Error: Data in File Is Corrupt

Error: Data in file is corrupt and needs to be manually recovered.

If you encounter this error when opening a file, try the following solutions in the order listed.

Solution 1: Check free disk space

Check whether the computer has sufficient free space on the hard drive. At least 5 GB of free space is recommended. Without sufficient free space, Revit cannot expand the project into the Temp directory.

To locate the Temp directory

• Press Windows key+E.
• In the navigation bar, enter %TEMP%.

If needed, delete files in the Temp directory to create free space.

Solution 2: Manually recover a backup copy of the file

• If the corrupt file is workshared, manually recover the file.
• If the corrupt file is not workshared, use the following instructions to manually recover the file.

When you save a model, Revit makes a backup copy of the previous version of the model (that is, the model before the current save). This backup copy has the name <model_name>.<nnnn>.rvt, where <nnnn> is a 4-digit number indicating how many times the file has been saved. The backup file resides in the same folder as the model.

For example, the backup file for a project named Project1.rvt is Project1.0001.rvt. The backup file with the highest number is the most recent backup file.

To recover a file, use Revit to open the most recent backup file, and then save it. When you save the file, a dialog asks if you want to name the file without the 4-digit sequence. Click Yes. Another dialog asks if you want to overwrite the existing project file, if it still exists. Respond appropriately.

Note: If the most recent backup file is also corrupt, try opening earlier backup files.

For instructions on changing the number of backup files, see File Save Options.

Solution 3: Contact Technical Support

If the previous solutions did not work and you have a maintenance plan from Autodesk, do the following:

1. Gather together the corrupt file and its 5 most recent journal files.
2. Open a support case.