SketchUp 2026.1.256 – "Unable to open document" / "File not found or invalid" – File won't open anymore

Technical Problems SketchUp
1

Hello everyone,

I’m hoping someone can help me recover a SketchUp model that suddenly became impossible to open.
You can file the skp here :

My setup

  • SketchUp Pro 2026
  • Version 26.1.256 (64-bit)
  • Windows 11
  • The model was created directly in SketchUp 2026.

Problem

After saving my project, the file will no longer open.

When I try File > Open, SketchUp displays:

“Impossible d’ouvrir le document.” (“Unable to open the document.”)

If I try File > Import, I can select the SKP file, but after clicking it I get:

“Fichier introuvable ou invalide.” (“File not found or invalid.”)

Files

I have:

  • the original .skp (~27.3 MB)
  • the automatic backup .skb (~23.3 MB)

Unfortunately both files produce exactly the same error.

What I’ve already tried

  • Opening with SketchUp 2026.1.256
  • Copying the files from Google Drive to a local folder on my C: drive
  • Renaming the .skb to .skp
  • Opening both files directly
  • Importing the file into a new empty model
  • Restarting SketchUp and Windows

Nothing changed.

Additional information

The files are not empty.

Someone with technical knowledge inspected the file header and found:

  • the SketchUp 2026 header is valid
  • the file size is normal
  • the file appears to contain a valid SketchUp structure
  • it does not look like a zero-byte or truncated file

So it seems the corruption is somewhere inside the model rather than the file being completely destroyed.

Storage

The project was stored in Google Drive for Desktop (drive H:).

I copied it locally before testing again, but the result is identical.

My question

Has anyone experienced this exact issue with SketchUp 2026?

Is there any way to recover this model?

Is there any internal recovery tool available before contacting Trimble Support?

I can upload the .skp file if needed.

Thank you very much for any help.

2

You have to make the file accessible.

The damage was probably already done before you copied it to the local drive.

Probably but it’s hard to say until we see your file.

Probably not. The SketchUp folks have some tools but depending on the damage they may not be usable.

3

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your answer.

This is the direct link to the file :

(accessible)

4

Your file opened just fine for me. Looks like this:

Screenshot - 7_22_2026 , 1_50_31 PM
Screenshot - 7_22_2026 , 1_50_31 PM1191×804 155 KB

I did my usual cleanup by first running Purge All.
Screenshot - 7_22_2026 , 1_50_58 PM
Screenshot - 7_22_2026 , 1_50_58 PM371×237 44.1 KB

Then I ran CleanUp3 to merge coplanar edges and duplicate materials.
Screenshot - 7_22_2026 , 1_52_03 PM
Screenshot - 7_22_2026 , 1_52_03 PM255×189 3.76 KB

See if this version will open for you.
Copy of Projet MACQUET 3D PURGED.skp (13.0 MB)

DO NOT work on files saved directly to Google Drive or any other cloud location. Always download them onto the internal drive on your computer before opening them. If you must save the file to Google Drive for some reason, copy it from the internal drive after final save and closing of the model file in SketchUp.

I would suggest that in addition to saving on your internal drive you save backups to Trimble Connect. Your SketchUp Pro subscription includes unlimite storage for SketchUp files on Trimble Connect and each time you save the model to Trimble Connect it generates an incremental save.

5

Thank you so much, Dave!

It works perfectly now! :blush:

I was afraid I had lost my work, so I’m incredibly relieved.

Thank you for taking the time to open my file, clean it up, and explain what you did. I really appreciate your help and your advice about not working directly from Google Drive. I’ll definitely change my workflow from now on.

Thanks again for your time and generosity!