Drawing file is not valid!!

Okay, so this may seem like a redundant question - it's been on this site several times before - But now there are differences.

The error:

I'm trying to open a file and I get the error "Drawing file is not valid". The first response people will say "is it saved in a different format?"

Leading up:

I was just working on this file minutes before (nothing has changed on my computer) and had to reopen to make some slight changes and print some more pages - which were completed successfully. I saved before I plotted the pages, and then didn't save when closing the file. A few minutes later, I tried to re-open the file and I am getting the error messages.

Attempts to recover the file:

I've tried to use the recover command, recoverall command, checked the first few letters of the file in Notepad to make sure they read AC10xx. I've made a copy of the file to try tinkering with it a bit, but still no luck. I've emailed the file to myself too (an odd solution on another thread).

My system:

I'm using AutoCAD LT 2011 - 64 bit version, and I have the save option set to the 2007 format to accommodate the other people in my office.

My OS: Windows 7 - 64-bit

Let me know if you have any ideas to fix this~~~

Can someone in the office open it in 2007? What to you have SAVEFIDELITY set to? See help file.

What does Autocad tell you when you run the Recover command?

Have you tried renaming your .bak file?

You could try doing a Partial Open.

I don't have any other ideas. It sounds like you've tried everything else.

My Bak file is a really really old version >.> and would help a little bit since I would only really need to do drafting, but I've spent several hours changing the file already.. and wouldn't need to do any engineering for it....

My SAVEFIDELITY is set to 1.

The other people in my office are running AutoCAD LT 2008 on Windows Vista, and they couldn't open the file either.

The file is saved on a network drive, but we have never had any problems opening files before...

Did you try the Partial Open that I suggested?

And what does Autocad tell you when you run the Recover command? Does it say that the drawing is corrupt and it cannot recover the database?

I don't think the partial open is available in the LT version of AutoCAD. I'll have to try it at home with the full student version that I have, but that does other things to the file that aren't appropriate for a business.

When I run recover it gives me the message: Unable to recover drawing file.

Recover all gives me:

Drawing: 1931.dwg

Path: \\WORK\network\Projects\1931

Drawing recovery log:

The drawing could not be recovered

My Bak file is a really really old version >.> and would help a little bit since I would only really need to do drafting, but I've spent several hours changing the file already.. and wouldn't need to do any engineering for it....

 

My SAVEFIDELITY is set to 1.

 

The other people in my office are running AutoCAD LT 2008 on Windows Vista, and they couldn't open the file either.

 

The file is saved on a network drive, but we have never had any problems opening files before...

The .bak file should be very current as everytime you save the .bak file is made from the file before the change.

Does your office do backups each day or twice a day? If so go back to one of those, better than nothing.

For the future, do you run with Full tim CRC validation checked? Options, Open and Save, lower left. I have that on and never create a .bak file and have not had a corrupt file in 12 years.

Also, I run audit on every file I have open before saving and closing, all with one little custom command. Each time the file is open.

It could be related to saving down to 2007 all the time, it might be better to save to 2010 first and do a saveas to 2007. A pain I know. Or get the free converter software from Autodesk, Dwg Trueview I think, and use that to move files down.

I don't think the partial open is available in the LT version of AutoCAD.

Yet another feature missing from LT?

Well, it looks like you better go back to that .bak file because it looks like your drawing is unrecoverable. How old could that .bak file be? You do save regularly, don't you? If not, this might be a good lesson learned. Save often. :wink:

Unfortunately my office doesn't do backups (yet.. probably some thing we will be starting now) I didn't have the "create backup copy with each save" selected. The CRC validation appears to be one of those options not available in LT again.

The work would probably only take me 3ish hours to redo.. and I won't necessarily need to do it unless the client (or the city) wants changes to the job.

Yet another feature missing from LT?

 

Well, it looks like you better go back to that .bak file because it looks like your drawing is unrecoverable. How old could that .bak file be? You do save regularly, don't you? If not, this might be a good lesson learned. Save often. :wink:

It's not that I didn't save, I didn't have the BAK option selected. Most of the work was done yesterday before end of day... probably would have been a good time to backup.

Unfortunately my office doesn't do backups (yet.. probably some thing we will be starting now)

They don't back up the server?!?! Talk about working without a net! One day that decision is going to smack them upside the head, big time.

They don't back up the server?!?! Talk about working without a net! One day that decision is going to smack them upside the head, big time.

When we finish with a project, we have an extra paper copy of the plans... but backing up the electronic copies is definitely a good idea as well. I'll make recommendations for my boss whenever he gets back in the office.

When we finish with a project, we have an extra paper copy of the plans... but backing up the electronic copies is definitely a good idea as well. I'll make recommendations for my boss whenever he gets back in the office.

I know what it's like to lose a file, but I always have backup files, and we backup the server. If I were you, while your boss decides if and when they'll start backups, I'd go buy a USB stick on the way home. They come in all sizes and can be used over and over. 4 gig and up would work fine. I think they even have a 64 gig one, but it's around $100. The small one's run around $16. It doesn't have to be a permenant solution, but it will hold you over till they get the backups going.