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Drawing file not valid


alec

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Hi,

Yesterday I was working on a .dwg file on a memory stick. I tried to save it but it was read only, so I 'saved as'. Then checked all the other .dwg files on the stick and they were also all read only (strange, as they never were before). So I went into properties and changed individually changed them all to archive.

This morning, I try to open up the 'saved as' .dwg file I was working on yesterday, and I get the message 'drawing file not valid' and the same for the original. All the other .dwg files will open however. Any ideas what I have done and if it is reversible? I could really do with finishing the drawing sometime soon and don't want to have to start again.

Cheers.

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No ideas at the moment but I haven't had my usual ten cups of coffee yet. Attach a copy of the .dwg file to your next post. I'll try opening it.

 

OK...three ideas.

 

1. Try using the RECOVER command.

 

2. Try inserting the drawing into a new drawing.

 

3. Copy the drawing to your hard drive then try opening it.

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Hi, thanks for the response. I tried using recover - 'unabler to recover the file'. I tried inserting in a new drawing via copy and paste into model space. It asked for a block name, so i gave it one, and was then told the 'file had been created by an incompatible version of AutoCAD'. How do I attach a .dwg to a post?

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To attach a drawing start by clicking on the Go Advanced button at the bottom right hand corner of the Quick Reply window.

 

I guess you decided not to go ahead and do it. Oh well.

Edited by ReMark
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Upload the drawing to a file sharing website like DropBox and post a link to it here.

 

Did you try opening a new drawing and using the INSERT command to bring the other drawing into it?

 

Did you try copying the file first to your hard drive then opening it?

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Thanks. I'm still in the dark ages and running on XP. Dropbox won't work with XP any more so I can't use it, or any other cloud based sharing thing that I can find. I'll give the INSERT command a go - I just used copy and paste in model space last time. And yes I tried moving it to my hard drive, and to my wifes hard drive but neither would let me open in. I'll give it a go in a few minutes. Cheers.

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OK thanks, that would be really helpful. Tried the insert command. It told me that the file was created with an incompatible version of AutoCAD again.

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An update.

 

So the OP sent me the .dwg file and I tried to open it using AutoCAD 2017, 2018, Dwg TrueView and even Draftsight but had no luck. I then asked him if he had a .bak file to share. He did and sent it to me. I renamed the file and opened it. There was his drawing. But, as I am always likely to do, I ran Overkill, -Purge (twice) and Audit on the file. I took a drawing file size of over 2.4MB and got it down to 860KB roughly. The Audit command found and fixed over 6600 errors in the drawing database. I won't bore you with the details of the junk for the first two commands removed. With a little more effort I could probably get the drawing file size down some more.

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