AutoCAD: Troubleshooting corrupt DWG files

Issue: 
An AutoCAD DWG file cannot be opened and causes AutoCAD to show error messages or alerts, or to freeze or crash.   

Causes: 
Possible causes of file corruption 

• Network (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
• 3rd - party applications running inside the Autodesk product
• DWGs created or saved by non-Autodesk non-RealDWG products
• AutoCAD terminated while saving DWG (less frequent)

Recommendation: Audit and purge before saving

Solution: 
If a file cannot be opened, the following steps can be taken: 

• RECOVER command 
• Recovers a selected drawing file
• If successful, open and run AUDIT command (Evaluates drawing integrity and possibly more error correction)
• Set system variable AUDITCTL=1 to create a report of audit results
• RECOVERALL command (Recovers a selected drawing file)
• Attached and nested xrefs are also opened, repaired, resaved, and closed
• INSERT and EXPLODE
• Start a new DWG with no template 
• Run INSERT and selected the corrupted drawing
• Check the “Explode” option
• If DGN data was used: 
• NETLOAD the AutoCAD® DGN Hotfix (DgnLsPurge.dll) and run DGNPURGE
• The Hotfix can be downloaded from the Autodesk® Knowledge Network Support 

If a file can be opened but still shows signs of corruption, the following steps can be taken:

• RECOVER and AUDIT
• PURGE command
• Copy and Paste into a new drawing
• AECTOACAD (-EXPORTTOAUTOCAD) 
• Exports to a pure AutoCAD file in selected drawing version
• Strips potentially corrupt custom objects
• WBLOCK command 
• Set all layers ON, THAWED and UNLOCKED
• WBLOCK all objects in the drawing to an external block file
• INSERT the resulting file as block into a new drawing (check the “Explode” option or EXPLODE the block after inserting)
• AUDIT and PURGE
• DXFOUT/DXFIN 
• DXFOUT to create a new .dxf file
• Start new drawing and DXFIN to import the new .dxf file
• Also try exporting as AutoCAD 12 DXF
• XREF into a new drawing and BIND

Products: 
AutoCAD; AutoCAD Civil 3D; AutoCAD Map 3D; AutoCAD Raster Design; Infrastructure Modeler 
Versions: 2011; 2012; 2013; 2014 





This document contains content adapted from the Autodesk® Knowledge Network, available under Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works. Copyright © Autodesk, Inc.