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Repair STP File

STP file store 3-D graphic data. File corrupts due to virus attack, file transfer error, system crash and corrupt program used to open file. In this article we will dicuss about manual solutions to recover 3D graphic file.

What is STP File?

STP or STEP file format stands for standard for the exchange of product model data. STP file extension is used to store 3-D graphic data. These files store data in text-based ASCII format. STEP is an ISO standard used for exchanging 3-D data.

MIME Type:

application/step

Programs Used To Open STP File :

  • Autodesk Fusion 360
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Free CAD
  • SolidWorks
  • Autodesk Inventor
  • TurboCAD
  • AutoCAD

Causes Of Corruption :

  • Corrupt System files
  • File Transfer Error
  • File is stored or transferred as a Zip file and file gets damaged
  • Use of older version of software to open STP file
  • System Crash
  • Corrupted hard disk drive
  • Virus attack

Read about how to repair STP file.

Common Errors

  • "The File or Directory is corrupted and unreadable"
  • "xyz.stp failed to load"
  • "Read error on file _catalogs/lt/yourtemplatename.stp"
  • "Empty parts when opening .Stp Files"

Repair STP File – Manual Guide

Solution #

Resolution for error "Empty parts when opening .Stp Files" :

Cause : Template being used from a previous SolidWorks version.

Follow steps to repair STP file:

Open your templates in the current version of SolidWorks software then save the template .

Or

Create a new template in the current SolidWorks software version by following :
Go to Tools > Options > Default Templates dialog

Solution #

Resolve error "Read error on file _catalogs/lt/yourtemplatename.stp" and rebuild STP :

  • Start your computer and log on as an administrator.
  • Click Start button then select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools and then click System Restore.
  • In system restore window, select "Restore my computer to an earlier time" option and then click Next
  • Select most recent system restore point from "On this list ", click "restore point" from list, and then click Next.
  • Click Next on confirmation window.
  • Reboot the system when the restoration is finished.

Solution #

Follow steps to repair STP file :

  • Press window button and Q
  • Type "command prompt"
  • Right click command prompt and select "Run as administrator"
  • Change directory to the folder where the corrupted Zip file is located
  • Type: "C:\Program Files\WinZip\wzzip " -yf zipfile.zip
  • Press Enter

Note : WZZIP create a new Zip file with a FIXED suffix in the file name.

Solution #

Run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe)

System File Checker inbuilt utility in Windows that allow users to scan Windows system files and restore corrupted files.

Follow steps to repair step files :

  • In search box write command prompt.

  • Right click command prompt and select "Run as Administrator".

  • Type the following command into the Command Prompt window and press Enter to run system scan and recover STP file:
    sfc /scannow

  • sfc/scannow command scan all system files, and replace corrupted files with a cached copy that is located in folder located at %WinDir%\System32\dllcache
    Note : WinDir represents Windows OS system folder.

Solution #

Manually Repair corrupted system files :

Follow given steps to fix stp :

  • In search box write command prompt.
  • Right click command prompt and select "Run as Administrator".
  • Take administrative authorization of the corrupted system file. Type below given command and then press enter :
    takeown /f Path_And_File_Name
  • Grant administrator full access to corrupted system files. To do this type the following command, and then press enter :
    icacls Path_And_File_Name/GRANT ADMINISTRATORS:F
  • Replace corrupted system file with good copy of file. Type the following command, and then press enter :
    Copy Source_File Destination

Solution #

Using Windows Troubleshooter repair STP file :

  • Press Windows key + Q
  • Type troubleshooting. Screen gets displayed as shown below :

  • Click "Troubleshooting" from left menu.

  • Click "View all".
  • "Troubleshoot computer problems" window opens up.
  • User can choose from the list such as "hardware and devices".

  • Click Next to detect the problem.
  • Choose option "apply the fix" to resolve the problem and restore STP.

Avoid Data Loss By Using Tips :

  • Use Autosave feature : It is a feature that saves the opened file automatically . It protects the data in case of system crash or power failure.
  • Backup : It is process of copying the original data so that in case of data loss event back up copy of data can be used. User can use a online applications to back- up data or use an in-buit back up feature in softwares :

Conclusion

STP file is one of the commonly used file format. In this article we have discussed about causes of corruption, common errors and solutions to repair STP file. If manual solutions fail to recover 3D graphic file then use a third party professional tool.