Use a deliberate save for the project you want to keep, and treat recovery files as help after an interruption.
Save a working project deliberately
Krita’s manual recommends saving in its native .kra format to preserve its features. Export creates a file for another purpose, such as sharing an image. Our suggested habit is to keep a clearly named working project and a separate export so that the deliverable does not become the only retained copy.
Understand the crash-recovery role
The manual describes autosave as recovery support while you work. Normal closure without saving can remove that recovery file. Its location and naming differ depending on whether the document has already been saved and which operating system you use. Follow the current manual for your platform rather than assuming an autosave lives beside every document.
Recover before tidying files
After a crash, review Krita’s recovery prompt before discarding anything or cleaning temporary files. If you recover work, save it deliberately and confirm that the layers or details you need are present. This is our suggested verification routine, not a promise that every interrupted session can be restored.
Keep another retained copy
Krita documents ordinary backup files and incremental versions. Decide which history you want to keep, and copy important projects to your chosen backup destination. Keep an older useful version until the latest one opens correctly. Neither an export nor a crash-recovery file alone establishes that you have a complete backup. We have not performed recovery tests on your machine.
Go straight to the people who make it.
Krita: Saving, AutoSave and Backup FilesSource check: 2026-10-01. General guidance; follow your device’s current instructions.