Recently, I experienced a computer malfunction while working in the software and now when I try to open my plan file, an error message tells me that it cannot be opened by the program. What can I do to recover at least some of my work?
In the event that file corruption has occurred, and you're unable to successfully open one of your project files, you may be able to reference a backup copy located in the Archives.
Note: Archive files should not be viewed as a substitute for regularly saving your work, nor should they be considered an alternative to your own file backup routine. It's important to understand that archive files may not reflect the progress you have made in a given project, the state of the model, or any other criteria that you might consider to be important.
C:\Users\ [YOUR USERNAME] \Documents\Chief Architect Premier X17 Data\Archives
/Users/ [YOUR USERNAME] /Documents/Chief Architect Premier X17 Data/Archives
Note: Plan and and layout files are placed in separate subfolders, even if the names of the files are the same.
Note: Every time a drawing is created and saved, archive files that keep a historical archive of your plan are automatically created or updated. Files can be archived by hour, day or most recent save. They are renamed according to which archiving option is selected in the Preferences dialog. In the image above, the archive file is titled Dalton Remodel_2023_02_10, which is a daily archive.
As you work, Chief Architect products automatically create auto save files at regular intervals when changes are made to a file but are not saved. These auto save files are appended _auto_save.plan or _auto_save.layout.
Auto save files created as a result of an improper program shutdown are appended _auto_save_bak.plan or _auto_save_bak.layout. If your computer shuts down accidentally, you can recover some of your work by opening the _auto_save_bak file.
Do not save this file in the Archives, nor in the program's Data folder. Please see the Related Articles section below to learn more about the recommended practices for where to save your files when using Traditional File Management.
If you have retrieved an archive file that contains views that have been sent to a layout, some views may need to be re-linked. Please see the Related Articles section below if you encounter an issue with plan and layout linking.
You can specify how many archive files are created on the File Management panel of the Preferences dialog. However, it is important to note that these settings cannot guarantee full, exact restoration of your projects under all circumstances.