Drawing Recovery Series - MSJ database folder

This series of articles will go over several examples of drawing recovery methods, depending on the scenario your drawing files are currently in:

• MSJ database folder 

DWG with 0 KB 

Autosave Recovery

Saved with Errors

Missing Point Elevations

MSJ Database folder

In this scenario, while the drawing is closed, you will notice that there is a .MSJ folder present in the same folder location as your drawing files. This folder is normal to be present while the drawing is open, but not while it's closed. So if you confirmed with your colleagues that nobody else currently has that drawing open, you can proceed with troubleshooting it.

First, open the folder and inspect its contents:

• If it is empty, you can delete the folder. Then proceed with opening your drawing as normal. There should be no errors upon opening it now.
• If it has content, proceed with opening the drawing as normal and follow the Drawing Recovery Options. We suggest trying the method shown below, as this will attempt to open the drawing in the most current state it was last in. But if this fails, then use the first method shown in the recovery options, as that is the last manually saved state.

There are several causes for this to happen, such as syncing programs keeping the folder present upon closing the drawing, or if your program/computer was closed unexpectedly due to a crash or power outage.

Typically syncing programs will be the cause of the MSJ folder being present and empty, as it syncs the folder itself.

MSJ folders with content is most likely due to a a crash or power outage, anything that would cause the program to close unexpectedly.

As with any of these scenarios, please contact Technical Support if you are seeing this happen frequently, or if any of the these or other recovery methods are not working for you.