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3 April 2024  Amanda J. Brook  Senior Product Manager
 

Summary
Discover effective methods to retrieve unsaved AutoCAD drawings and resurrect lost work using the built-in autosave feature and straightforward strategies in our helpful guide.



Table of contents

table iconI. About AutoCAD software
table iconII. How to automatically save and backup AutoCAD files? How to recover accidentally deleted files?
Where are AutoCAD autosaved files located?

I. About AutoCAD software

1. What is AutoCAD software?

AutoCAD software, produced by Autodesk Co., Ltd. of the United States, is widely used worldwide for creating two-dimensional and basic three-dimensional designs without the need for programming. It is utilized in civil construction, decoration, industrial drawing, engineering drawing, electronic industry, garment processing, and more.

2. Where are the files automatically saved by AutoCAD software?

If you have not changed the AutoCAD auto-save path, it should be the default auto-save path when the software is installed. You can directly open the AutoCAD software to view the auto-save location. The specific operation steps are as follows:
Step 1: Run the AutoCAD software, find (Tools) in the top function menu bar, then select (Options) and open it.
autocad select options
Step 2: After the option interface is opened, you can see the item (Automatically save file location) under (File). After clicking it, you can see the autosave path of AutoCAD software. Double-click it to change the path.
Auto save file location
Since the auto-saved files of AutoCAD are hidden by default in Windows system, you can continue to display them completely through the following steps.
Step 3: Find (This Computer) on the desktop and open it, then switch to (View)>(Options).
view options
Step 4: Next, select the (View) tab in the folder options interface, find and click on (Hidden files and folders), then check the (Show hidden files, folders or drives) option, and click ( Sure).
show hidden files
Step 5: Then open the (C:\Users\Administrator\appdata\local\temp\) path, find the file with the extension (.sv$), change the extension to (.dwg), and then open it with AutoCAD software You can see all saved files.
Note: The auto-saved file can only be found when AutoCAD is closed abnormally. If your AutoCAD is closed normally, the auto-saved file cannot be found.
Open the corresponding path for autocad autosave path
After understanding the AutoCAD software and the location of its auto-saved files, let’s learn how to automatically save and backup AutoCAD files, and how to restore them when you accidentally delete them.

II. How to automatically save and backup AutoCAD files? How to recover accidentally deleted files?

1. How to automatically save and backup AutoCAD files?

To automatically save and backup your AutoCAD files, you need to enable the automatic backup function of the software. Here’s how to do it in detail:
Step 1: Run the AutoCAD software, find (Tools) in the top function menu bar, then select (Options) and open, then switch to (Open and Save).
Open and save options, configure autosave
Step 2: In the opening and saving interface, find (File Security Measures), here you can customize the interval of automatic saving and check (Create a backup copy every time you save), click (OK) after setting button.
Although automatic saving and backup files are convenient and effective, files may be deleted or lost due to personal mistakes, but don’t worry, you can also use professional data recovery software to retrieve accidentally deleted files. It is recommended that you use Renee Undeleter to operate.

2. How to recover accidentally deleted files with Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is specialized software for restoring various data files. It can recover lost data from accidental deletion, empty recycle bin, or disk/storage formatting. The software includes four functional modules: file recovery, format recovery, partition recovery, and image creation, providing a comprehensive solution for all data loss issues.
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How to recover accidentally deleted data with the help of Renee Undeleter?
Step 1: Download, install and run Renee Undeleter, select the (Fast Partition Scan) option in the main interface.
Note: Do not install on the disk needing data restoration to avoid overwriting. If file recovery does not find needed files, try format and partition recovery functions.
data recovery in renee undeleter
Data recovery function introduction:

Fast Partition Scan: Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.

Whole Partition Scan: Quickly recover files lost due to inaccessible or formatted partitions.

Whole Disk Scan: Partition information can be analyzed and obtained, and the entire partition can be fully scanned.

Image Creation: A mirror can be created for a partition to back up the current partition state.

Step 2: Next, select the partition to be scanned, which is the location where the AutoCAD file to be recovered was originally saved. Then click (Next).
scan disk with Renee Undeleter
Step 3: Select the Quick Scan option and click the Next button to scan. Note that “Fast Partition Scan – Quick Scan” scans only the first 30GB of the remaining space on the selected disk. If the desired file is not found after scanning, use “Fast Partition Scan – Deep Scan” for a full partition scan, which will take longer.
fast scan lost data
Step 4: After completing the scan, enter the AutoCAD file extension in the File Filter to locate the file. Check the file to be recovered, then click Recover to save it to another disk.
preview before recovery
undeleter preview docx