We switched over to PDM Standard from Workgroups PDM last year and love it. I recently started creating configurations rather than having the same file repeated several times with only minor changes. O-rings and screws are some other items I've switched over to configurations so if there's a change in the o-ring size or screw length, this can be done easily without changing mates or explosions. The problem that I'm having with PDM is that it wants to overwrite the files every time they are used. I don't need to overwrite the file. I just want to use a configuration.
Is there something in the settings that I need to change?
First, is there a reason you are opening the file and changing the configuration?
Second, the model will not do this if you save it with all configurations having been rebuilt. To do this, I typically right click on any feature and select 'Configure Feature'. In the Modify Configurations dialog there is a drop down button at the lower left that allows you to rebuild all configurations. Check the file out once, rebuild all the configurations and then check it back in.