Expert: Bob - 9/18/2008

Question
I am using AutoCAD 2006.

Two queries. First, my autocad sessions routinely crash when I am doing one of two things. Either trying to hatch something in model space, or copy/pasting something in paper space. When I say routinely, I mean maybe two or three times per week. I get the little hour glass, and then the dreaded "AutoCAD has quit unexpectedly" message. Which is not true because I AM expecting this!

Second, I have my autosave set to one minute. Yet, one of two things happen when my Autocad session 'expectedly' quits. The drawing recovery manager saves a .bak file and a .sv$ file, or I just get a .bak file. The .sv$ file is always the better option, but sometimes the drawing recovery manager doesn't give me this option. What's the difference? Why do I only get one option sometimes and both options other times? Why does my one minute autosave not seem to work? And most importanly, what can I do differently to prevent autocad from crashing so often ion the first place? My system minimum exceeds the minimum requirements. Do I need a new processor? New computer?

Thanks!!!!!!!!

Answer
Hi

Really two parts of the same question, which I cant reply to precisely, because
__My system minimum exceeds the minimum requirements__
is not an accurate description of your system.

When home computers come now with 2 gigs of ram standard, you should have upgraded --- buy more ram today, it's cheap, and may improve the other problems. Your graphics card may be inadequate, too, I dont know. I think with 2007 they went from MINIMUM to SUGGESTED requirements, which are much higher. intended for real use. Google autocad 2009 system requirements, and be sure you are ahead of them. if possible.

Complicated hatch in large complicated drawings, expecially when 200' or more from 0,0 === lots of crashes. But maybe you do simple drawings, I cant tell.  Twice a week is nothing, not noteworthy, even on fairly simple work, but more ram can cut down hatch related crashing.
I am suspecting your work is simple, because super complicated drawings with lots of hatch have been know to "crash back past the last save" -- less on recent releases.
PS_ I hope you have your hatches, on the proper layers, in your tool palette, and drag them in, rather than using the hatch commmands. If I need an unusual hatch, I drag in one I have, and double click it to edit to the proper one, nowadays.

As for the Autosave, FIVE minutes is already obsessive -- that's what I use on very complicated drawings. One minute is very eccentric.

I cant help you with the lack of an autosave dwg in that one-minute time frame -- maybe the crash is at the 59th second, lol.  Of course the bak file is created by your manual save only. I presume you also look for the autosave file in its folder, in case AutoCAD missed it while crashing.

I hope this helps --

BOB