A corrupted file is a file that contains one or more errors preventing SketchUp from opening it as normal. A file can become corrupted due to issues during the save process, or sending an uncompressed file to another person. If you attempt to open a SketchUp file and receive one of the following error messages, that may mean the file is corrupted:

  • Unexpected File Format
  • File Note Found
  • File Invalid

Corrupted files will not open in SketchUp. When this happens, the only way you can continue working is if you have a backup file.

By default, SketchUp creates a backup of all your saved files by default. If you aren’t sure if SketchUp is creating backups, you can check by following these steps:

  1. In the title bar, click Window.
  2. Select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click General.
  4. Ensure the checkbox next to Create Backup is selected. If it is not, click the checkbox to enable it.

When Create Backup is selected, Sketchup will automatically create a backup file.

 

These backups are usually located in the same folder as the original file. On Windows, backups appear with the .skb extension instead of .skp. On MacOS, the file name appears with a “~” at the end.

If you don’t have a backup file, it’s likely your file can’t be recovered. In rare instances, our support team may be able to recover some data from your model, but we can’t guarantee results. If you would like the support team to take a look, fill out our contact form. Attach the corrupted file, along with the location of where you saved the file, the version of SketchUp you are using, and any changes you attempted to make before the file was corrupted.


There are a few best practices you can follow to help make sure you won’t end up with a corrupted file:

  1. Save your files to Trimble Connect. For more information on how SketchUp and Trimble Connect work together, see Trimble Connect.

  2. Save your files locally. Avoid using other cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. To make sure your files are saving locally, check where your files are saved in the Files tab of Preferences. For more information, see Files and General.

    For Windows users, OneDrive is enabled by default. This means many of the default file paths will save your files to OneDrive and your files will be at risk of corruption. To prevent this, you’ll need to disable or uninstall OneDrive from Windows. For more information, see Turn Off, Disable, or Uninstall OneDrive in the Microsoft support center.
  3. If you need to use a cloud service, turn automatic syncing off.
  4. When sending a file to someone else, compress into a separate .zip file to make sure the file can’t be altered during the transfer.
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