What is the DWL2 file format?
A .dwl2 file is a temporary XML lock file that AutoCAD automatically creates whenever a .dwg drawing is opened. It is placed in the same directory as the drawing and records session metadata: the username, computer name, AutoCAD version, and a precise timestamp of when the file was opened.
Two lock files are always created together: drawing.dwl (a plain ASCII file with basic owner information) and drawing.dwl2 (an XML file with richer metadata). Both are deleted automatically when the drawing is properly closed in AutoCAD.
These files coordinate access in shared and networked environments. If a colleague tries to open a drawing that already has a .dwl2 file present, AutoCAD displays a warning identifying the current owner and machine name, blocking read-write access.
Stale .dwl2 files are left behind when AutoCAD crashes or a network connection drops unexpectedly. In that situation, other users are prevented from opening the drawing in read-write mode. The fix is to delete the orphaned .dwl and .dwl2 files - but only after confirming that no one is actually editing the drawing. The .dwl2 contains no geometry, drawing data, or image content; it is purely an administrative lock record.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWDWL2 is a plain XML metadata file with no executable content. No safety risk from the file itself. Deleting stale DWL2 files is safe provided you confirm the DWG is not actually open elsewhere; deleting an active lock file can corrupt the drawing if two users then save simultaneously.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open DWL2 files
Windows2 apps
AutoCAD
Paid AutoCAD creates and manages DWL2 files automatically - you do not open DWL2 in AutoCAD directly. The relevant action is to delete stale DWL2 files so AutoCAD can open the associated DWG. 
Any text editor (Notepad, Notepad++, VS Code)
Free Right-click the .dwl2 file → Open with → Notepad (or Notepad++) to read the XML metadata inside. No special software needed. Technical details
deep spec| Format | XML (plain text) |
| Encoding | UTF-8 or UTF-16 depending on AutoCAD version |
| Typical size | Under 2 KB |
| XML content | Username, computer name, AutoCAD version string, and session-open timestamp |
| Purpose | DWG lock coordination in shared and networked environments |
| Lifecycle | Created when a DWG is opened in AutoCAD; automatically deleted on proper close |
| Companion file | drawing.dwl - plain ASCII with basic owner, machine, and time information |
| Introduced with | AutoCAD 2004 (Release 16), circa 2003; generated through current releases |
| Naming convention | Same base name as the .dwg file in the same directory (e.g., design.dwg produces design.dwl2) |
| Stale-file behavior | If not deleted after a crash, triggers a lock warning in AutoCAD and prevents read-write access by other users |
| Associated OS | Windows |
| Content type | Administrative metadata only; no geometry, drawing data, or image content |
| Released | circa AutoCAD 2004 (Release 16) |
| Latest version | No versioned spec; generated by AutoCAD through at least AutoCAD 2026 |
DWL2 conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about DWL2 files.
