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AutoCAD opening in older version


Pukenzz

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Not sure if this is the correct spot for this post or if it should be in a different thread...

 

Typically I open a drawing by locating it in windows explorer and double clicking the file and it launches in my default version (2018) however, I received a file from one of our designers that was saved down to 2014.  When I double click it, it opens in 2014.  If I launch 2018 and open the file through AutoCAD it opens in 2018.  I've never seen this where it launches the version it was saved down to.  Can anybody explain it to me.

 

Thanks

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When  you open a file through Windows Explorer, you are using a system command that was defined when you added that file type to your system. Once upon a time you could set the launch parameters for a file type directly from Explorer. Now it's in the Registry. Check this page: Registry modification. The OpenLaunch property will tell you which piece of software is actually used to open a DWG.

 

Protip: It's always a good idea to open drawings from inside AutoCAD. You never really know what the operating system is doing when it opens a file for you. AutoCAD is especially naughty when it comes to doing the unexpected.

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Yeah and opening up older drawings in current version can also cause problems.  For example, our company's old drawings done in LDD if you open them with the wrong program it can screw up the entire drawing.  I'm still not really sure why but has something to do with the way drawings were formatted in the older version of LDD.

 

Your system default program parameter isn't a foolproof method either.

 

In terms of the files on your system or on your company server, Windows doesn't know the difference between LDD, Civil3D 2009, AutoCAD 2005 or AutoCAD 2020.  All Windows sees is that it's a DWG file.  So if you have assigned AutoCAD 2019 as the default, and you double click a DWG saved in Civil3D 2005, your system won't know the difference and will try to open a civil3D drawing in AutoCAD. 

 

That may or may not be a problem and usually it isn't but it obviously makes sense to use the intended program/version for a given file.

 

I work for a design firm that is currently in transition between versions so we have a multitude of Autodesk programs we are running right now.  It's pretty insane.


There are 2 ways to open the drawing properly in this case.

1 - open the drawing from inside the version of AutoCAD or Autodesk product you are intending (as Cyber mentioned)

2 - use a right click approach and select the program you want to open that specific file

 

The second option sometimes requires some extra steps in windows to set up but is very handy.  We use it company wide because it is foolproof.

 

There are other options for file conversion in the case you are having trouble opening it.

For example, you can use DWG Trueview to up or down-convert the file to the correct DWG format for your Autodesk product.

Although not an issue in your case, specifically, it's a quick way to solve DWG issues without relying on your client or other parties to convert the file type for you.

 

-ChriS

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The only way that works 100% of the time, guaranteed, is (1) to open the application first, use the open or recover command, or (2) drag+drop the .DWG onto the command line or title bar.

 

If you insist on executing .DWG files from Windows, then set the application to the "AutoCAD DWG Launcher", and this will, in most cases, launch the last successfully manually launched version. So if you launch AutoCAD 2018, and then later double-click a DWG file, it will open in AutoCAD 2018. Even this is flaky sometimes too. There is no telling why you had the incident you did.

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I'm wondering now if Autodesk 360 acts the same way or if it will just open the file with the program that last saved the file when you double click.

So if you like save a civil3d drawing in Autodesk 360, close it, double click it in Autodesk 360 I wonder if it would it then open in civil3d or if it just open to whatever program is specified as your system default for that file type.

 

I would imagine it would open it with the correct program

No idea.

 

ChriS

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