The information in this article applies to:
Recently, I experienced a computer malfunction while working in the software and now when I try to open my plan file, an error message tells me that it cannot be opened by the program. What can I do to recover at least some of my work?
ANSWER
In the event that file corruption has occurred, and you're unable to successfully open one of your project files, you may be able to reference a backup copy located in the Archives.
Note: Archive files should not be viewed as a substitute for regularly saving your work, nor should they be considered an alternative to your own file backup routine. It's important to understand that Archive files may not reflect the progress you have made in a given project, the state of the model, or any other criteria that you might consider to be important.
To open and save an Archive file
- Launch the program and select Open Plan or Open Layout .
- Browse to your program's Data folder, which is located in the Documents directory by default, and open the Archives folder.
For example, the file path for Chief Architect Premier X16 on a Microsoft Windows machine may be:
C:\Users\ [YOUR USERNAME] \Documents\Chief Architect Premier X16 Data\Archives
And on an Apple macOS machine:
/Users/ [YOUR USERNAME] /Documents/Chief Architect Premier X16 Data/Archives
- Locate the Archive folder with the name of the file that you're hoping to recover and open it.
- Open the most recently saved file in this folder.
Note: Every time a drawing is created and saved, Archive files that keep a historical archive of your plan are automatically created or updated. Files can be archived by hour, day or most recent save. They are renamed according to which archiving option is selected in the Preferences dialog. In the image above, the Archive file is titled Dalton Remodel_2023_02_10, which is a daily archive.
As you work, Chief Architect products automatically create Auto Save files at regular intervals when changes are made to a file but are not saved. These Auto Save files are appended _auto_save.plan or _auto_save.layout.
Auto save files created as a result of an improper program shutdown are appended _auto_save_bak.plan or _auto_save_bak.layout. If your computer shuts down accidentally, you can recover some of your work by opening the _auto_save_bak file.
- Note any error or warning messages that may appear, and examine it for missing data or other problems. If the file appears to be affected by corruption, close it without saving and open the file that was saved prior to that one.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you find a version of the file that does not appear to have any problems associated with it, then select File> Save Asfrom the menu.
- In the Save Plan File dialog that opens, choose an appropriate location to save the file to, specify a desired name for the file, then click Save.
Do not save this file in the Archives folder, nor in the programs Data folder.
Please see the "Organizing your Plan and Layout Files" resource in the Related Articles section below to learn more about the recommended practices for where to save your files.
- Going forward, this newly saved file is the one that you will work with.
If you have retrieved an archive file that contains views that have been sent to a layout*, some views may need to be re-linked. Please see the "Message: Could not successfully open all of this layout's associated plan files" resource in the Related Articles section below if you experience this message when opening the associated layout.
*Layouts are available in Chief Architect Premier, Chief Architect Interiors, and Home Designer Pro.
In Chief Architect Premier and Chief Architect Interiors, you can also specify how many Archives are created on the File Management panel of Preferences. However, it is important to note that these settings cannot guarantee full, exact restoration of your plan files under all circ*mstances.
FAQs
Browse to your program's Data folder, which is located in the Documents directory by default, and open the Archives folder. Locate the Archive folder with the name of the file that you're hoping to recover and open it. Open the most recently saved file in this folder.
How do I clean up my archive? ›
Click File > Info > Cleanup Tools > Archive, or File > Info > Tools > Clean up old items.
How do I access archives in messages? ›
To view your archived conversations, open the main menu of the Google Messages app (usually accessible by tapping on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner) and select "Archived." Here, you can find all the conversations you have archived.
What does archive mean on Messenger? ›
Archiving a conversation hides it from your inbox until the next time you chat with that person. Deleting a conversation permanently removes the message history from your inbox. Archive a conversation. 1.
How do I recover from archive? ›
When an email message is archived in Gmail, it simply means that an “Archive” label has been attached to it. So, to retrieve an archived email, you need to locate the message and remove the “Archive” label. Once you've located your archived email, open it and go to the “Move” icon in the toolbar.
Where do things go when they are archived? ›
Whether you delete or archive an email message, it disappears from your inbox. A deleted message goes into the trash folder, but an archived message is defaulted to the Archive folder or All Mail on Gmail / Google Apps.
What do I do when my archive folder is full? ›
To make room in your archive mailbox, delete any items you don't need and empty your Deleted Items folder. Learn more about archive mailboxes and storage limits.
How do I access the archive folder in Gmail? ›
To find archived emails, click on the "All Mail" label and scroll through the messages until you find the one you want. Alternatively, you can search for the message using Gmail's search bar.
Does archive still take up storage? ›
While archived messages don't have a special folder or home within Gmail, they still take up space.
How do I retrieve text messages from archive? ›
Restore archived text conversations, calls, or voicemails
Archive . Touch and hold the conversation, call, or voicemail you want to restore. Optional: To restore multiple archived items, touch and hold the first conversation, call, or voicemail, then select more items. In the top right, tap Restore conversations .
Step 1: Log into your Gmail account. Step 2: On the left side of your screen, click on “More” to display all your email folders. Step 3: Select the “All Mail” folder. In this folder, you'll find all the emails you've received or archived.
Where are my archives on my Android phone? ›
Check archive & unarchive items
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- At the bottom, tap Library. Archive.
- Select a photo. Touch and hold to select multiple photos.
- Tap More. Unarchive.
Once a chat is archived, you will still receive messages from other participants in the conversation. If you do get a message in an archived chat, you will receive a message notification and the chat will return to the main 'Chats' menu.
How do I access archived Chats? ›
How to unarchive chats in WhatsApp
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Tap on the "Chats" tab located at the top of the screen.
- Scroll down to the top of your chat list.
- Tap on "Archived."
- Tap and hold the chat to see the unarchive option.
- Press "Unarchive" to move chats to your inbox.
Archiving a chat doesn't block it or anything like that. It will be unarchived when you receive a new message in that chat. If you don't want to receive messages, you have to block the person.
How do I find archives on my Android phone? ›
Check archive & unarchive items
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- At the bottom, tap Library. Archive.
- Select a photo. Touch and hold to select multiple photos.
- Tap More. Unarchive.
Data archives can be stored on low-cost hard disk drives (HDDs), tape or optical storage that is generally slower than performance disk or flash drives. Archive storage also reduces the volume of data that must be backed up.
Where is my archived mail folder? ›
Step 1: Log into your Gmail account. Step 2: On the left side of your screen, click on “More” to display all your email folders. Step 3: Select the “All Mail” folder. In this folder, you'll find all the emails you've received or archived.
Can I retrieve photos from archive? ›
How to unarchive on Android. To unarchive an image, you'll first have to open the Archive folder and select the image. After selecting it, click the "More" icon in the top right corner and choose the "Unarchive" option. This will move your photos back to their original places on the Photos view.
or Open Layout 
.
from the menu.
. However, it is important to note that these settings cannot guarantee full, exact restoration of your plan files under all circ*mstances. 