# Sketchup: Restore a lost or corrupted file



## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

I somehow corrupted a design I made using Sketchup. Sketchup files are saved with the extension skp. Sketchup also saves your named file with the extension skb (a backup file). If you delete your drawing, just search for the file with the name you gave your drawing that has the extension skb...then change the skb to skp and bingo! you have your drawing back!


I recommend you verify this by making a new file by drawing a square then saving it as "square" in sketchup. Search for the file name (square) and in the search result will find 2 files...square.skp and square.skb. Then delete the file named square.skp (which is your drawing)...then rename the other file with the name square.skb to square.skp and then you can verify it opens in sketchup....File Restored!


I had searched sketchup help files and all I found was that sketchup saves a backup file...but not how to restore it! After spending hours designing a pantograph, somehow the file got corrupted and I needed to restore it from the backup file. This is how I did it.


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

If you double click on the skb (backup file) windows asks what program to open it with. Select Sketchup and check the box that asks if you want to always use that program.

Next time you get a corrupted file just double click the backup version and it'll open in sketchup, then you can save it with the original file extension.


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## gmercer_48083 (Jul 18, 2012)

*Yes*



vindaloo said:


> If you double click on the skb (backup file) windows asks what program to open it with. Select Sketchup and check the box that asks if you want to always use that program.
> 
> Next time you get a corrupted file just double click the backup version and it'll open in sketchup, then you can save it with the original file extension.




Yes this works, but I have 4 versions of sketchup and didn't know which one the file was made in and didn't want to risk another corruption. The point is Sketchup help did not indicate how to restore the backup file.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Thanks, Gary. This is good to know.


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## JudgeMike (Feb 27, 2012)

This will be a very good tip for me if I ever learn to use Sketchup. Not much success as yet. It is a really nice program though. The free version will do anything that I will probably ever need. Like many things...you need to practice to get good at it. Havn't given up yet!


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