Hi Everyone, I hope someone might be able to help me with my issue. I have gone through so many posts already about the same issue and have tried different things to recover my files. Whenever I try to open my SketchUp file, it sends the error message that the document failed to open. It does the same thing for the backup file. I have tried renaming them and moving them from my USB, where it was stored, onto the computer itself. Neither of which works. I am at a loss for what to do, but I need this file ASAP, because it would take me a week to rebuild, which is time I do not have before it is due to be submitted. Any advice?
@colin@DaveR@ateliernab, I’ve seen you all try to help on a lot of posts with this same issue. Is there any way either of you is able to look at my files and see if you have any suggestions on what I can do?
I am using it through my college, not the web one. I’m working through a remote desktop software that lets me work off of the school computers from home. I can just see that it is SketchUp 2025, but I am not seeing if it is a particular version other that it’s an educational license.
I tried but wasn’t successful at opening either file. Colin might have better success if he has time to look at it. Where were you saving the file while working on it?
Please remove the screenshot of the license page. No need to be sharing that information with the world.
You have a SketchUp EDU license, not SketchUp for Schools.
I was saving it on a USB, because I have to be able to bring the file with me to and from class. From all the reading I have been doing today, I now know that it is a bad idea to work on the project in that way.
You can save a copy to Trimble connect, it’s a safe backup and it lets you open a file on any computer or even iPad. SketchUp 2026 has new features for sharing files and save them to Trimble connect, if you can you should upgrade to the latest version, I also find it more stable than 2025.
I was trying to figure out Trimble Connect, but wasn’t finding much help in my online searches to be able to figure it out. So only if I upgrade to SketchUp 2026, I can use Trimble Connect? Or is there a way for me to do it with the 2025 version, too, and with me not being able to open the file at all?
No, you can use Trimble connect with any supported version, I just said that SketchUp 2026 has more features to share files and uploading them to the cloud( Trimble connect)
You can’t open the file cause it’s corrupted, you said you read some threads that say that saving files on external drives or just the cloud can damage your file, sometimes it can be fully or partially recovered with some tools that Colin has but most of the times there’s no way to recover them cause there’s a lot of missing data.
Okay, thank you for explaining this. I would be thrilled just to have partials of the file recovered, because it’s my final project for my class, and I spent a week working on it daily. I was opening it to LiveSync it with Lumion today to get my renderings done for the project, but then I could not open the file. Super frustrating when having invested so much time in it and being on such a time crunch for the due date of the project. I’m gonna remain hopeful that Colin sees this post and might have a magic trick up his sleeve that can help me recover even just partials of the file.
Besides that, what do you recommend I store the file on to make it good for having to take it with me between my home computer and the school computer? I would hate for this to happen again, and I know I will have more models to build in the future, so any advice on the best way to work on files between multiple computers is greatly appreciated! I’ll definitely try to upgrade to SketchUp 2026 as you suggested.
Just always save your files to the local drive. You can use any cloud platform you prefer to save backups as well, we recommend Trimble Connect because it´s included with your license, there´s no space limits and it makes automatic copies every time you save.