convert BAK file to DWG file ?

[samschmidBJDW3]

As usual, AiutoCAD's robot tips have NO reference to his simple problem. Tryting to SAVE my drawing, when I "reopen", it shows "no files". Fortuantely, my "backup" drwaing is saved under BAK. AutoCAD won't allow me to "open"... how do I convert my BAK file to a DWG file ? AutoCAD's "tutorial is not current to CADD 2022. Choosing A icon does not bring me to "utilities". Cannot get to "recover drawing", or restore, These robot tutorials are not up to date. Guess they are trying to sell "upgraded support".

I really like the AutoCAD program for yeasr, version updates. But I can see where the "bash Autodesk" crowd comes from. No "live support" at all. Used to have a "troubleshooting" phone line, then went to "live chat" for questions....

[guilherme.lepinski.sc · Accepted solution]

just rename the file, changing from ".bak" to ".dwg"

[pendean · Accepted solution]

tutorial? HELP inside the program says https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2022/ENU/index.html?guid=GUID-58FE4BFB-E290-49A2-B8A2-068B4C40C02....

or if you are on a MAC (you never say) https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACDMAC/2023/ENU/?guid=GUID-58FE4BFB-E290-49A2-B8A2-068B4C40C02D#:~:te....

Don't glaze over the second half of that link above if you've never EVER known about showing file extensions before today https://www.howtogeek.com/205086/beginner-how-to-make-windows-show-file-extensions/

[samschmidBJDW3]

Thanks, didn't work. That only changes the name, doesn't covert it to a DWG file. Autodesk "tutorials do not address this simple problem... I am embarrassed that I don't know how to do it.... did it years ago in similar situation. Pulled up "recover drawing", then "opened" BAK, then resaved as a DWG to work on drawing. The only "help" I have ever gotten is through "forums", when y'all aren't paid to post. appreciate all of you.

[Kent1Cooper · Accepted solution]

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@samschmidBJDW3 wrote:

Thanks, didn't work. That only changes the name, doesn't covert it to a DWG file. ....

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It works for me.  How exactly are you doing it?  For example, let's say you don't have filetype extensions showing (see two of @pendean's links in Message 3), and you go to edit a name that shows as just YourDrawing, though its full name is really YourDrawing.bak.  Then you edit it by adding .dwg to the end of what shows, and you may be ending up with a file whose actual name is now YourDrawing.dwg.bak, which is still a backup filetype.  There was a time long ago when it was not allowed to include periods in file names except as the separator between the name and the filetype extension, but since that restriction has gone away, this is a possibility.

[pendean]

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@samschmidBJDW3 wrote:

Thanks, didn't work. That only changes the name, doesn't covert it to a DWG file. 

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Then you skipped something: it works fine over here for all of us all the time

[paullimapa]

share your .bak file for everyone here to take a look

[cloizidesweber]

Did you ever figure it out?  I am tired of people and AutoCAD telling me to rename my file.  That does not change the extension. I don't have a clue how to change the file type.  I can't open it with any program I know and save it as a .dwg, and I lost my .dwg file when my computer crashed, but before that it saved as a .bak drawing. Need to recover that file.  Hoping you found a solution.

[Kent1Cooper]

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@cloizidesweber wrote:

...  I am tired of people and AutoCAD telling me to rename my file.  That does not change the extension. .....

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Renaming the file by changing its filetype extension is the way to do what you want.  If you have filetype extensions showing in your file explorer, you can change the extension there.  See some of @pendean's links if you don't know how to see them.

[aag6]

The problem could be in the way windows explorer shows the file name. It can be hiding the extension so when you rename the file adding .dwg at the end the file name still ends in .bak. So in the windows file explorer go to options and select showing file extension, that way you can erase the .bak at the end

[cloizidesweber]

Thank you

[firas_kachmar]

 not anymore on the 2024 version. it is not working

[firas_kachmar]

this method seems not working anymore on 2024 version

[paullimapa]

See msg 7

[pendean]

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@firas_kachmar wrote:

 not anymore on the 2024 version. it is not working

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Unless you skipped a step, or you have a corrupt BAK file just like the DWG file, it works great. Follow these instructions in full

https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2025/ENU/?guid=GUID-58FE4BFB-E290-49A2-B8A2-068B4C40C02D

[saleneha]

I was struggling to change the file name and have now fixed it thank you!

For windows computers if you go to 'View' on the files command line.

Go straight to the bottom where it says 'show'.

Then click 'file name extension'.

This will then give the opportunity to change the name where it says .bak to .dwg. 

[paullimapa]

Use Windows Explorer to select the bak file & rename it.

To see file extensions on Explorer:

How do I show file extensions in Windows 10?

How do I show file extensions in Windows 11?

To Rename file on Windows Explorer:

6 Ways to Rename Files and Folders in Windows 10

[TomBeauford]

If you opened the drawing with AutoCAD it should be displayed as a recent drawing and if there was a problem with saving it the Drawing Recovery Manager should have opened giving you options.

Using Windows File Explorer to open drawings can cause issues like you're describing.

[BhaskarMurari]

@samschmidBJDW3  you can retrieve or restore the drawings from this ways

Recover a backup (BAK) file

By default, AutoCAD backs up the last saved version of a drawing (DWG) during the save process. The back up (BAK) file will be in the same folder that the drawing is located in. For more information on this feature see Understanding backup and autosave files in AutoCAD.

1. Open the folder containing the DWG file.
2. Turn on file extension visibility if not shown (see To Display File Extensions in Windows). 
3. Look for a file with the BAK extension and the same name as the affected drawing file. 
4. Change the BAK extension to DWG. 
5. Open the file in AutoCAD.

Recovering an autosave (SV$) file

By default, AutoCAD creates an temporary record of any changes to the DWG every 10 minutes as an autosave file (SV$) in the Windows Temp folder.  For more information on this feature see Understanding backup and autosave files in AutoCAD.

1. Open the Autosave folder.
   • On Windows: By default, it is in the Temp folder. You may open it by typing %tmp% into the Start menu.
   • On macOS: By default it is /Users/<username>/Documents/Autodesk/Autosave.
2. Turn on file extension visibility if not shown (see To Display File Extensions in Windows). 
3. Look for a file with the same name as the one to recover, a time stamp code, and an SV$ extension.
4. Change the SV$ extension to DWG.
5. Open the file in AutoCAD.