CadGuruCool - Fatal Errors

CadGuruCool
Fatal Errors

Living with Fatal Errors

Recovering From Disaster

First, let's narrow the field a little bit and define disaster from an AutoCAD user's point of view.

The computer ate my file! I saved it last night but now it's gone!

The power went out or the computer locked up and I didn't save!

When I try to open my drawing, I get a message that my drawing needs recovery.

Every time I try to open my file, I get a message that says Fatal Error.

When I try to open AutoCAD, I get some crazy message about maximum number of users reached and AutoCAD ends.

I accidently deleted my drawing file!

In this Tip Sheet I'll try to show you how to cope with these AutoCAD disasters. In some cases you'll have to prepare in advance.

The computer ate my file! I saved it last night but now it's gone!
- Nitin Mahale, Student, MIT Aurangabad.

I can't guarantee that files won't just disappear, but it's not very likely. It is more likely that you forgot where you saved your file. To find a file that is missing in action, try using the Find File tool in Explorer. Although you'll still have to have some idea where to look for the missing file, Explorer can make it much easier.

Explorer is a Windows 95/Window NT program that can be found by picking the Start Button, then Programs, then Windows Explorer.

If you think your file is located on your computer or a network drive mapped to a drive letter on your computer, highlight My Computer in the Folders list.

Then select Tools>Find>Files or Folder... from the toolbar.

If you think you know the name of the file, type it next to the label Named. You can use wildcards, like proj*.DWG will find proj1.DWG, and projold.DWG, but not proj2.DWG.

Usually my problem is I don't remember what I named the file, but I know when I last saved it. The Date Modified tab is useful in these situations.

If my file name specification is *.dwg and I've selected the option shown in the Data Modified tab, pressing the Find Now button will locate all drawings files saved today or yesterday.

The power went out or the computer locked up and I didn't save!
- Anil Deshmukh, Mechanical Draughtsman, GleitLager, MIDC Chikalthana, Aurangabad.

That's too bad, I hope it wasn't too important. This is a tough one if you're not prepared.

Your best hope is the autosave feature. This works if you have reset the time increment from the default value of 120 minutes. This value can be set in a number of places. For example in the Preferences dialog in AutoCAD r14.

So how do you recover an autosave? When an autosave occurs the information is written to a special file, the autosave file. By default, the file name is AUTO.SV$ and it is placed in the same folder as the drawing. Each file you open uses the same name to store autosave data. To recover autosave data you must act quickly before another file overwrites the autosave data you need.

Hint: use Explorer to find AUTO.SV$. If more than one file is displayed in the results box, you probably want the most recent one.

Rename the AUTO.SV$ file to RECOVER.DWG. You can actually use any file name, but it must end with the .dwg extension.

You can actually choose the name and the location of the autosave file. Again, this is done in the Preferences dialog in AutoCAD r14, but in the Files tab. I like to do this so I know exactly where to find my autosave file when I need it. It also prevents problems when multiple people open drawings in a shared network folder.

When I try to open my drawing, I get a message that my drawing needs recovery. This one is easy. AutoCAD has detected some anomaly in the drawing. Instead of trying to open it, select the Recover command. It works just like Open, but does an audit on the drawing. Usually, AutoCAD determines that nothing is really wrong and you can go on. If it does find something amiss, it will attempt to reconstruct the data. If it is too badly damaged, the data will be deleted.

Every time I try to open my file, I get a message that says Fatal Error. The patient is dead. If you're prepared, you can rename the .bak file that is made every time you save your drawing (provided you didn't disable this feature). You can use Explorer to rename the .bak file. Let's assume your drawing file is named PART.DWG. There should be a file named PART.BAK in the same folder as the drawing. Rename it to PARTBAK.DWG.

Hint: You can't rename it to PART.DWG because that file already exists. You could also look for the autosave file and see if it is newer than the .bak.

So, you're unprepared.. there is no .bak or autosave file. You'd better hope there is a backup of your file. If you didn't just start your drawing today there may be a backup of your work. Is a tape backup performed on your computer or your network? If not, you're in trouble. If so, track down the person responsible for setting up the tape backup.

The process for retrieving the file depends on your particular device and the software it uses. If you use a mass storage device, like a Zip or Jazz drive by Iomega, retrieving files is just like copying files in Explorer. If you're using a tape device, you must use the tape device's software. Information on tapes is compressed and stored in special file formats.

Hint: Don't wait until disaster strikes... Learn to use your back up software today.

When I try to open AutoCAD, I get some crazy message about maximum number of users reached and AutoCAD ends.
- Rajesh Dabhade, SR Computer, Osmanpura, Aurangabad.

This problem tends to be associated with AutoCAD r12 (if at all you are still using it) and is related to something called the password file. The password file believes another AutoCAD is currently being used and won't allow you to continue until it becomes free again. The problem is that AutoCAD not being used by another person.

To resolve this problem, look for the ACAD.PWD file. It should be located in the folder with the AutoCAD programs files. Delete this file. When you begin AutoCAD you will get a message that your configuration file is invalid. You will need to reconfigure your device and other parameters.

I accidently deleted my drawing file!
- Kirti Sarode , Indo-German Tool Room, MIDC Chikalthana, Aurangabad

If you are using Windows 95 or Window NT, you're in luck. These operating systems have a recycle bin, a folder that deleted files are moved to before actually being deleted.

To restore a file from the recycle bin, highlight it in the list and right-click. Press Restore from the menu. Your file will be restored to its original location.

Actually, DOS and Windows 3.1x have undelete functions. These are not as easy to use. Also, the ability to undelete is very dependent on time. In addition, files in a folder which has been deleted may not be restored.

Note: Files do not hang around forever in the recycle bin. You will not be able to restore a file deleted a year ago. Also, files you delete on another workstation or server may not show up in the recycle bin.

Backing Up Files

Any device meant to be used as a backup will generally allow you to perform complete backups and incremental backups. A complete backup is one in which all files are backed up. An incremental backup selects only those files that have changed, usually since the last backup. A safe and simple tape backup procedure is as follows:

Start with 16 tapes. Label one tape for each month of the year. Label four other tapes Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 & Week 5.

The Monday of the first week of each month, install the Month labeled tape.

Perform a complete backup Monday. Perform an incremental backup Tuesday-Friday.

The Monday of the second week of each month, install the Week 2 tape.

Store the Month tape in a safe, secure location, off-site if possible. This tape will not be reused.

Repeat step 2.

The Monday of the third week of each month, install the Week 3 tape.

Repeat step 4 with Week 2 tape.

Repeat step 2.

The Monday of the fourth week of each month, install the Week 4 tape.

Repeat step 4 with Week 3 tape.

Repeat step 2.

The Monday of the fifth week (if there is a fifth week) of each month, install the Week 5 tape.

Repeat step 4 with Week 4 tape.

Repeat step 2.

Repeat the process at the beginning of each month.

This approach only works if the tape capacity is sufficient for a full backup and all the incremental backups.

More Reasons - More Solutions

Memory conflicts can cause fatal system errors, as can certain non-AutoCAD issues. If none of the items in the tables fits your situation, other potential sources for AVs (access violations) include, but are not limited to: incompatible graphics drivers, pointing and plotting drivers, conflicting applications in memory, incorrect system date and time settings, antivirus applications, non-VCPI compliant memory manager applications, and corrupt AutoCAD drawings.

Troubleshooting Process Reboot. When you see Starting Windows 95 select F8. Select Safe mode (only mouse, keyboard and standard VGA drivers are loaded or Safe mode with network support if you need to access the network. If AutoCAD runs properly, the problem is with some other item loading into memory.

Troubleshoot the problem

Bypass the Registry, autoexec.bat, and config.sys files during bootup. Reboot. When you see Starting Windows 95, select F8 and choose Step-by-step Confirmation. Respond N to all prompts except:

Device=C:\Windows\Himem.sys: Yes
Device=C:\Windows\Ifshlp.sys: Yes
Device=C:\Windows\Setver: Yes
Load the Windows Graphical User Interface: Yes
Load all Windows drivers: Yes
Run AutoCAD. If the problem persists, see Disabling 32-bit Device Drivers.

If the problem is gone, repeat the bootup steps, but process the System Registry. Run AutoCAD. If the problem persists, the cause is in the registry.

Solution: Contact Microsoft Windows 95 Support and replace the current copy of the registry with a good version without the problem setting.

If the problem does not occur, repeat the bootup process as before, but process the config.sys file. Run AutoCAD. If the problem persists, config.sys contains an error.

Solution: Inspect the config.sys file and contact Autodesk or Microsoft Technical Support to determine the problem entry.

If the problem is gone, reboot and include the autoexec.bat file you want to process. Run AutoCAD. If the problem happens again, this file is the source.

Solution: Work with Autodesk or Microsoft Support to determine which entry is the cause.

If the problem is still not gone, try the following:

Disable 32-bit device drivers
Start up in Safe Mode. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel | System | Device Manager. Click the [+] next to Display Adapters | Properties.

In the Device Usage area, clear Original Configuration check box and select OK (retail version). For the Release 2 version, uncheck Exist in All Profiles Box | Disable in this profile box.

Repeat this process for all devices except for System Devices. Reboot AutoCAD to see if this eliminates the problem.

If the problem is gone, one or more 32-bit drivers caused the problem. Enable a few drivers (make note of which ones), restart the computer, and run AutoCAD.

If the problem occurs again, one of the recently enabled drivers is the source of the problem. Disable each driver seperately, reboot, and run AutoCAD until you find the driver that is causing errors.

Solution: Contact Autodesk or Microsoft Support for assistance reloading or replacing the bad driver.

If the problem persists, enable all drivers that were disabled and bypass Autoloading Applications.

To do this, press < Ctrl > during boot (this forces Windows 95 to bypass the Load/Run= lines in win.ini and items in Startup).
Release the key after the Windows GUI is up.
< Ctrl > < Alt > < Del > makes sure only Explorer and possibly systray.exe are running.
Use the End Task button to stop any other drivers.
Repeat < Ctrl > < Alt > < Del > and use End Task until all other drivers are stopped. Run AutoCAD and see if the error reoccurs.

If the problem persists, see Renaming win.ini.

If the problem is gone, the cause is an autoloaded application. Autoloaded applications load from three locations: the Load/Run lines in the win.ini file, the Startup folder, and the Run key in the system registry.

Disabling Autoload Applications

To disable any autoloading applications, select Start | Run and open SYSEDIT.

Close the autoexec.bat and config.sys windows. Make the win.ini document window current and find the following section:

[Windows]
load=
run=
NullPort=None

If no applications are listed, close the System Configuration Editor without saving and go to Removing Programs from the Startup Folder. If any applications are listed on the Load= or Run= lines, comment them out with a semicolon:

[Windows]
load=
run=
NullPort=None

Save the file and exit SYSEDIT. Reboot, run AutoCAD, and check for the problem. If the problem persists, open SYSEDIT, remove the semicolons you added, save the file, exit, and go to Removing Program from Startup Folder.

If the problem is gone, the cause is an application. Run SYSEDIT, remove the semicolons you added to win.ini, save, exit, and reboot. If the problem persists, an application loaded on these lines is the cause. Add the semicolon to either Load= or Run=, save the file, reboot, and see if the problem occurs.

If the problem is gone, an application loaded from the commented line is the source of the problem.

Solution: Contact the application�s manufacturer or Autodesk Support for help.

Remove Programs from the Start Up folder

Using Explorer, go to Windows | Start Menu | Programs | Startup. Select Edit | Select All | Edit | Cut.

Make a new folder in the C: drive and name it, for example, Original-Startup.

Open the new folder and choose Edit | Paste to move your shortcuts from Startup to the new folder.

Close all applications and reboot. Once the system is completely booted, run the program to see if the problem persists.

If the problem occurs again, open Explorer, go to the new folder, and select the shortcuts you put there.

Select Edit | Cut.

Go to C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\ and select Edit | Paste. Go to the section Renaming the win.ini.

If the problem does not recur, an application loaded via Startup caused the problem. To determine which application, open Explorer and go to the folder you created. Highlight one shortcut and choose Edit | Cut. Go to C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. Then Edit | Paste to add this shortcut(s) to the Startup folder. Close all applications and reboot. Run AutoCAD to see if the problem persists.

If the problem appears, the application you just added is the cause of the problem.

Solution: Contact the application�s manufacturer or Autodesk support for assistance.

If the problem does not recur, repeat the preceeding steps to add another shortcut to the Startup Folder, then restart the computer. Repeat these steps until you determine which application is problematic.

Rename WIN.INI

First launch Explorer, then go to C:\Windows and select win.ini, then to edit the file name. Select End. Change the extension from .ini to x01. Press Enter and click Yes if an alert box appears. Close Explorer and reboot. Run AutoCAD to see if the problems persists.

Windows 95 has recreated a new win.ini file that contains only what the system encounters during the boot process, and it rebuilds as you use the system and applications.

If the problem persists, see Recreate a clean system.ini.

If the problem does not recur, a system or application file that loads in the win.ini file caused the problem. Continue to use the new win.ini file because it is functional in its current state.

Note: Multimedia information is sometimes not re-entered and can cause functionality problems. If you encounter such troubles, uninstall and reinstall the multimedia components located in Start | Settings | Control Panel | Multimedia | Advanced | Audio Compression Codes. You install these components through the Add New Hardware option in the Control Panel. For assistance, contact Microsoft Windows 95 Technical Support.

Recreate a clean system.ini file

First, launch Explorer and locate the system.ini file in the Windows folder. Highlight system.ini, press , press End key, and change the extension to x01. Press Enter. Select system.cb in the Windows directory, then Edit | Copy. Place a copy of system.cb in the same directory, then Edit | Paste. Rename

Copy of system.cb to system.ini

Open the file in Notepad. Locate the [Boot] and [386Enh] sections and add the appropriate information to the file to match the following example. Do not remove the additional information in this file. If this section does not exist, create it as follows:

[Boot]
drivers=mmsystem.dll
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
comm.drv=comm.drv
system.drv=system.drv
display=pnpdrvr.drv
*DisplayFallback=0

[386Enh]
mouse=*vmouse

Go to File | Save and exit Notepad and Explorer. Reboot. Run AutoCAD to see if the problem persists. By process of elimination, the problem should be resolved.

If the problem persists, a driver or setting loaded from the system.ini is the source. To determine the specific setting or driver in question, contact Autodesk Support or Microsoft support for assistance.

Restore your original system.ini

Launch Explorer and go to C:\Windows. Right-click on system.ini, Delete, and answer Yes. Right-click on system.x01, pick Rename, press End, then change X01 back to INI to restore the name to system.ini. Press Enter. Your original system.ini file is restored. Close all applications and reboot.

Clear items from the Registry run key

If you performed all the troubleshooting instructions in this document without resolving the problem, you may want to clear items from the Run key in the registry.

Editing the system registry is dangerous and costly. Neither Autodesk nor Microsoft Technical Support supports editing the registry, and you should do this only as a last resort. Do not attempt, under any circumstances, to edit the registry without explicit directions from a trained and authorized Windows 95 Technical Support Representative. Contact Windows 95 Technical Support so that a technician can assist you in clearing this key correctly so as not to cause additional problems. Microsoft Technical Support does not support editing the registry, and agreement to do such is purely at the discretion of the technician involved. Autodesk Product Support does not support or endorse editing the system registry.

Memory Conflicts

AV (access violation) Error condition Solution

418520h, 418952h, 418950h, 94e3b0h Files that contain Lwplines or ellipses that you edited with Lengthen. Open a new, empty file, insert the problem file, and explode it.

4065b5h, 406575h Opening Release 12 DWGs in a Release 14 installation that has a modified acad.fmp file. Get a clean acad.fmp file from the Release 14 CD-ROM.

418520h Opening Release 12 DWGs that contain duplicate handles. Use Handles to destroy the handles. Or open the file in Release 13, save it, exit Release 13, and then open it in Release 14.

467249h Running Release 14 on dual-processor or dual processor-compliant systems, various causes. Apply Autodesk�s mtalctrl.exe patch.

426dech, 426e1ch Occurs in certain situations when an intersection Osnap involves a line with a nonzero thickness and an xline. None. The drawing automatically recovers the next time you open it.

xxxxxxh May occur if you alter or remove the Phantom printer driver. Reinstall driver via AutoCAD Setup|Add, select OLE/ADI Plot item. Reboot system.

xxxxxxh Release 14�s education version locks up when About Release 14 Screen displays. Reinstall Phantom driver via AutoCAD Setup|Add, select OLE/ADI Plot item.

xxxxxxh If you�ve clean-booted your system and have the latest drivers and patches for your operating system, AutoCAD, and peripherals, but can still reproduce the problem by following a specific sequence of commands that normally work, then it may be an AutoCAD defect. Let Autodesk know via your reseller, the Bug Report form in the back of the installation guide, or the Autodesk Web site.

Known non-AutoCAD Issues

AV (access violation) Error condition a931ce0h, xxxxxxh The host board (motherboard) or Cyrix CPU can cause this.

If the error is with the Cyrix CPU, the address may change.

To test, turn off the on-board chip cache.

If no other access violations occur, contact Cyrix.

If the problem continues, have someone check the hardware.

1e012624h Occurs when you open a file on system using ELSA GLoria Synergy display configuration with PowerView 3D feature.

Uninstall PowerView 3D feature and check with ELSA for latest drivers.

33404fcbh RAM problems. Switch RAM chips from fastpage to EDO.

bff78053h Adobe Type Manager on Windows 95 PCs. To test, run AutoCAD in safe mode.

If AutoCAD runs fine, suspect the ATM.

Disable this driver and see Adobe Web page for more details on configuring ATM to work with other system drivers.