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

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

Solution 2: Manually recover a backup copy of 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. Open a backup file and perform a Save As to <model name> to restore the file to a previous condition.

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.