How Do I Open an AutoCAD Autosave File?

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Opening an AutoCAD Autosave File

Have you ever encountered a situation where you accidentally closed your AutoCAD file without saving it? Don’t panic!

AutoCAD has a built-in feature called Autosave that automatically saves your work at regular intervals. This feature ensures that you never lose your progress, even if you forget to save manually. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to open an AutoCAD Autosave file.

Locating the Autosave Files

Before we dive into the process of opening an Autosave file, it is important to know where these files are stored on your computer. By default, AutoCAD saves the Autosave files in a specific folder. To locate this folder, follow the steps below:

  1. Step 1: Open AutoCAD on your computer.
  2. Step 2: Go to the Application menu (the red A icon in the top left corner) and select “Options.”
  3. Step 3: In the Options dialog box, click on the “Files” tab.
  4. Step 4: Look for the “Automatic Save File Location” field. The path mentioned in this field is where your Autosave files are stored.

Note: In some versions of AutoCAD, you might find this option under the “Open and Save” or “Open and Close” category in the Options dialog box.

Opening an Autosave File

Once you have located the folder where Autosave files are saved, follow these steps to open an Autosave file:

  1. Step 1: Close AutoCAD if it is currently running.
  2. Step 2: Navigate to the Autosave folder using File Explorer or any other file management tool.
  3. Step 3: Look for the Autosave file that corresponds to the drawing you want to recover. These files usually have the “.sv$” extension.
  4. Step 4: Once you have identified the correct Autosave file, right-click on it and select “Rename.

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  5. Step 5: Change the file extension from “.sv$” to “.dwg”. For example, if your Autosave file is named “drawing.sv$”, rename it to “drawing.
  6. Step 6: After renaming the file, double-click on it to open it in AutoCAD.

Congratulations! You have successfully opened an Autosave file in AutoCAD. Remember to save your work as a new file after recovering your progress from an Autosave file to avoid overwriting any existing files.

Tips for Working with Autosave Files

To ensure a smooth workflow when working with Autosave files, keep the following tips in mind:

  • Create Backups: While Autosave is a great feature, it is always a good practice to create regular backups of your work manually. This provides an additional layer of protection against accidental data loss.
  • Frequent Saving: To minimize the risk of losing unsaved work, make it a habit to save your progress at regular intervals even when working with Autosave enabled.
  • Customize Autosave Settings: AutoCAD allows you to customize the Autosave interval and other related settings.

    Adjust these settings according to your preferences and project requirements.

  • Regularly Clear Autosave Files: Over time, Autosave files can accumulate and occupy valuable storage space. It is advisable to periodically clear out old Autosave files that are no longer needed.

By following these guidelines, you can make the most out of AutoCAD’s Autosave feature and ensure a seamless drafting experience.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we explored how to open an AutoCAD Autosave file. We learned how to locate the Autosave folder, identify the correct Autosave file, rename it, and open it in AutoCAD.

Additionally, we discussed some useful tips for efficiently working with Autosave files. Now you can confidently recover your work from Autosave files and continue your design process without any interruptions!