SketchUp File Won’t Open – “This does not appear to be a SketchUp model” Error

Technical Problems SketchUp
1

Hello SketchUp Community,

I’m currently working on an important interior design project using SketchUp. I recently encountered a critical problem with my file. When I try to open it, SketchUp gives the following error message:

“This does not appear to be a SketchUp model.”

Here are the details:

SketchUp Version:** [ SketchUp Pro 2024]

  • Operating System:** [e.g., Windows 11 ]
  • File Size:** Approximately 53 MB
  • File Name:** Untitled.skp
  • File Type:** .skp
  • What I Tried:**
    *
    • Uploading it to SketchUp Web
    • Checking for backup or autosave files
    • Renaming any .skb or ~.skp files (none found)
    • Verifying the file structure — the file does not contain the expected “SketchUp Model” signature in the header

The file size suggests it’s not empty, but it seems to be corrupted and cannot be opened by any method I’ve tried. I’ve also zipped the file in case that helps with analysis:

image
image1790×928 36.5 KB

Click here to download

2

an SKB file or ~ file is always created when you save.

If one isn’t one, then it has not managed to finish the save process and this would explain your now corrupted file.

the files in the “working” folder are saves that are made by the autosave feature - again, if nothing is here, then this suggests that sketchup doesn’t have the permission from your computer to create save files.

99% of the time this happens to users who are sharing to network shares or things like dropbox/google drive.
But it could also be caused by user permissions errors, which can happen for a multitude of reasons including sketchup not being installed with the correct permissions - including a corrupted user profile.

3

Capture d’écran 2025-06-19 à 15.05.59
Capture d’écran 2025-06-19 à 15.05.59532×646 42.9 KB

there is stuff indeed, but that’s not the structure of a sketchup file, just raw hexadecimal…