How to Recover File in Revit?

Understanding Revit File Recovery

Revit users often encounter situations where they need to recover lost or corrupted files due to software crashes or unexpected errors. Familiarizing yourself with the various recovery options available can alleviate the stress that comes with data loss. Here’s a comprehensive guide detailing how to recover files in Revit effectively.

Using Recovery Files

When Revit experiences a crash, it frequently provides an option to save a recovery file. This file is essential for retrieving unsaved work.

1. Look for the Recovery Prompt: After a crash, Revit may show a dialog box offering to save a recovery file.
2. Select to Save: If prompted, choose to save the recovery file. This action stores any recent changes that were not previously saved to the main project file.
3. Access the Recovery File: Upon restarting Revit, locate the saved recovery file. Revit typically saves these files in a temporary directory. You can often find it in the same location as your original project files.

Locating Backup Files

Revit automatically creates backup files that allow users to revert to earlier versions of their projects.

1. Navigate to the Backup Location: Backup files can generally be found in the Journals folder of Revit’s installation directory. The typical path is:

   C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Revit\<product_name>\Journals

2. Identify Backup Files: Look for files with a ".rvt" extension that have timestamped names indicating when they were last saved.
3. Open the Desired Backup: Choose the most recent backup that predates the issue you encountered and open it in Revit for review.

Repairing Corrupt Files

Corrupt Revit files can disrupt your workflow, but there are ways to attempt to fix them.

1. Open the File: Start Revit, then go to the File tab and click on Open.
2. Select the Corrupt File: Browse to find your model file.
3. Use the Audit Option: Check the “Audit” box in the Open dialog. This feature scans the file for errors and attempts to repair any corrupt elements.
4. Follow Through with Purging: After the audit, navigate to the Manage tab, select the Settings panel, and click on “Purge Unused” to clean up the model. This may help in enhancing the file’s performance and stability.

Understanding Autosave Features

Revit has an Autosave feature that enhances data safety by saving your project automatically at regular intervals.

1. Enable Autosave: To check if Autosave is enabled, navigate to the Options menu in Revit and look for the Autosave settings.
2. Time Interval: Revit saves your project every five minutes by default. You can adjust this in the settings if you prefer a different interval.
3. Manual Saving: While Autosave is beneficial, ensure to save your work manually by clicking the “Save” button whenever you make significant changes.

Accessing Journal Files

Journal files serve as logs of your Revit session and can be useful for troubleshooting.

1. Locate the Journal Files: By default, journal files are saved in:

   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 2019\Journals

2. Identify Recent Files: The journal file with the highest number is often the most recent.
3. Analyze the Journal: If issues persist, sending the journal file to Autodesk support may help diagnose problems.

FAQs

1. What should I do if I can’t find my backup or recovery files?
If backup or recovery files are missing, check the specified file path for any hidden files. It may also be useful to conduct a search on your computer, ensuring the file extensions are visible in your file explorer settings.

2. How often should I manually save my Revit files?
While the Autosave feature offers a safety net, it is recommended to save manually after significant changes or at key milestones within your project, such as after completing a major design element.

3. Can I recover a project older than the available backups?
If you need to recover a file that is older than your backup options, unfortunately, without an external backup solution or a saved copy, it may not be possible. Maintaining a separate backup plan, such as using cloud storage or external drives, is advisable for critical projects.