no recovery files or temp files when corel crashes

Hello all, I'm having issues with my corel painter essentials 4.

it used to be that whenever corel crashed, it would make a recovery file for me. I could typically open that file and get my work back (if the file wasn't too big. it is was too big then corel would say it's too "corrupted" to open).

however, lately corel never makes recovery files when it crashes. i always go and look in the recover folder, and it's never there. I also check the temp folder, and there's never a temp file there either.

anyone know how i can get corel to do that again? or maybe find a way to get corel to make temp files of my work?
i'm really frustrated with this right now. this is not the first or last time i will have spent hours on something just to lose it T_T