Sometimes, I forget to save my project when creating art in Krita. Then, Krita suddenly crashes before I have a chance to save.
If this happens to you, don’t panic yet.
Fortunately, Krita features an Autosave function.
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What is Autosave in Krita?
Krita automatically saves your document if you haven’t manually saved it. The program will autosave every 15 minutes.
Autosave ensures your art files are automatically saved in case you forget to save the document, or if there’s a sudden crash or shutdown.
However, remember that if you close Krita normally, particularly after selecting ‘No’ on the popup warning asking if you want to save the document, Krita will delete the autosaved files.
Therefore, you can only recover autosaved files in the event of an unexpected crash in Krita or a sudden shutdown of your PC/laptop.
Unexpected crashes can happen when using a high-resolution canvas and too many layers in Krita. So, make sure your system meets Krita’s system requirements before using the application for drawing and painting.
But how do you locate the autosaved file?
Where is the Autosaved Krita File in Windows?
You can locate the autosaved Krita art project in Windows by accessing the %TEMP% folder. To find the %TEMP% folder, navigate to this location:
C: > Users > [User Name] > AppData > Local > Temp.
You will need to scroll through the folder to find the file.
The file will have a .kra extension and will be named in the format: .krita-random number-document number-autosave.kra.
For example, a Krita autosave file might be named: .krita-12549-document_1-autosave.kra.
On the other hand, if you have saved your project at least once, the autosave file will bear the name you chose, followed by ‘-autosave.kra’, and will be located in the same directory where you saved the original file.
These files are usually hidden. You need to adjust your folder view settings to view hidden files, including the AppData folder, which is often not visible by default.
In any folder window, go to View > Show > Hidden Items. This action will reveal the AppData folder and any hidden autosaved files.
Where is the Autosaved Krita File in MacOS?
The location for the Krita autosave file in macOS is in your home directory. Most MacBook users rarely open their home directory, so here are the steps to access it.
- First, open the Finder app
- On the top menu, click the Go > Home menu.
- Just like in Windows, the autosaved file is also hidden in MacOS. To unhide it, Press Cmd ⌘ + + Shift + . in your keyboard
How To Recover Unsaved Krita File using Autosave
After finding the files, simply click the file to open the document.
Keep in mind that the autosaved files can be automatically deleted depending on your OS settings, so immediately save your project after finding it.
If Krita experiences a sudden crash, you don’t need to find the autosaved file since opening Krita will give you a popup window reminding you that “The following autosave file can be recovered:”
Simply choose the file and Click OK to open the autosave file.
If Krita keeps experiencing crashes, consider increasing memory allocation in Krita by following our Improving Krita Performance in Your Laptop and PC guide.
Where is the Autosaved Krita File in Linux, Android Tablet & Chromebook OS?
To access the autosave file in Krita on Linux, Android Tablets, and Chromebook OS, follow these steps:
- Open your file manager.
- Navigate to the home directory. This can be done by selecting the ‘Home’ folder or by typing ~/ in the address bar.
- Similar to macOS and Windows, the autosave file might be hidden. To view hidden files in most Linux file managers, you can press Ctrl + H.
The method to show hidden files on Android Tablets and Chromebook OS may vary depending on your file manager.
For Android Tablet, first download the file manager from the Play Store. Using the file manager, open Android > Data
Try to find the Krita folder and open it
How to Unhide Autosaved Files Permanently
To permanently unhide the autosave files in Krita, open the Krita settings and click ‘General’.
Next, navigate to the ‘File Handling’ menu. Here, you will find an option labeled ‘Unnamed autosave files are hidden by default’.
Uncheck this Option and click OK to save changes.
