topic Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files in AutoCAD Forum

AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

infoS2CJA — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 12:43:43 GMT

Hello!

Since I changed to Autocad 2023, it is automatically saving IDW files (I got up to 12). I don't know if it is linked to a certain command since there's no logical timelapse between the creation of those files.

Can someone tell me why those files appear and how to stop that from happening?

Thanks

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

pendean — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 12:58:37 GMT

I hate to say it but it looks like you folks might be victims of a viral attack/someone is about to encrypt/lock your files for ransom 😞

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

Wheelie22 — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 08:34:17 GMT

IDW = inventor / Mechanical

I got the same with Acad 2022, but we don't have Inventor or Mechanical software. But I got the the drawings from an other company, and these are the only drawings where this happens.

So where is the variable : IDWsave = off ?

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

pendean — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 12:32:40 GMT

Start a support ticket through your subscription portal as explained here https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/account-management/users-software/support-options#:~:text=To%20contact%20support%3A,to%20access%20help%20and%20support.

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

tramber — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:35:48 GMT

Some IDW appear when you use the VIEWBASE command and its family.

Is that your case ? I think yes 😉

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

cadffm — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 15:34:03 GMT

Right, that's usual, yes, but different from Version to Version? Perhaps depending on installed Inventorservers

I open a file where some viewbase views inside (or were created in the past) in 2021,

by open the file- tested all on the same station:

in 2019 No idw visible?*

in2020 No idw visible?

in2021 idw visible and staying visible until you close the DWG - same with 2023 on another machine

(if .IDW file not erased, it is a problem - perhaps a right-issue or similar?)

*in2019 I saw with another machine this:

.idw appears in explorer for less than a second and disappears

So, perhaps in 2019/2020 it is often "so fast" that we can't see the idw there

and since 2021 it acts different - the program delete them at the end of a file session.

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

cadffm — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 15:52:04 GMT

@Wheelie22 schrieb:

>>"I got the same with Acad 2022"

For usual Acad delete them by closing the dwg file, if not - it looks like a right-issue

Does it happen also if you open the file on a random local folder what has nothing to do with the network

or cloud service?

>>"but we don't have Inventor or Mechanical software."

Every AutoCAD/Toolset comes with a software part of Inventor. "InventorServer" for viewbase

>>"But I got the the drawings from an other company, and these are the only drawings where this happens."

Self-Test: Open a blank file, create a command: _BOX

Go to Layout, start Viewbase and create 2-3 views

save, close, reopen the file.

And?

>>"So where is the variable : IDWsave = off ?"

It's working this way for all of us, so go to AutoDESK.

-

Two things:

1. If your *.idw stays after closing the DWG, you have a problem

2. If they disappears by closing the file,

it is normal if <depend the content of the file>

Are there "DRAWINGVIEW"s inside you file or not?

If not, you can "purge" the file by using powerfull "purge tools" (the onboard "purge" is not enough).

or simple by WBLOCK - option entire drawing

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

infoS2CJA — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 18:11:43 GMT

I first thought it was from the viewbase command, but it happened even with a new dwg with no layouts/viewbase. And the files stay when I close my drawings. Everything is purged and all. No drawingviews inside the file either.

My collegue has the same problem, maybe there was an update in our network and the problem comes from there like you suggested. I could check that option.

Maybe uninstall and reinstall autocad?

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

pendean — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:42:28 GMT

@infoS2CJA wrote:

My collegue has the same problem

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

Wheelie22 — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:22:45 GMT

I think no, never heard of this command before. But I tried it now.

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

Wheelie22 — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 07:35:53 GMT

Hello Biker,

the files are gone when I close the drawing.

Tested this viewbase command and this is the solution for me !

I have to enter this command and cancel the dialog right away than the IDW disappears, save the drawing. Ready.

But there is no -viewbase command so I can not make a script file for this.

So I have to do this for all 4 drawings manually. -smiling face-

The smilies dont work ?

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

pwickensPPZT6 — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 21:20:44 GMT

Thankyou - at last a fix for the problem.

Re: AutoCad automatically saving multiple IDW files

jtylerbc — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 22:16:18 GMT

One of my users had this issue today. This thread ended up giving me the answer for how to help her fix it, but the situation was slightly different. Adding our experience here in case it happens to someone else.

At our company, we don't typically use the VIEWBASE commands. Because of that, we were initially unaware that it creates .idw files at all. In her case, multiples were being created, but not always consistently. She had no views of this type in her AutoCAD drawing. However, while investigating the issue I eventually determined that she had considered using them at one point and then changed her mind. Apparently AutoCAD was still stuck thinking it needed the .idw, even though no applicable views actually existed in the drawing file anymore. She works at a branch location, while the company servers are at the company headquarters. We suspect that at times her connection to the server was slow enough that it interrupted the deletion of the file, and that's why sometimes it created multiples and sometimes it didn't.

We were able to fix it by starting the VIEWBASE command, picking "Model Space" as the source, then cancelling the command.