Some Families Have Become Unusable

Some families have become unusable. Reload the families, or delete them from the model.

Why did this error occur?

This message displays when one or more families used in the model have become corrupt. That is, the family files that are loaded into the project are no longer usable.

The error can be triggered when you perform an operation that causes Revit to regenerate the families, such as when opening, saving, or upgrading the model.

You must resolve the issue before continuing to work on the model.

How do I fix it?

1. In the error message dialog, click Expand, and expand the tree to see the full list of unusable families.
2. (Optional) Click Export to export this list to an HTML file.
3. To correct the issue, do one of the following: (details follow)
   • Reload stable versions of the families.
   • Delete the families from the model.

In many cases, reloading families requires the least amount of rework. When you reload families, instances of the families remain placed in the model, and data is not lost. This is the preferred method.

If the list indicates that few families are affected, then deleting those families may be easier. In this case, the families and their instances are deleted from the model. Before deleting a family, consider whether the family is used pervasively in the model. For example, a door may have thousands of instances in a model, whereas a specialty equipment cabinet may be placed in only a few locations. After deleting the unusable families, reload the families into the model. You must then edit the model to add those elements again.

Carefully consider which solution is the best course of action for your situation before proceeding.

To reload families

1. In the error message dialog, click Cancel.
2. If the error occurred while you were upgrading a model to a new release of Revit, start the version of Revit that you are upgrading from, and open the model.
3. If the error occurred for a workshared model when you started a Reload Latest or Sync with Central operation, cancel the operation.

   The families may be corrupt in the local model or in the central model, or they may have been corrupted during the Reload Latest/Sync with Central operation.

4. To determine where the corruption occurs, audit the model.
   Note: When the error occurs in a workshared project, first audit the local model and then audit the central model.
   During the audit, a list of the affected families is written to the journal. In the journal file an affected family will contain the message "NON_EXISTENT_CONTENT_DOC" at the end of the line.

   Example

   Condition	Example
   Corrupt family	[Parallelogram Column], LoadedId = 3160197, GUID = 1d7254b8-7bc9-4cfc-a869-9fafbd8f590b, refers to a NON_EXISTENT_CONTENT_DOC. Please reload!
   Useable family	[Rectangular-Column], LoadedId = 3160814, GUID = aff530ac-2e4e-4f96-8b35-3ea877953af7

   Note: If the error is preventing the model from being opened with the audit option, refer to: Cannot Open File with Audit.
   Note: If the error is preventing synchronization with the central model, refer toWorkshared Model Won't Synchronize.

   If you are still experiencing problems, contact Technical Support for assistance if you have support benefits. Provide all models with your support request.

5. Locate versions of the families that are not corrupt.

   Determine the location of the family library that you use. The default Revit family library is located here:

   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Autodesk\RVT 2023 Release\Libraries

   If your office is using a library of content that is stored in another location, your system may access that library by default, or you can navigate to it. Contact your BIM manager for more information.

   Note: Do not copy and paste families from one project to another. This practice may contribute to instability in the model.
6. Reload the families into the model.

   When you reload the families, the stable versions replace the corrupt versions of the families in the model.

7. Confirm that the reloaded families work appropriately in the model.
   • In the model, check several views that display instances of the families. Make sure the elements display correctly.
   • Edit an instance of a reloaded family to ensure that the family works correctly.
8. Save the model.
9. Audit the model to confirm that the issue is resolved.
10. If you are working with a workshared model perform a Sync with Central operation to save local changes back to the central model.

To delete families from the model

1. To delete the unusable families identified in the list, click Delete Families in the error message dialog.

   The software deletes the unusable families and all instances from the model.

2. Locate versions of the families that are not corrupt.

   Determine the location of the family library that you use. The default Revit family library is located here:

   • %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Autodesk\RVT 2023 Release\Libraries

   If your office is using a library of content that is stored in another location, your system may access that library by default, or you can navigate to it. Contact your BIM manager for more information.

   Note: Do not copy and paste families from one project to another. This practice may contribute to instability in the model.
3. Load the families into the model.
4. Edit the model to add instances of the families to the model.
5. Save the model.
6. Audit the model to confirm that the issue is resolved.