Uninstall/Install Tips

Every year with the release of the new versions of Autodesk products, I have a bit of a spring clean on my PC, uninstall the old versions and install the new.

After many years of doing this, I thought I would put together some tips on this process and some of the things to think about. These might be seen as a little over the top, but they help keep the disk space used to a minimum and can prevent future conflicts.

Uninstall

-Uninstall Updates

First go to the Windows control panel where you would normally uninstall software. Then go to View installed updates:

Uninstall all possible Autodesk updates. Some of these may need doing more than once, as they roll back one update at a time.

If this is not done first and the product uninstalled, they can become stuck.

-Uninstall Products

Next use the Autodesk Uninstall Tool to remove all Autodesk products:

Ticking the product should remove all sub-features and add-ins:

-Double check

Next go back to the Windows Control Panel and uninstall any Autodesk applications missed by the above steps.

If the uninstall tool, or control panel has issues uninstalling, use the Microsoft tool in the link below:

using-microsoft-fixit

-Clean up

Finally, delete all remaining Autodesk folders and registry keys. A list of these can be found at the Autodesk link below:

remove-windows-products

Remember to check the default location where products are downloaded and extracted to, this is usually C:\Autodesk and is the last folder to delete.

The machine is now ready for a restart before installation.

Install

-Only install those products you need

Once the product is downloaded, extracted and installed, this can use a lot of storage, which can start to affect performance if disk space becomes limited.

-Plan the order in which you are going to install the products

Different year versions may need and install different windows components, and some products require other products to be installed first. I tend to install year versions from oldest to newest. I also tend to install products in a certain order. AutoCAD first, then it’s verticals (Plant 3D, Civil 3D), then any products that plug into AutoCAD (CADmep, Vehicle Tracking), then standalone products like Revit and InfraWorks. I usually leave Navisworks until last, as it will also install the exporters for all of the products.

-Only install those add-ins or updates you need

I have seen a number of users being guilty of “serial clicking” updates without knowing what they are. Having too many can clutter the interface and slow down the startup of the application. Some updates are language/region specific and can actually change the language of your commands (DACH/ISYBAU). I usually advise if the update is a “point” update (e.g. Revit 2020.1) this is ok to be installed, whereas all others should be read first. Remember you can always check with Cadline first!