DWG versions and the "created by a newer version" error

DWG is not one format but a family of formats sharing a name. Autodesk changes it every few years, and an older AutoCAD cannot open a newer file — the other direction works, this one does not. The message you get is usually: "This drawing was created by a newer version."

The version table

The first six bytes of the file state the version, and AutoCAD's year name is not the same thing as the code inside the file:

Note that the 2013 code (AC1027) stayed in use for five years. A file described as "a 2016 file" is in fact a 2013-format file.

What to ask the sender for

The practical sentence is: "Could you save it down to 2013 and resend?" In AutoCAD that is one entry in the file-type list of the Save As dialog; it costs the sender nothing, and 2013 opens almost everywhere today. An even safer request is DXF: "Could you also send a 2013 DXF?" DXF is text-based and far more forgiving across versions.

Reasons other than the version

• A truncated download. Compare the size with the sender's copy; if it is short by a few hundred kilobytes, download it again.
• The wrong extension. A file called .dwg may actually be a DXF or a ZIP. Renaming it can be the whole fix.
• Genuine corruption. A copy interrupted mid-transfer or a crashed session leaves the file half-written; this is where recovery is worth trying.
• Password protection. Older AutoCAD releases could encrypt a drawing. Without the password there is nothing to be done.

A rule for the files you send

Saving to the newest version gains you nothing when a file leaves your office; it only raises the chance the recipient cannot open it. Saving to 2013 — or to 2004 for public-sector work — removes half the "can you resend this" emails before they are written. If you are sending it to be printed, attach a scaled PDF as well: the recipient can then read the dimensions even if the drawing itself defeats them.