Backup (.bak) Files
A backup file is an exact copy of the drawing file prior to the last save. As such, backup files are always one version older than the currently saved drawing. Only one backup file is retained at a time so newly created backups will always replace older backups of the same name.
Back files will be created in Cap Complete:
- Every time the drawing file is manually saved. By default the backup file will be saved in the same location as your .dwg file and will have the same name as the drawing but with a .bak extension. Example: My Drawing.bak
- When an Automatic Save (.zs$) File is overwritten by another automatic save. In this case, the .bak file will be located in the same folder as the .zs$ files, with additional text appended to the file name Example: My Drawing_zws62738.bak
Backup files are essentially renamed . dwg files. Data saved in . bak files can be recovered by simply renaming the . bak extension to . dwg and then opening that file in Cap Complete.
Autosave (.zs$) Files
Autosave files are backup files created automatically by the automatic save feature. Automatic save is enabled by default and the number of minutes between automatic saves can be set in Options under the Open and Save tab. Automatic saves are only done if a drawing has been modified after the last manual save. An automatic save will not save to the current drawing. Instead, a temporary file with the extension .zs$ is generated in the designated automatic save file location.
If Cap Complete crashes or is otherwise abnormally terminated during a session, data saved in the .zs$ file can be recovered by locating the autosave file, renaming the .zs$ extension to .dwg and then opening that file in Cap Complete. The autosave file will contain all drawing information as of the last time autosave ran. When Cap Complete is closed normally, the .zs$ autosave files will be deleted.
The location of your autosave files can be determined by going to the Files tab in the Options dialog box and inspecting the Automatic Save File Location folder.
Automatic save can be disabled by unchecking Automatic save box in the Open and Save tab in the Options dialog box. Disabling automatic save prevents Cap Complete from automatically creating .zs$ files while working. In the event of a crash, there will be no interim files to use for data recovery.