topic Re: Unable to open a recover file in AutoCAD Forum

Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:12:14 GMT

Hello.

This just started happening recently where my AutoCAD stops working while in a drawing and it asks me to create a recover drawing for it, where I say yes and then the "report to Autodesk" pop up comes up on my screen. But when I go to open the recover file, I get the below pop up. This has happened a few times in the last week where I can't open a recover file, which is not typical for recover files. I did audit and purge the drawing that created this recover file and there were no errors. Any idea why my recover files being created are not opening or invalid? Thanks in advance. I would have attached the recover drawing, but this post didn't like the file type and would not attach it.

ACAD version: 2025

Re: Unable to open a recover file

pendean — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:41:57 GMT

@lbellino4 Note translates to your DWG is 100% lost. Only other options now are to find and rename a BAK file or find an SV$ "autosave" file to rename that is not equally damaged. Do you know how to do either or both?

Where are you storing your files that this is constantly happening?

You are welcome to post your DWG file here if you think there is a chance it might be recoverable by others.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:20:59 GMT

Yes, I do know where to find these bak and ac$ files, but the dates shown on those are older than the last time I saved this particular drawing. Luckily, I only lost minor changes and just ended up redoing. I'm just trying to figure out why the recover drawings are not created where I can recover them. Is there something on my end to fix this or is this an AutoCAD issue? Thanks.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

pendean — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:41:44 GMT

"recovery" drawings should be created if your program (or OS) crash, and as you noted, but if your DWG file is corrupt or your AutoCAD installation is corrupt that file is usually a mess too. Where it is trying to save the recovery file to may be a contributing factor as well.

In my experience also relying on the pop-up to find a live working "recovery file" can be a shot in the dark too @lbellino4

A manual search for an SV$ or BAK file is often more fruitful.

How often do you manually save your file as you work in it? As a rule of thumb, your BAK file as you probably know should never be too much older that 15-20 minutes from your crash time, 30-tops, after that you are not manually saving often enough. And no, AutoCAD's "autosave" is nothing like other program's feature with the same name and should never be relied on as a substitute to QSAVE.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

paullimapa — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:42:40 GMT

Since AutoCAD may not successfully complete the save during the crash to the .dwg file, this is why you may have the options to:

rename an autosave file .sv$ if that exists or .bak file to .dwg.

But this goes back to the question of what is causing AutoCAD to stop working which you say started happening recently.

Did you recently install some 3rd party add-ons that may cause AutoCAD to crash?

Where are you storing your drawing files?

Is that location/connection stable?

Do you have the latest AutoCAD updates installed? Enter About command, do a screenshot & share that here.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:54:34 GMT

Attached is the latest version I have. I did not install any third party programs/add-ons, just AutoCAD and this drawing and all my drawings are saved on my local C: drive.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:56:38 GMT

Thanks for the reply. Luckily I typically save about every 10-15 min. since I don't like having to redo work, if possible. If I have to uninstall/reinstall AutoCAD, I can do that. I currently don't have a problem with my OS.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

paullimapa — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:59:09 GMT

Looks like you do have the latest 2025 installed. Perhaps try using AutoCADs Recoverall command instead of the Open command just incase your current dwgs contain any corrupted data that may cause crashes.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

paullimapa — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 20:01:05 GMT

You may also want to first reset AutoCAD instead of uninstall & reinstall

How to reset AutoCAD to defaults

Re: Unable to open a recover file

pendean — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 21:44:29 GMT

@lbellino4 Your snapshot looks like content that is not created from scratch within plain AutoCAD (unless you have one amazing library set): by chance is that about the only time your AutoCAD crashes, when you have these files from another software (or AutoCAD variant) open for editing or XREFed in?

Re: Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 22:10:11 GMT

No other software...the items you saw in my screenshot has all be drawn in AutoCAD and we do have a large library of blocks we use and nothing is XREFed in. I saw some other suggestions I might try noted in this post and see if that helps.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

paullimapa — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 22:14:21 GMT

The initial screenshot shows 3d image which is set using one of VSCurrent's shade styles?

Are you currently running DirectX 12?

Enter GraphicsConfig command, do a screenshot & share that here.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:01:32 GMT

This is what my computer shows.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

paullimapa — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 15:49:44 GMT

Looks like you’re already running Directx11 this eliminates Directx12 as the cause for the lockups

Re: Unable to open a recover file

pendean — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 16:50:11 GMT

@lbellino4 Experiment with changing these

Then... Here are the ways to open a support case with Autodesk if you are on subscription to seek out Autodesk Support's help:
https://www.autodesk.com/support/account/manage/use/support#:~:text=com/plans.-,Contact%20support,-Select%20a%20path

Re: Unable to open a recover file

lbellino4 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:28:44 GMT

Thanks...I'll try these changes and see if it fixes the recover issue.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

autoid374ceb4990 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:53:09 GMT

I do not know if this will work with the later versions of AutoCAD, but a trick that used to work is to start a blank drawing and insert the corrupt DWG file.

Re: Unable to open a recover file

ThomasBHansen_ — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:06:17 GMT

Me and several of my coworkers also have the same problem with recovery files being "Not Valid" and only being about 5kb in size. Autosave and .bak files work as usual.
We are using AutoCAD Civil 3D 2025

Re: Unable to open a recover file

engrjvb — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 14:25:06 GMT

How about try downloading DWG TrueView? You can open it from there and try saving it in a lower version.