Where Does AutoCAD Keep Autosave Files?
Where AutoCAD puts .sv$ autosaves, .bak backups and temp files, and how to turn a crash file back into a drawing.
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AutoCAD scatters safety nets three ways: .sv$ autosaves in the Temp folder (or SAVEFILEPATH), .bak copies beside the original DWG, and .ac$ scratch files that vanish with the session. Each has one job, and only the first two rescue crashed work.
The autosave path is the one to memorize: %TEMP% by default, changeable per profile. After a crash, sort that folder by date and look for your drawing name with a .sv$ tail. Rename to .dwg and you are back to the last tick, usually minutes behind.
Where AutoCAD stores this, by platform
%TEMP%\[Drawing]_1_*_*.sv$
Paste %TEMP% into Explorer and sort by date. Rename .sv$ to .dwg to recover. .bak files sit next to the DWG itself. Check SAVEFILEPATH in Options > Files if Temp comes up empty.
~/Documents/Autodesk/Autosave
Same .sv$ rename trick applies. Set the path under Preferences > Application tab. Defaults to ~/Documents/Autodesk/Autosave.
Frequently asked questions
AutoCAD crashed. How do I recover my drawing?
Find the newest .sv$ for your drawing, copy it elsewhere, rename the extension to .dwg, and open it. It holds everything up to the last autosave tick. Act fast after a crash: normal exits delete .sv$ files, but crash leftovers persist until overwritten.
How do I change where autosaves go?
Open Options > Files tab > Automatic Save File Location and point SAVEFILEPATH somewhere backed up, like a network drive. Autosaves only fire when the drawing changed since the last tick (SAVETIME minutes, default 10). Disabled autosave (SAVETIME 0) leaves no recovery files at all.
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