When we uninstall AutoCAD [MEP] [Architecture], it leaves behind folders that can interfere with subsequent installations. Many, if not all antivirus programs, browser options, and Windows user rights can interfere with an installation depending on how restrictive their options are set. Antivirus programs can also interfere and cause some files to not install and register itself. Since 2007, our uninstall utility does a great job of removing most registry keys. Manual deletion of registry keys is rarely necessary when doing a "clean" uninstall. Manual removal of registry keys can be dangerous and best left as a last resort or to automated processes. To do a clean uninstall "Manually:" 1. Please disable the User Access Control (UAC) first. It can be found in the Control Panel > User settings or by searching for "UAC" at the search bar. Windows XP does not have a User Access Control, please skip this step. 2. Go to the Start menu > Run > type in MSCONFIG 3. On the General tab, change the Startup Selection to Diagnostic Startup. On the next reboot, MS Windows will be the exclusive application to run on startup and will be paired down to the most basic of services. But don't reboot just yet. We do not want any antivirus programs or other 3rd party applications running when we install. In pure Diagnostic mode, the installation and network services will be shut down, so we need to modify the startup next. 4. So switch to the Services tab. 5. Sort the Services by Manufacturer. Click on the column heading called Manufacturer and the values will sort. 6. Highlight all Microsoft Corporation services and enable all of them. Do not turn on or off any other services. Leave the Autodesk Licensing Service turned off. With all Microsoft services turned on, we will be able to install again. 7. Click Ok and allow the computer to Reboot. When it reboots, we will be in what is called a "Selective Startup" mode which is essentially Diagnostic Mode with the few changes we made to turn on installation services. 8. Log into the Local Administrator account. It is better to not use your account with Administrative rights to re-install. The Local Administrator account fully registers all files and folders, and gives them sufficient rights to function at install time. Because of this, all users at all rights levels will have full access to the program. When installing outside of the Local Administrator account, the program must immediately be run and activated the first time, by a User with Administrative privileges in order to finish installation, register the remaining files, and set sufficient rights for other users on those files. Some support files only finalize their installation after first launch and activation of the program. It is a process with more steps, and lends itself to mistakes. The Local Administrator account is only accessible in Safe mode, Diagnostic, or Selective Startup mode. If you must install as a User with Administrative rights, you must immediately launch, activate, and verify the software functions after installation. Remote deployments can fail to fully install a program unless a macro is run after deployment to launch and activate the program immediately after installation, because Domain Administrators are not Local Administrators. 9. [Optional] If having an issue with licensing, LM Tools may be an issue. We are now in Selective Startup mode. This is the point at which you would consider deleting the Autodesk Shared folder. 10. From the Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features, select AutoCAD [MEP] [Architecture] from the list and click the Uninstall/Change button in the header. Uninstall it. [Optional] If the program refuses to un-install from the Add/Remove Programs, then use this Windows Cleanup Utility from Microsoft to forcibly remove the program: http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/9/d/e9d80355-7ab4-45b8-80e8-983a48d5e1bd/msicuu2.exe. Also, in the Add/Remove Programs, for 2012 products, uninstall the Autodesk Material Libraries 2012 (High, Medium or Base if they exist). 11. Once AutoCAD [MEP] [Architecture] is uninstalled, go thru Program Files and manually delete the AutoCAD [MEP] [Architecture] folder. For Windows 7, Vista and XP: C:\Program Files\ 12. Go thru the Users > All Users folders, and delete the [MEP] [Architecture] folder: For Windows 7 and Vista: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk For versions prior to 2010 on XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk For the 2010 and later versions on XP: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk 13. Then go thru the Users > folders, and delete the [MEP] [Architecture] folders: For Windows 7 and Vista: C:\Users\\AppData\ Local\Autodesk and C:\Users\\AppData\ Roaming\Autodesk For XP: C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Autodesk C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk 14. Clean out the %temp% directory. In the Windows Explorer address bar, type in %temp% and enter, select all, and delete the files. 15. Run the .NET verification tool to verify that .NET is functioning. Makes no sense to install an Autodesk program when .NET is not functioning. If .NET is not functioning, we need to remove it. If .NET is not installed, our Autodesk installer will install .NET in the appropriate sequence and you may skip this step. The .NET verification tool can be found at: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2008/10/13/8999004.aspx To remove .NET, it does not normally uninstall from the Add/Remove Programs, and must be forcibly removed. The tool to forcibly remove .NET is called the Windows Cleanup Utility. It can be found at: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/astebner/archive/2006/05/30/611355.aspx. Install the utility, allow it to remove .NET. Then proceed to install an Autodesk product. More information can be found at: http://www.blogsdna.com/4171/how-to-completely-uninstall-net-framework-on-windows-7.htm Or at: http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/uninstall-net-framework-from-windows-7/ 16. [Optional] If having an issue with licensing, LM Tools may be an issue and may not be deleted by the automated method above. The LM Tools support files are found at: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared. Normally, these files are loaded automatically upon startup. The files cannot be deleted because they are in use. In the clean install instructions below, we describe how to reboot the computer into what we call "Selective Startup." In Selective Startup mode, these files are not in use and can be manually deleted. Delete the Autodesk Shared folder if having a licensing issue. Do not delete the folder if other Autodesk applications are installed on the computer. This folder will be recreated when we install the program. Now we are cleanly un-installed. We now need to do a clean install: 1. You can now install AutoCAD [MEP] [Architecture] from the Administrator account. To counter the possibility of read errors from the DVD or web during installation, copy the disk to a folder on the desktop and then run setup from that folder. You could also create a folder at C:\ Temp and place the install files there. If you are installing from the web, download the install files to your local hard drive using Internet Explorer. Do not install across the internet. Some web browsers (Mozilla), do not give the option to download the install files locally. With Mozilla, when clicking the web link, the installation begins immediately across the internet and data is lost. Use Internet Explorer to download the installation files locally. To do so, right-click on the web link and select "Save Target As." Download the installation files to your local hard drive. Windows 7 and Vista are slightly different in that we must run the installation as administrator. To launch the installation, right-click on the Setup.exe file and select "Run As Administrator." Windows XP users may simply double-click on the Setup.exe file. 2. Once installed, launch AutoCAD [MEP] [Architecture] for the first time. To launch the program for the first time, find the appropriate desktop icon. Some programs install more than one desktop icon for US Imperial content, US Metric and Global Metric. When the icon name is cut short, look at the properties of the desktop icon to see which profile is used. Then right-click on the appropriate icon and select "Run as administrator." 3. Upon launching the program for the first time, activate the program. The Migration Wizard may pop up, do not use this Wizard as it will break vertical products. Click the Cancel button and the program will continue to launch. 4. At this point, the installation should be as close to out of the box as possible. There should be no customizations at this step. Verify the program loads up and stops at a command prompt. In a later step, after installing all Product Updates, we will test that the original issue no longer occurs. If the original issue persists, please notify Product Support. 5. If the program successfully launches and arrives at a command prompt, exit the program. Service Packs may have been installed in the last step of the installation. Let's check for other updates. Open Internet Explorer, browse to www.Autodesk.com, and find any pertinent Product Updates and Hot fixes. Download them to your local hard drive using Internet Explorer. Do not install across the internet. Some web browsers (Mozilla), does not give the option to use "Save Target As" to download the file locally. They immediately begin installation across the internet. Data gets lost this way and can lead to file corruption. Use Internet Explorer to download the installation files locally. Windows 7 and Vista are slightly different in that we must run the update installation files as the administrator. To launch the installation, right-click on the Setup.exe file and select "Run As Administrator." Windows XP users may simply double-click on the Setup.exe file. 6. Once the Product Updates are installed, launch the program one last time. Please test for the original issue and verify that it no longer occurs. If the original issue persists, please notify Product Support. NOTE: Do not customize the settings, profile, CUI or templates until we have verified the program is working in Normal startup mode in step 16 below. Once verified to function in Normal startup, you may begin to customize the out of the box settings, profile, CUI, or templates. Always start with the out of the box settings, template, etc. Do not swap out files or migrate settings, etc, between releases. Use Style Manager or Display Manager to open two files side-by-side and transfer styles and displays between two templates of different versions. Check the functionality after each change to ensure the issue does not regress. This allows us to discern if the issue occurs with an out of the box installation, or from a later customization. 7. If the product is working, then we can exit from the Selective Startup. To exit Selective Startup mode, go to Start menu > Run > type in MSCONFIG. On the General tab, change the Startup Setting to Normal. Allow it to reboot. Rebooting also clears many issues. 8. The issue should be gone now. Let's launch the program again to ensure it works in Normal mode. If it does not, then we know some 3rd party application, possibly the anti-virus program, may be interfering. Consider disabling applications that load upon startup and re-test. 9. If the issue is gone in step 8, feel free to customize the application now per the instructions in the Note above. Customize one thing at a time and test to verify that the issue has not re-occurred. This way we can identify what customization, if any, has caused the issue.