How to Automatically Save and Restore Drawings in AutoCAD

Revert to earlier instances of a project using automatically saved files.

Computer malfunction or user error can sometimes cause a file in the drafting and design program AutoCAD to become corrupt, lost or deleted. To avoid this situation and save yourself and your company lost time, learn how to enable and use AutoCAD's automatic save feature, which will back up your AutoCAD files according to the schedule you set.

Things You'll Need

• AutoCAD

Instructions

1. In AutoCAD, select "Tools" from the top menu bar, then select "Options." Click on the "Open and Save" tab at the top (third from the right). You will see a section titled "File Safety Precautions" that contains options. Click the check box next to "Automatic save" and set "Minutes between saves" to "5" or longer. Also check "Create backup copy with each save." Do not close the options window yet.

2. Create a folder in an accessible area where AutoCAD can save the backup files. Go back to the AutoCAD options window and click on the "Files" tab at the top right. This takes you to the list of folders in which AutoCAD keeps all its files. Look for the folder titled "Automatic Save File Location," and click on the plus sign to the right of the folder to display the path to the default backup file folder. Double-click on the pathway name. In the next window navigate to the folder you created and click "OK" to automatically save your files to this folder.

3. Open a file or create a new one and work in it for about 10 minutes. This gives AutoCAD a chance to create two auto-save files. Close AutoCAD when you are done. Navigate to the folder you created. Notice how the file you just worked on still has the same name as your project file, but instead of ending in .dwg it ends in .sv$ to signify its backup status. AutoCAD creates a new file with every auto-save so there may be more than one file inside the folder (identify the latest file by viewing the date and time created).

Tips & Warnings

• Once you have enabled automatic saves, to recover a lost or corrupt file, change the name of the auto-save file from "yourfile.sv$" to "yourfile.dwg" by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Rename."

References

• "AutoCAD 2008 and AutoCAD LT 2008 Bible"; Ellen Finkelstein; 2007