How to Activate Autosave in AutoCAD?

Understanding the Autosave Feature in AutoCAD

The Autosave feature in AutoCAD is crucial for users who want to ensure their work is preserved during unexpected interruptions, such as software crashes or power outages. Here’s a detailed guide on how to activate and configure this feature.

Activating Autosave in AutoCAD

1. Open AutoCAD: Start the AutoCAD 2025 application from your desktop or start menu.

2. Access Options:

   • Navigate to the upper-left corner of the application and click on the application menu icon (the big A).
   • Select the Options button from the dropdown menu.

3. Locate the Open and Save Tab:

   • In the Options dialog that appears, you will see several tabs at the top. Click on the Open and Save tab.

4. Enable Automatic Save:

   • Find the Automatic Save section within this tab. Check the box next to Automatically save to enable the feature.

5. Set Save Interval:

   • You will see a field where you can specify the time interval for automatic saves. The default value is set to every 10 minutes, but you can adjust this to your preference by entering a different number of minutes.
6. Confirm Changes:
   • After adjusting the settings, click OK at the bottom of the Options dialog to save your changes and exit.

Locating Autosave Files

Understanding where AutoCAD stores your autosave files is essential for file recovery.

1. Open the Options Dialog Again: Repeat steps 1 and 2 from the previous section to access the Options dialog.

2. Locate Automatic Save File Location:

   • While in the Open and Save tab, look for Automatic Save File Location. This path indicates where your autosaved files are stored.
3. Navigating to the Folder:
   • You can navigate to this folder via File Explorer to visualize or retrieve your autosave files when necessary.

Recovering Autosaved Files

If AutoCAD crashes or if the application does not save your work, follow these steps to recover your autosaved files.

1. Open AutoCAD: Launch the application again after a crash.

2. Access Recovery Manager:

   • Type DRAWINGRECOVERY into the command prompt and hit Enter.
   • This action will open the Drawing Recovery Manager, where you can view all autosaved files.
3. Select and Open a File:
   • Carefully review the list of available files and select the one you wish to recover.
   • Click Open to restore that drawing.

Converting Autosave Files to DWG Format

Autosave files are created with the .sv$ extension. Here’s how you can convert these files to a DWG format:

1. Find the Autosave File: Navigate to the folder specified in the Automatic Save File Location to locate the recent .sv$ file.

2. Change the File Extension:

   • Right-click on the .sv$ file and select Rename.
   • Modify the file extension from .sv$ to .dwg. Ensure that you confirm any prompts regarding the change of the file extension.
3. Open the Newly Renamed File:
   • Double-click the renamed .dwg file to open it in AutoCAD.

FAQs

1. How often does AutoCAD autosave my work by default?
The default setting for automatic saves in AutoCAD is every 10 minutes, but this can be adjusted according to user preference.

2. Where can I find my autosave files in AutoCAD?
Autosave files can be found in the specific folder indicated in the Open and Save tab within the Options dialog.

3. What should I do if I encounter issues with DWL files?
DWL files are temporary lock files that AutoCAD creates. If they remain after closing a drawing, you may delete them to avoid issues when reopening the original drawing file.