AutoCAD 2008 User's
Guide > Share Data Between
Drawings and Applications > Reference Other
Drawing Files >
Attach and Detach Referenced Drawings
You can perform several operations on referenced drawing (xref) files. Start with attaching, setting paths, and detaching.
When you attach a drawing as an xref, you link that referenced drawing to the current drawing; any changes to the referenced drawing are displayed in the current drawing when it is opened or reloaded.
You can view and edit the file name and path used when locating a particular drawing reference (xref). Use this option if the referenced file has been moved to a different folder or renamed since it was first attached.
To completely remove DWG references (xrefs) from your drawing, you need to detach them rather than erase them.
