data.   You can delete the data for all of the projects that you see, but there's no harm in leaving the files for projects that you're still using.
8. Some projects will show a name similar to this: [c3bd]. These are early projects, in which the user-assigned name was not used in the instrument storage.  It's OK to remove the data for these projects.

Why do I need to do this?

The magnetometers that use MagNav first store data on the instrument, and then sync (or download) the data to MagNav.  Some instruments, for which this technical approach makes the instrument more reliable - MagEx, e.g. - do this automatically. Other instruments, such as those that allow disconnected acquisition (e.g. MagStation), store the data until the user re-connects to the instrument and manually starts the sync process.

The data stored in the instrument is not of any use once it's been downloaded, but because deletion is slow and for other technical reasons, it's left on the file system in the instrument.  As it accumulates, it could eventually interfere with the performance of the instrument and should therefore be deleted.

Will this delete any data in the database in MagNav?

No, this feature doesn't remove or change any data in the database in MagNav.

When should I use this feature?

Here are a few guidelines:

• Run this utility after deleting an entire project.
• Run this utility after completing a long field survey.
• Run this utility while doing other instrument maintenance.
• Run this utility after you've collected "a lot" of data.
• Run this utility when you have the impression that the instrument is unresponsive or is behaving sluggishly.

Will anything bad happen if I forget to do this?

Probably not any time soon; the storage systems on the instrument are large and quite efficient. Geometrics tests instruments with amounts of data consistent with several years of regular use, and which show no performance issues relating to file storage performance.

But don't let it go forever; follow the guidelines above.

Can I delete data for projects that I'm still using?

Yes, you can, as long as the data has already been synced to the instrument (that happens manually with MagStation and automatically with the other instruments).  Once the data has been synced and is visible in MagNav, its presence in the instrument storage is no longer needed.