# Gateway backup size didn't change after deleting projects

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/gateway-backup-size-didnt-change-after-deleting-projects/23689>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition79\
**Created:** [March 28, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/gateway-backup-size-didnt-change-after-deleting-projects/23689 "2019-03-28T17:50:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jeffcd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jeffcd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jeffcd)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/gateway-backup-size-didnt-change-after-deleting-projects/23689/1 "2019-03-28T17:50:28Z")

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Hi all,

During development of a new application I’ve been using 4 different projects loaded on the gateway.  
One as the main application and the other 3 have just been for testing and reference.

Each time I imported a project the gateway backup got larger (understandably), but now I’m almost complete and I’ve deleted the extra projects so there is only one remaining. I expected the gateway backup to shrink after doing this, but it’s still exactly the same size.

Does the gateway backup keep remnants of the previous projects, even after they’re deleted?  
The project is only 2MB, but the backup is about 35MB.

I know this isn’t a huge file, but I’m making remote updates and the customer’s Internet connection is very slow, so the smaller I can get the file, the better.

Any tips would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Jeff

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**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/gateway-backup-size-didnt-change-after-deleting-projects/23689/2 "2019-03-28T17:56:56Z")

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The extra size is probably the project _change_ records, which will still exist for all your current projects. I forget the exact sequence (it might be on the forums) but I think something like exporting the completed projects, deleting _all_ projects, then re-importing them should clear out those records.

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**Author:** ![jeffcd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jeffcd](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jeffcd)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/gateway-backup-size-didnt-change-after-deleting-projects/23689/3 "2019-03-28T18:22:10Z")

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Following the sequence you described did the trick.  
My backup went from 35MB to 14MB.

Thanks!