Complete Guide to Uninstalling All Autodesk Products from Your Windows PC

BIM Software Tip: How to Completely Remove All Autodesk Products from Your Windows System

Overview:

• Uninstall peripheral applications
• Uninstall main Autodesk products
• Delete remaining Autodesk files and folders
• Remove Autodesk entries from the Windows registry
• Prepare your system before reinstalling any Autodesk products

Details:

In situations where you need to fully clean your system, it is highly recommended to uninstall all Autodesk products and then reinstall any previously supported applications, such as add-ons, utilities, and enablers. These steps will completely remove Autodesk software from your computer, including custom files like menus (AutoLISP, PGP files) and other related support files. If you want to keep your customizations, be sure to back them up manually before proceeding.

Before starting the uninstallation process, restart your computer to ensure that any pending Windows updates are applied.

Uninstall Autodesk Products via Control Panel:

Most Autodesk products for Windows can be uninstalled through the Control Panel:

1. Open the Control Panel from the Windows Start menu.
2. Select Uninstall a program (Windows 7/Vista) or Add or Remove Programs (Windows XP).
3. Note that each Autodesk product is listed separately and must be uninstalled individually.
4. Even if all products were installed together, each main product, add-on, enabler, or feature pack must be removed separately.

Uninstall Peripheral Applications First

When uninstalling, remove peripheral applications before the main Autodesk products. For example, if uninstalling 3DS Max Design, first uninstall any add-ons like the FBX module, then the main application.

This rule also applies to Autodesk material libraries such as VBA enablers and Subscription Advantage Packs. Warning: These libraries are often shared across Autodesk products and should only be deleted if you are removing all Autodesk software from the system.

When uninstalling material libraries, proceed from largest to smallest: start with the medium-resolution image libraries, then basic resolution libraries, followed by the Autodesk material library.

Uninstall the Main Autodesk Products

After removing peripheral applications, proceed to uninstall the main Autodesk products:

1. Choose the uninstall option, then click Uninstall/Change (Windows 7/Vista) or Change/Delete (Windows XP).
2. The Autodesk installation program will open in maintenance mode, allowing you to add/remove features, repair, reinstall, or uninstall.
3. Repeat this process for each Autodesk product.

Note: Some Autodesk products may prompt you to restart your computer once uninstallation is complete. If so, restart, then return to Control Panel to continue uninstalling remaining products.

Confirm all prompts to remove shared files by selecting “Yes to All.”

Delete Remaining Autodesk Files and Folders

Warning: The following steps delete folders that affect all Autodesk products. Only perform these actions after all Autodesk software and related peripherals have been uninstalled.

Using Windows Explorer, locate and delete folders related to Autodesk products, for example:

• C:Program FilesAutoCAD 2010 (or the installation folder of any uninstalled Autodesk product)
• C:Program FilesAutodeskAutoCAD 2012
• C:Program FilesCommon FilesAutodesk Shared

Note: If your programs are installed on a different drive or folder, adjust the paths accordingly.

Delete the following user-specific configuration folders (replace %username% with your Windows login name):

• Windows 7 / Vista:

• C:Users%username%AppDataRoamingAutodesk
• C:Users%username%AppDataLocalAutodesk
• C:ProgramDataAutodesk

• C:Documents and Settings%username%Application DataAutodesk
• C:Documents and Settings%username%Local SettingsApplication DataAutodesk
• C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataAutodesk

Note: Depending on your system settings, some folders may be hidden. If you cannot find them by browsing, paste the full path into the Windows Explorer address bar to access them directly.

Remove Autodesk Entries from the Windows Registry

Warning: Editing the Windows registry incorrectly can cause serious system issues. Please back up your registry before proceeding. Microsoft provides detailed guidance on backing up and restoring the registry:

• Backup Registry in Windows 7
• Backup Registry in Windows Vista
• Backup Registry in Windows XP

To edit the registry:

1. Log in as a local administrator.
2. Open the Run dialog (Windows + R on Windows 7/Vista or Start > Run on XP).
3. Type REGEDIT and press Enter.
4. In the Registry Editor, locate and delete the following keys:
• HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAutodesk
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareAutodesk
5. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Prepare Your System Before Reinstalling Autodesk Products

After completely removing Autodesk products and residual files, your system will be ready for fresh installations. To ensure a smooth installation:

• Restart your computer to finalize any pending Windows updates.
• Clear the contents of your Windows Temp folder (do not delete the folder itself). Access it by typing %TEMP% in the Windows Explorer address bar.
• Close all running applications.
• Temporarily disable any antivirus or security software. Antivirus programs may interfere with installation by blocking access to the registry or DLL files, potentially causing installation errors or slowdowns.

To disable antivirus software, right-click its icon in the system tray and select Disable (refer to your antivirus vendor’s documentation for detailed instructions). If the software does not appear in the system tray, use Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete) to end the antivirus process.

Once these steps are complete, you are ready to install or reinstall Autodesk products on your computer.

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