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Restoring a Database From a Backup

You may encounter a situation where your project, master, or standards database becomes corrupted or is otherwise made effectively unusable. Fortunately, Design Master Photometrics regularly creates backup databases that you can use to get back much of your work without starting over.

Backups are automatically created:

  • the first time a project is opened each day;
  • every hour while you're working;
  • and before major database changes (e.g., software updates, running most of the Utilities commands).

Where Backups Are Stored​

Project backups are stored in a DMBackup folder in the same location as the project drawings and database.

Master and standards backups are stored in a DMBackup folder in your customization folder (how to locate your customization folder).

Restoring a Backup​

warning

This process will overwrite your current database; any changes made since the backup was created will be lost.

Make a copy of the current database before starting this process.

Contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

To restore a backup database:

  1. In Windows Explorer, open the project folder or your customization folder, depending on the type of database you are restoring.

  2. Open the DMBackup folder.

  3. Sort the folder's contents by Date created ☰ or Date modified ☰, then open the most recent folder.

    warning

    Make sure you have made a copy of the current database and that AutoCAD is closed before completing the next step.

  4. Copy the .dm file (it may be inside a ZIP file, depending on the type of backup), then paste it into your project/customization folder to overwrite the current database.

  5. Open a drawing and run a few commands to see if the backup database is usable.

    If you still encounter errors, close AutoCAD, return to the DMBackup folder, and repeat steps 1-4 using the next most recent backup. Continue until you find a database that works.

  6. Once you've found a working database, run the Coordinate Drawings and Database command and select all of the drawings in the project to synchronize them with the new database.

Video Demonstration​

The video below provides a quick demonstration of how to locate a backup project database and copy it to the project folder, using steps 1-4 above.