Steps to Disable Autosave in AutoCAD
To prevent AutoCAD from automatically saving your work at intervals, follow these steps to disable the autosave feature:
Access the Options Menu
1. Right-click anywhere within the drawing area of AutoCAD.
2. From the context menu, select Options to open the Options dialog box.
Navigate to the Open and Save Tab
1. Once the Options dialog is open, look for the Open and Save tab at the top of the window.
2. Click on this tab to access the relevant settings regarding file handling.
Modify Autosave Settings
1. Under the section labeled File Safety Precautions, you will see an option for Automatic Save.
2. Uncheck the box next to Automatic Save to disable the autosave feature.
Adjusting Save Interval (Optional)
1. If you wish to customize the autosave duration instead of disabling it, you can change the time interval.
2. Type SAVETIME in the command line and hit Enter. You can set this value to your preferred number of minutes between saves.
Understanding Autosave Locations
By default, AutoCAD saves autosave files in the system’s %temp% directory. However, these files are automatically deleted when AutoCAD is exited normally. If you have already disabled autosave, you might not need to worry about where these files are stored. But for future reference, you can navigate to the Options menu and specify a different directory under the FILES tab if necessary.
Recovering Unsaved Documents
If you happen to need recovery options after disabling autosave, you can locate unsaved files by checking the designated automatic save file location within the same FILES section of the Options menu. Look for files with extensions like AC$ and BAK. Renaming these files to DWG may allow you to open them in AutoCAD.
FAQs
1. Can I completely eliminate the autosave feature in AutoCAD?
Yes, by following the steps outlined above in the Options menu, you can disable the autosave feature entirely.
2. What happens to autosave files when AutoCAD is closed?
Autosave files are designed to be deleted automatically when AutoCAD is exited normally, so unsaved changes will be lost unless recovered first.
3. Is it advisable to disable autosave in AutoCAD?
Disabling autosave can increase the risk of losing work if the program crashes or if there are unforeseen issues. It’s usually a good idea to leave this feature enabled unless you have a specific reason to turn it off.
