When it comes to eliminating data loss in SOLIDWORKS, the golden rule is to save your files often. However, we understand that this may not always be applicable when you’re in the middle of your design, and the last thing you want to do is remember an additional step. To help you with this, SOLIDWORKS has implemented two functions that when coupled together, work as a perfect solution.
The functions are SOLIDWORKS Backup and Save Notifications, which are found in Tools > Options > System Options > Backup/Recovery.
Using the Backup function in SOLIDWORKS, you are able to save additional copies of your file automatically. When you save a file (with the same name), SOLIDWORKS will rename the existing saved file as a Backup, and store it in your Backup directory.
Essentially, the Backup tool enables you to have your file saved as one version before the last saved version of the current file. This is extremely useful in case a file is damaged or corrupted. You will be able to use the backup which was saved before any of the last changes were made and will not have to start from scratch.
You can save up to 10 backups for each file either in the same directory as the source file or a specified directory.
To prevent the backup files from taking up storage space on your hard drive, an option can be set to automatically remove backup files after a specified number of days. This will enable you to keep your backup directory clean, easy to manage, and uncluttered.
To use the Backup tool effectively, the source files should be saved periodically. To do this, you can set up a save notification that will remind you if an open document has not been saved after a preset amount of time. A small notification would pop-up on the bottom right corner of SOLIDWORKS.
To set this notification up, simply check the box in your settings that says “Show reminder if document has not been saved for” and set the amount of time. You can also check “Automatically dismiss after” and this will automatically hide the save notification message after a preset amount of time.
So make sure to turn on these two options to help you save your data, and save the day!