# Unexpected File Format help pls **URL:** \ **Category:** SketchUp\ **Tags:** sketchup\ **Created:** [August 3, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787 "2026-08-03T14:29:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matheusstaats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@matheusstaats](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/matheusstaats)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/1 "2026-08-03T14:29:08Z")
I’m having a problem with server-saved sketchup 26 files that have crashed and on reopening it says “unexpected file type”. i don’t have a backup file also seems corrupt. Is there a way to recover these files please? I see alot of people having the same issue. > **[Salão de festas.skp](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nls9Fx2z6eg1oggW6t_xcJfEjsIgQRhX/view?usp=drive_link)** > > Google Drive file. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/2 "2026-08-03T14:38:05Z")
> [@matheusstaats](#): > > I’m having a problem with server-saved That’s a common problem. Also, your profile shows you have a Classic license. Are you using a cr acked version of SketchUp? The last 40% or so of the file is nothing but zeroes. The file is fatally corrupted. No recovery possible. ---
**Author:** ![matheusstaats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@matheusstaats](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/matheusstaats)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/3 "2026-08-03T14:44:27Z")
no i’m not using a cr4cked version lol i just selected random options when i created my account. thats a common problem and don’t have a solution??? ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/4 "2026-08-03T14:53:27Z")
> [@matheusstaats](#): > > lol i just selected random options when i created my account. That kind of thing doesn’t help you get help. Please put the right information in your profile. Put the correct info in for the graphics card, too. > [@matheusstaats](#): > > thats a common problem and don’t have a solution??? The solution is to not work on files saved directly to network locations nor to cloud-saved files. Download them to your internal drive first and then open them. Save locally while you are working on the file and copy it back to the network drive when you are finished for the day. I bet you haven’t been saving backups to Trimble Connect. Is that right? If you were you would create incremental versions and could go back to an earlier version. ---
**Author:** ![matheusstaats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@matheusstaats](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/matheusstaats)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/6 "2026-08-03T15:02:25Z")
do you work in an office with other people and/or remotely? it’s impossible to keep downloading files and then uploading them back to the cloud every time you make a change to the file just so your coworkers can have access to it as well. and i don’t use trimble connect to do whatever you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/7 "2026-08-03T15:06:26Z")
I regularly work with others. It’s not impossible to download files. > [@matheusstaats](#): > > and i don’t use trimble connect to do whatever you mentioned. You should be doing that. It’s actually set up for collaboration with others. If you are using a cr acked version of SketchUp you would first need to get a Pro or Studio subscription. ---
**Author:** ![matheusstaats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@matheusstaats](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/matheusstaats)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/9 "2026-08-03T16:17:10Z")
lol i’m not using a cr4cked version… and either way, my Pro version doesn’t help me solve a problem that has cost me days of work ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/10 "2026-08-03T16:23:08Z")
Working from a cloud service or network device is the common denominator in 90% (or more?) of these corrupted file threads we see here. You might want to learn about Trimble connect, or develop a policy for cloud _sharing_, not working. ---
**Author:** ![matheusstaats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@matheusstaats](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/matheusstaats)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/11 "2026-08-03T16:24:46Z")
not a helpful reply but thanks ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/12 "2026-08-03T16:26:29Z")
> [@matheusstaats](#): > > not a helpful reply but thanks It might be helpful to avoid this in the future. Most of the time there is nothing to recover. You’ll have to wait for someone that has time to dig into your file to come along. Dismissing everyone’s advice is a sure way to not get help though. Do you use an incremental backup software (like Time Machine on Mac)? Have you tried the SKB file? ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/13 "2026-08-03T17:06:56Z")
> [@bmike](#): > > You’ll have to wait for someone that has time to dig into your file to come along. > [@DaveR](#): > > The last 40% or so of the file is nothing but zeroes. The file is fatally corrupted. No recovery possible. The file is missing too much data to be recoverable. Unless the .skb is viable the only option is to start over. ---
**Author:** ![Elmtec-Adam](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/elmtec-adam/32/120483_2.png) [@Elmtec-Adam](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Elmtec-Adam)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/14 "2026-08-03T19:08:00Z")
Did you change something? ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/4X/0/f/a/0fa05d74c219b1bc28d45a3fee06760fc731109f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![bmike](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/bmike/32/225451_2.png) [@bmike](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/bmike)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/15 "2026-08-03T19:09:17Z")
Sorry Dave I missed that in your first post. ---
**Author:** ![DaveR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/daver/32/7601_2.png) [@DaveR](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/DaveR)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/16 "2026-08-03T19:14:45Z")
That is a different file than the one the OP originally shared. The file name is different for one thing. And of course it’s not missing the data that the first one was. I did my standard cleanup process. Fixed incorrect tag usage, reduced large textures, and merged coplanar faces and identical materieals. > **[Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rn12bhzmvn1dcftzg3e0r/Sal-o-de-festas1-PURGED.skp?rlkey=wwa2uxurj3y5ilora62aqfrfr&st=jl3syr6s&dl=0)** ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/original/3X/f/2/f2a121500b085ed60806607a82720b092d800bb3.png) [@system](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/unexpected-file-format-help-pls/348787/17 "2026-08-10T19:15:11Z")
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