How to fix damaged or corrupt drawings

Your AutoCAD drawing file (. dwg) has become damaged or corrupt in some way, showing one or more of the following symptoms:

• File will not open.
• File hangs or crashes AutoCAD.
• Slow performance when editing and manipulating the file.
• Error message when opening or when working in the file.
• Some commands do not work or have a considerable delay.
• Unexplained file size increase.
• Display/regen problems.
• Drawing elements missing.

• Third-party applications running inside AutoCAD.
• DWG files created or saved by non-Autodesk or non-RealDWG products.
• AutoCAD terminated/crashed while saving the drawing.
• Old drawings used repeatedly over the course of years.
• Network anomalies (transmission errors, file locking, latent writing of data).
• Storage media degradation (bad sectors on a hard drive).
• Defective or failing RAM.
• Operating system issues.
• Power surges.
• Referenced object(s) drawing file corrupt, or modified to create data reference errors.

1. In the Windows Control Panel, go to Folder Options.
2. On the View tab, turn on the option to show hidden files.
3. Go back to the folder directory and delete the .dwl & .dwl2 files found alongside your DWG file.

If the drawing will still not open:

If the previous steps do not allow you to open the DWG, move on to the next set of steps. Try these steps one at a time. Be sure to stop and try to open the file after each step. If the file opens, there is no need to continue through the rest of the steps.

1. Open a blank DWG and run the RECOVER command. Select the problematic file. AutoCAD will attempt to recover the file and open it.
2. Open a blank DWG and run the RECOVERALL command. Select the problematic file. AutoCAD will attempt to recover the file and open it.
3. Copy the file to the local C-drive.  Disconnect the network drive to isolate the file from the rest of the project.  Try to open the file.  If the file opens, there likely a circular reference.  Identify and remove the circular reference.  Remap the network drive and place the file back in the project directory.  Open the file.
4. Open a blank DWG and run the INSERT command. Select the problematic file and see if it will insert. If it does, then run EXPLODE and select the inserted block. Run AUDIT and PURGE commands, and then use SAVEAS to create a new DWG.
5. Look in the same directory where the DWG resides and see if there is a BAK file of the same name. If so, rename the BAK extension to DWG and see if the file can then be opened.
6. Look in C:\Windows\Temp for files with an .sv$ extension. If any exist with a similar name to the corrupted DWG file, then rename the extension to DWG and see if it can then be opened.
7. Go to your backup system and restore the file from a time before it became corrupted.

If the drawing file (DWG) opens with problems:

Perform the following steps in the order listed:

1. Open the drawing file.
2. Purge Registered Applications (from the command line):
   • Type -PURGE.
   • R for Regapps (registered applications), then Enter.
   • * for names to purge
   • N when asked to verify each name to be purged, then Enter.
3. Type PURGE at the command line. With all checkboxes checked on, click Purge All.
4. Audit and fix any errors:
   • Type AUDIT at the command line.
   • Y for Yes to fix any errors, then Enter.
5. Save the drawing.

If the drawing persists with problems:

Perform the following steps in the order listed:

1. Ensure all layers are on, thawed, and unlocked.
2. Detach all external references (XREFs). Double-check that the xrefs do not have circular attachments.
3. Write Block all necessary information in the file out to a new drawing (from the command line):
   • Type WBLOCK at the command line.
   • Under Source, select Objects
   • Under Objects, click the Select objects icon.
   • Use a selection window to choose only the necessary objects from the file (do not simply type ALL).
   • Set file path and name, then OK.
4. Open a new blank drawing file.
5. Insert the file created in Step 3 (from the command line):
   • Type INSERT at the command line.
   • Select the file.
   • Uncheck Specify On-screen and check Explode, then OK.
6. Type PURGE at the command line. With all checkboxes checked on, click Purge All.
7. AUDIT and fix any errors.
8. Type SAVEAS and create a new file name.

Still having problems?

Try the following steps.  They can be done in any order, but have been listed in the order that Autodesk recommends. The file can be checked after each step. If the problem is resolved, you don't need to continue.

1. Open a blank DWG and type RECOVER at the command line. Browse to the problematic file to allow AutoCAD a chance to restore the file.
2. Type OVERKILL at the command line, and select all objects. Check or uncheck properties to include or ignore, then click OK.
3. Type DELCON at the command line, and select all objects.
4.  Type BREP and select all objects (if there are solids or surfaces in the file)
5.  Type -SCALELISTEDIT, then R for reset, then Y for yes.
6.  Type FILTERS, then click on the delete filters button.
7.  The DGNPURGE tool can be run if the file size is unexpectedly very large.
8.  Try using a different version of AutoCAD to open the drawing, such as AutoCAD 2013 vs. AutoCAD 2015 or plain AutoCAD vs. AutoCAD Architecture, etc. Try different computers if available.
9.  Open a blank DWG, and try to attach the problematic file as an XREF. If it allows you to attach the file, try next to BIND it to the current file. If that works, run the repair steps listed above.
10.  Use the SAVEAS command to save the DWG in an older file format. Attempt to open the newly created file.
11.  Export the file to DXF format using the DXFOUT command. Next, open a blank DWG and use the DXFIN command to import the file just created.
12.  Restore the Layout tabs:
    • Right-Click one of the default layout tabs
    • Select From Template...
    • Open the original file
    • Choose the layout tabs to restore. (It is recommended to do this one tab at a time, in case one or more layout tabs are corrupted)
13. Move drawing objects between model and paper space. You may find that only one drawing space is usable in your file, although your main concern is model space:
    • Create a new layout and if need be, create a viewport.
    • Use CHSPACE to move all the geometry to paper space.
    • Create a new drawing and use the Design Center (ADC) to move the layout from the damaged file into it.
    • Use CHSPACE again to move the geometry back to model space.
    • Restore the original layouts from the bad file using the Design Center.

14. Dissect the drawing. In a copy of the file, conduct a process of elimination using QSELECT to select different object types and then delete them to see if that fixes what is wrong in the file. Do PURGE All after each deletion. Eventually you should remove the problem elements and then you can choose to leave them out, copy them in again from another file, recreate them, or further troubleshoot individual items to pinpoint exactly which one is problematic. A quick start to this whole process is to delete everything in the drawing and then test it. This will quickly tell you if the issue is with a drawing object or if it is a part of the drawing database.
15. To eliminate all invisible DWG entities select all features that are relevant in the DWG and "Copy with Base Point" these via the clipboard into a new DWG. Make sure you have switched on all layers that contain relevant data.