AutoCAD 2018 freezes, creates .dwl .dwl2 files and locks files during drafting

[Anonymous]

Drawings freeze/crash, and lately, each time CAD crashes, it creates .dwl .dwl2 along with standard .bak.

I can not open/access the drawings and resort to trying multiple times to recover my files, sometimes unsuccessfully and had to redraw on several occasions!

Please, any advice would be helpful to resolve this!

Thanks!

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

Is this happening with just certain files or all drawing files?   When you have a crash are you prompted to submit a CER? If so, please share the report number  so I can take a look at what is happening .

Can you share a few files that have been crashing?

The lock files are normal and can simply be deleted. If you rename the BAK file to a DWG can you then open it with AutoCAD?

Please tell me your specific version of AutoCAD by typing ABOUT at the command line.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

John,

It happens fairly often with any type of CAD dwg (some files I've created "fields" in, others not/some files are created from templates I made, others not/some are files I take from previously created drawings and copy them to a new file name/others not, some are files that were saved and renamed slightly, but remained in the same folder/others not... )

I don't think I've been prompted with a CER, so I am not sure what that is... if you mean an AutoCAD error report request, lately, those prompts are not appearing when the system crashes.

By "lock" files, I assume you refer to those .dwl .dwl2 (Okay, thanks, did not know they could be just deleted)

I am using AutoCAD version 2018 (not the updated 2018).  I saw there was a 2018 update recently and have not gotten a chance to update my software..

Also, if I post a file to the system, doesn't that mean anyone can grab my file?

Thanks for your quick response... 

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Yes, I suggest trying to apply the latest updates to your AutoCAD to see if that helps. You can obtain the hotfixes and updates from your Autodesk Desktop App or form your Account page.

If you can share some files but they need to be private, please email them to me at john.vellek@autodesk.com and include a link back to this thread in the email.

[Anonymous]

Hi John

We have a similar issue to the first post.

Every so often, when we try to save a file, it will try to save the file but it will lock the file as a read only, then it will say that the drawing is open by someone else, hence why we cannot save that file name in that location (We work on a server in the office where all our files to save to, but no one else has the drawing open).

The system does not crash, but we have to save the file under a different file name. But the DWL files from the original files can still be found on the server, meaning we cannot delete the original file or the DWL files. They eventually disappear on their own after around 30/40 minutes. This error happens to 1 or 2 computers or users within the office and not an isolated case.

Not sure if that is an issue with our server and creating separate files?

Any advice would be appreciated. 

Thanks

Thom 

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

The DWL files are not actually file locks. All locking of the file is done by the operating system and not by AutoCAD.  It sounds like the DWL disappear over time possibly by a "clean up " routine on the server. This is not an AutoCAD thing I don't think.

The files appearing as locked, are they xref files?

You might check the value of XLOADCTL on each workstation to see if they match (I usually set mine to a value of 2) 

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply John

I think it is a server issue connecting with AutoCAD. the issue happens between a specific time everyday. 

If the drawing has XREF's the same issue will occur with those. the main file and XREF's appear to be open by someone else with the DWL files lingering for a while. 

We are speaking with our internal IT department to see if there are any scheduled clean ups at this specific time but cannot see this being the case! rather stumped as to what the solution may be. 

Thanks again for you help.

[dthede]

We have a similar problem to the AutoCAD 2018 issue in the topic line, except with Civil 3D 2017.  In many cases it does not crash the program or the system, but simply prevents saving except under a new name, and the folders on our server are littered with SAVnnnn.tmp files, *.ds$ files, and the  .dwl and .dwl2 files.

One problem that ripples out from this is if the file in question that cannot be saved is xREF'd by other files.  Then, it appears, THEY have to be updated to point to their newly renamed xREFs. 

Ours do not seem to be removed by routine garbage collection: Here's a sanitized current list without project or drawing names:

(In some rare cases, the File > Properties > Details does not show an Owner.)

I read somewhere in the Autodesk knowledgebase that AutoCAD &/or Civil &/or Revit will lock a file (or cause the OS or NetOS to lock a file) in the event that timing issues occur during a Save.  If the save cannot occur promptly enough, in the interests of NOT losing data, Autodesk products will save to the SAVnnnn.tmp or SAVEnnnn.tmp file.

[Anonymous]

I had this problem, dwg crashed but the lock file remained. I opened the dwl files in notepad, deleted all text, saved and then I could delete those dwl* files.