Teach users how to download, install, and activate Autodesk software

As the primary admin, you should teach your users how to download, install, and activate the software that they are assigned to and will need to use for their jobs. All software will need to be downloaded or accessed from Autodesk Account and then it must be installed. For users to launch and use the newly installed software, you must have assigned the software entitlement to them. For more on this, refer to the learning content on Adding and Assigning Users. Once you have assigned the software, a user simply needs to launch the software application and log in to it using their account.

We have created the following procedures for you to review to become familiar with this process, and we have created a quick reference PDF that you can download and share with your users to direct them on how to download, install, and activate the software. If you are planning to customize the installation, please refer to the learning content available on deployments.

The following is an image of the downloadable PDF that you can share with your users to guide them on these procedures.

How to Get Started Downloading Autodesk Software

  1. In Autodesk Account, in the navigation panel>Products and Services section, select All Products and Services. Each assigned software product will display as a unique card.
  2. Locate the software product that is to be installed. The software cards are listed in alphabetical order, or you can refine the search using the search bar at the top of the page.

  1. On the software card, do the following:
  • Select the software version you want to download from the drop-down list.
  • Select the operating system, if applicable.
  • Click the drop-down arrow adjacent to the Install button to view the additional two software download methods. Each method is described below and detailed procedures for each are provided in later sections.

  • Install: This installation method is the default installation method for all products. Clicking the Install button will download an executable file (as shown below for AutoCAD) that must be launched to begin the installation over the web. Note that Win64 is the only operating system permitted for the Install option. If you require Linux or macOS software versions, you must use the Download method. This Install method requires an internet connection for the period of the installation.

  • Download: This installation method downloads an executable file or files for installation (as shown below for AutoCAD). Use this method if you want to install the software at a later time or share the executable files with other users.

  • Custom Install: This installation method, provided by the Custom Install tool under Products and Services in Autodesk Account, allows you to install products with custom settings on single computers or create custom deployments to multiple computers. You select products and specify installation settings in Autodesk Account before you download the software. Speak with your primary admin as to whether this is a method that should be used for installing your software.

Tip: You can click View details on the software product card to open the product page for the software. The product page provides a brief software description and, similar to its card, tabs for the current product version and the three previous versions, and the option to select an operating system.

  1. Once you have reviewed and selected whether you will use the Install or Download method, refer to the instructions below to complete the install. Speak with your primary admin for more information on whether the Custom Install option is a method that your company is using.

How to Download and Install Products Using the Install Method

  1. On the required software card or its details page, click Install.
  2. Click Accept to accept the terms and conditions. Click the links in the message to review the terms of use or privacy details, if necessary.

  1. Once the web install executable file has finished downloading, navigate to your Downloads folder (or applicable folder) and double-click on the **_setup_webinstall.exe file to launch the web installer.
  2. If prompted, confirm that you want to allow the app to make changes to your device. Click Show more details if you would like to view more details about Autodesk’s certificate or if you would like to change when these notifications appear.
  3. Verify the installation location or change the path as needed.

  1. Click Install to begin the software installation. If necessary, you can click Cancel install during the installation to terminate the installation.
  2. When the software has finished installing, you may be required to restart your computer; if not, you can click Start to launch the software. This depends on the software that was installed. If you choose to restart later, click Not Now and click Finish to complete the installation.

How to Download and Install Products Using the Download Method

  1. On the required software card or its details page, expand the Install methods drop-down list and click Download.
  2. Once the software executable(s) finish downloading, navigate to your Downloads folder (or applicable folder) and double-click on the first executable file to launch the software installer. Note that if there were more than one file downloaded, click on the **001_002.exe file to start it, as shown for AutoCAD below. (If there are three executables, you will have a **001_003.exe, **002_003.exe, and **003_003.exe)

 

  1. The Autodesk Self Extract dialog box displays. Verify the installation location or change the path as needed.

 

  1. Click OK to begin the extraction of all the software executables.
  2. If prompted, confirm that you want to allow the app to make changes to your device. Click Show more details if you would like to view more details about Autodesk’s certificate or if you would like to change when these notifications appear.
  3. The installer begins by displaying the Autodesk Legal agreement. Read the license and services agreement and click the checkbox next to I agree to the Terms of Use. If you do not want to install the software yet or do not agree to the Legal agreement, click X in the upper-right corner. The executables will remain on your system for a future installation unless you delete them.

  1. Click Next to continue with the installation.
  2. Verify the installation location or change the path as needed.

  1. Click Install to begin the software installation. If necessary, you can click Cancel install during the installation to terminate the installation.
  2. When the software has finished installing, you may be required to restart your computer; if not, you can click Start to launch the software. This depends on the software that was installed. If you choose to restart later, click Not Now and click Finish to complete the installation.

How to Launch and Activate Your Autodesk Software

  1. From your desktop, double-click on the software shortcut, as shown for AutoCAD 2023 - English. Alternatively, go to the computer’s Start menu, navigate to, and select the software product that you would like to launch.

  1. When the software launches, a Sign in dialog box displays. Depending on the software product you are using, it may appear before or after the software launches; however, in either situation, you will be unable to use the software until logged in. Enter your Email and click Next.

  1. Enter your Password and click Sign In.

  1. If you have been granted a license, the software will open; otherwise, you will be provided with a message indicating “A license could not be found for this email address.” To resolve the issue, consider the following:
  • Verify the correct username/password combination was used.
  • Verify that the username for the account is the same as that used in your company’s Autodesk account. You must contact your primary admin to verify this.
  • Have the primary admin verify that you have been assigned a seat/license for the product.

Accessing Help for Downloading, Installing, and Activating Software

If you have any issues or questions about downloading and installing software, you can click on the  icon in the lower-right corner to access the Get Help menu. The paths to get help for downloading, installing, and activating include the following:

  • Select Post-purchase support > Downloads > Issues with Downloading. Review the Knowledge Network articles or click Contact a support agent for further help.
  • Select Post-purchase support > Install & activate. In the Get Help menu, select a product type and enter a keyword to search. Review the Knowledge Network articles or click Contact a support agent for further help.

The following are images of the downloadable PDFs that you can share with your users to guide them on getting help with downloading and installing software from the Autodesk support team.