Recovering a View from Auto-Save Backups

VDM automatically creates backup copies of Views when they are saved. These backups can be used to recover an earlier version of a View if needed.

Find the Configured Views Folder

Auto-save backups are stored under the folder configured for Views in VDM Settings.

To locate the configured Views folder:

1. Open Settings in VDM.
2. Locate Folder Locations.
3. Find the Views entry.
4. Note the configured folder path.

The Views folder location configured in VDM Settings.

Locate the AutoSaveBackups Folder

Open the configured Views folder in File Explorer.

Inside the Views folder, open:

AutoSaveBackups

The backup location follows this format:

<Configured Views Folder>\AutoSaveBackups

For example:

C:\Users\<UserName>\Documents\BridgeWorks VDM\Views\AutoSaveBackups

The actual location may vary depending on how the Views folder is configured.

VDM AutoSaveBackups folder containing automatically saved View backups.

Identify the Backup You Need

Backup filenames contain information that can help identify the correct file, including:

• VDM version
• Backup date
• Backup time
• Original View name

For example:

2026_8_5_0_08262026_114315_Demo-Commissions.vdm

Use the date and time in the filename to locate the version of the View you want to recover.

Recover the View

After locating the appropriate backup:

1. Copy the backup file from the AutoSaveBackups folder.
2. Paste the copy into a working folder.
3. Rename the file if needed so it is easy to identify.
4. Open the recovered .vdm file in VDM.
5. Review the View to confirm it contains the version you need.
6. Save the recovered View to the desired location.

Important: Work from a copy of the backup file rather than modifying the original file stored in the AutoSaveBackups folder.

Related articles

• How to Check Your VDM Version
• Support - Requested Information
• VDM Version History Archive