Overview
After a fatal exception or crash, FireCAD and AutoCAD provide recovery mechanisms for both the FireCAD project (.atp) file and the drawing (.dwg) file. Following the steps below ensures you restore the latest connections, circuits, and device placements up to the moment of the crash. Most information can be recovered within the last autosave interval (typically 10 minutes).
Step 1: Save the Recovered Project File
When AutoCAD or FireCAD shuts down unexpectedly, a recovery prompt may appear. If you are prompted to save a drawing recovery file, always click Yes.
After restarting the program, a message similar to the one below indicates that the FireCAD project shut down unexpectedly and asks whether to save a recovered file to the original project folder. Click Yes.
This creates an additional file in the project folder named [PROJECTNAME]_yy-mm-ddThh-mm-ss_recovered.atp. This file contains the latest project connections and devices up to the moment of the crash.
Step 2: Recover the Drawing File First
The program may open the AutoCAD Drawing Recovery window.
Important: Recover the drawing with Drawing Recovery before opening the recovered project file.
Review the available files, determine which is the latest version of the drawing you want to recover, and open it. If the recovered drawing has a different file name than the original (for example, a .bak or ac$ autosave extension), save it back to the original file name in the original project folder.
This step matters because the FireCAD project file is linked to the drawing by name. If the names do not match, FireCAD will treat the drawing as new and show no connected devices.
Step 3: Open the Recovered Project File
Once the drawing is saved with its original name, open the recovered project file. You can optionally rename it to remove the date/time stamp — this file is the most up-to-date version of the project.
Step 4: Validate Device Connections
Open the drawing and click Validate Devices to confirm everything remains connected.
Related Articles
FireCAD is the industry-leading AutoCAD add-in for fire alarm system design — from circuit layout to wire routing to code-compliant reports.
Learn more and get started at getfirecad.com →
Inspect Point Integration — Fire alarm system device lists and bill of materials can be pushed directly from FireCAD into Inspect Point, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring every device is ready for inspection scheduling and ongoing asset management.
Learn more here →