Last updated on September 30, 2026. Version 27.0.
Archi Backup copies Autodesk® Construction Cloud® (ACC) and BIM 360® projects to a local drive, a NAS or network share, or an S3-compatible bucket, checks every file, and keeps the copy current on a schedule.
It only reads from Autodesk. It never uploads, changes or deletes anything in your hubs.
Requirements
- Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. Setup installs the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime if it is missing.
- An Autodesk sign-in that can see the accounts and projects you want to back up.
- Archi Backup approved once on each Autodesk account, by an account administrator (see Approve Archi Backup in Autodesk).
- Local administrator rights to install (one UAC prompt). Ordinary user rights to run.
- Outbound HTTPS only. No inbound ports or firewall rules are needed.
Install
- Run
ArchiBackup_install_<version>.exeand accept the licence terms. - Choose how to activate: Start a free 14-day trial (name and email, then a 6-digit PIN sent by email), or enter a licence key.
- Keep or clear the options: Start Menu shortcut, desktop shortcut, and Run backups on a schedule.
- Press Install and approve the UAC prompt.
Where backups go is chosen in the app, per job, not in the installer.
Sign in to Autodesk
Open Archi Backup and click Connect. Your browser opens the Autodesk sign-in page; the app never sees your Autodesk password. Later launches reuse the stored sign-in.
The first run offers a short setup guide: sign in, choose Take one copy now or Keep a copy up to date, and choose where copies go.
Approve Archi Backup in Autodesk
If you are signed in but the hub list is empty, the Autodesk account has not approved Archi Backup yet. This is not a fault. Archi Backup opens a helper screen with the steps, the Client ID to copy and an Email my administrator button.
ACC
Account Admin → Settings → Custom Integrations → Add custom integration → paste the Client ID shown in Archi Backup → name it “Archi Backup” → save.
BIM 360
BIM 360 Account Admin → Settings → Custom Integrations → Add Custom Integration → select both access levels (account and project) → paste the Client ID → name it “Archi Backup” → save.
- Always take the Client ID from the Archi Backup approval screen.
- No Custom Integrations tab means the person signed in is not an account administrator.
- Accounts in different Autodesk regions are separate accounts, and each needs the approval.
Create a backup job
A job is a saved backup: what to copy, where to, what kind, and when. Open Jobs → New job, or select items in Explorer and choose Add to a job. The wizard ends with a read-only review of the plan (file counts, free space, names that must change) before anything is saved.
- Scope: a folder, a project, a hub or the whole account. ACC and BIM 360 projects can be mixed.
- Destination: a local drive, a network share (for example
\\server\share\Backups), or an S3-compatible bucket. Bucket presets: AWS S3, Wasabi, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces, IDrive e2, MinIO, OVHcloud, or Other. - Versions: current version only (default), or every version.
| Job kind | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mirror | The destination follows the project: new and changed files are copied every run. |
| Snapshot | The same, plus a dated copy per run. Folder destinations only; choose Mirror for a bucket. |
Files deleted in Autodesk are kept in the backup by default (Settings → Retention). Unchanged files are skipped, so a second run of an unchanged project copies nothing.
Revit cloud models: a backup holds each model as last published. Publish from Revit before the backup runs, for example publish in the evening and back up overnight.
Schedule
Each job can run manually, hourly, daily at a set time, or weekly on chosen days. Scheduled runs are carried out by the Windows scheduled task \Archigrafix\Archi Backup, which checks every 15 minutes for jobs that are due and catches up a missed run.
- Scheduled runs happen only while the Windows user who set them up is signed in. A locked screen is fine; signed out or switched off, nothing runs.
- A second task,
\Archigrafix\Archi Backup Sign-in, keeps the Autodesk sign-in fresh between runs. - Settings → Schedule shows both tasks, who they run as, the recent
runner.logand Run now.
Where backups go
Each project lands under <Hub> [<region>]\<ACC or BIM 360>\<Project>\ in the destination, in the project's own folder structure. In a folder destination you also find:
.archibackup\catalogue.db— the record of what is backed up. Do not delete it._Archi Backup\manifest.jsonl— every file with its original Autodesk name, checksum and version._Archi Backup\incomplete-copies.txt— anything missing or incomplete, in plain text._Archi Backup\Versions\— older versions, named<name> (v<N>).<ext>, for every-version jobs.
To restore, copy files back from the destination; in a folder destination Windows Explorer is the restore tool. A bucket holds the files and the manifest; use your provider's tools to look at or retrieve them. Archi Backup does not restore into Autodesk.
Licence and trial
- Trial: 14 days, started in setup with your name, email and a PIN. Scheduled backups are included.
- Floating licence: a seat is taken when a backup starts and handed back when it ends.
- Desktop licence: a key bound to one computer, entered in setup or in Settings → Licence → Activate licence.
- Without a licence: Explorer, the connection test, run history and reports keep working. Jobs cannot run and no file is copied. Existing backups are never touched.
- Offline: a confirmed licence keeps working for 7 days without reaching the licence server. A running backup is never stopped by a licence change.
Silent install
ArchiBackup_install_<version>.exe /S [/SERIAL=<licence key>] [/NOTASK] [/NOSHORTCUTS]
ArchiBackup_install_<version>.exe /S /UNINSTALL/SERIAL=supplies a licence key; it is checked before anything is installed./NOTASKskips the scheduled backup task./NOSHORTCUTSskips the shortcuts.- Without
/SERIAL=no trial is started; the user activates on first launch. - Run as SYSTEM (SCCM, Intune) or as another administrator, setup installs the program but stores no key and registers no schedule. The user completes both by opening Archi Backup once.
| Exit code | Meaning |
|---|---|
0 | Success, or this exact build was already installed. |
1 | General failure, including “the licence server could not be reached”. Worth retrying. |
2 | The licence server answered and the licence key is invalid. |
3 | Archi Backup is running. Close it and retry. |
4 | Installed, but the scheduled backup is not set up for this user. Set it in Settings → Schedule. |
5 | Installed; the user completes licence and schedule on first launch. Expected for a machine-wide deployment. |
6 | Not enough free disk space. Nothing changed. |
7 | Another Archi Backup setup is already running. Nothing changed. |
8 | A newer version is already installed. Nothing changed. |
/S /UNINSTALL returns 0, 1, 3 or 7. The standalone .msi installs the program and shortcuts only; the user then activates in Settings → Licence and turns on the schedule in Settings → Schedule. General conventions are in the Silent Installer Guide.
Uninstall
Uninstall from Windows Settings → Apps, by running setup again and choosing Remove, or with /S /UNINSTALL. It removes the program, its shortcuts and both scheduled tasks.
Uninstall never deletes backups. Backup folders, buckets, the record and the manifest are left untouched.
Troubleshooting
Signed in, but the hub list is empty
The account has not approved Archi Backup yet. See Approve Archi Backup in Autodesk.
An account is visible but a project is missing
The signed-in user must be a member of the project. For BIM 360, check that both access levels were selected in the approval.
Nothing ran overnight
Check that the user was signed in to Windows, that Settings → Schedule shows the task registered for this user, and read the recent runner.log on the same page.
Waiting for a free seat
Every floating seat is in use. Seats are handed back when each run ends, so try again in a few minutes.
Succeeded with warnings
Open the run in Runs and read its warnings. Everything else was copied and verified.
Where the logs are
- Runs → a run: per-file detail, Export CSV, Export JSON, Export name mapping, Copy report.
- Settings → Schedule: the recent
runner.log, with Copy the log. - Settings → Diagnostics → Collect: a support bundle; Copy this list shows what it contains first.
Get help
Ask in the Archi Backup forum or contact support.
Autodesk, Autodesk Construction Cloud, BIM 360 and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and other countries.