Password Protected DWG will not open.

[j3f]

Hi Forums.

Please help with this conundrum.  Here is the situation:

We have several workstations running Autodesk IDSP. Mostly Autocad 2015 and Autocad Architecture 2015 are the programs in use. Some of our DWGs are password protected. Most users can open the password protected files as normal. Other users recieve the error message: incorrect password! When using the same exact program. Yes the password is being entered correctly.

Why are some machines with the same installation not able to open the files and others are?

How do we solve this?

Thanks in advance!

[ToddRogers-WPM]

How do you password protect a DWG file?

[Jason.Piercey]

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@Anonymous wrote:

How do you password protect a DWG file?

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If you install AutoCAD with the Drawing Encryption option enabled you'll have password capabilities.

[rkmcswain]

When you initially save it.

[ToddRogers-WPM]

I see now...it's under Tools.

[Jason.Piercey]

Not that this helps the OP, but I've always thought this feature was very dangerous and always disabled the option during install.  Last thing I need is a ticked off employee password protecting a bunch of files then quitting.

[rkmcswain]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I see now...it's under Tools.

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I'm not sure who thought this was a good idea, or why.   What people were asking for years ago was more granular control, like the ability to lock layers, blocks, etc. with a password.  If the DWG is under your control, then use O/S file security, if the DWG is out of your control, but you want one person to access it, once you give them the password, anyone else can access it. (no different than existing ZIP+password technology).

Fortunately I don't think many people know it's there and/or use it, because the one thing I've heard that it is - is pretty secure. I don't know if it's been cr@cked.

[j3f]

There do seem to be DWG password recovery "utilities" out there in the wild. I have not really tried them since this isn't my problem. So I can't comment on thier legitamacy.  

Only one of my workstations seems to be exhibiting this behaviour.  Should I just nuke and reinstall the Autocad Suite and see what happens?  I hate to resort to such barbaric methods.  It will leave the user without a computer for a while.  

[pendean]

identify if there is an actual need to password protect files or not: does management know there is a risk of loss of files if someone, deliberately or through a simple typo, locked you out of your production files forever?

At several Autodesk speonsored events I have attended, when the question was asked, Autodesk staffers shrugged and stated that the file will be lost forever if no one has the password. Forever.

[j3f]

I appreciate the suggestion.  However it is necessary for some files to be protected, and others not.  We have extensive backups in case a disaster or sabotage happens.  Regardless of policy my situation persists...

Why can one machine open the file and another seemingly identical setup can not?  Maybe a reinstall truly is in order?

[rkmcswain]

j3f wrote:

Why can one machine open the file and another seemingly identical setup can not?  Maybe a reinstall truly is in order?

That just doesn't make sense. I can't see how or why AutoCAD would not accept the same password for the same DWG on a different machine.

Have you tried typing out the password in Notepad (to visually verify it), then copy+paste it when AutoCAD asks for it?

Make sure that on the machine with problems, that the keyboard language is correct (Control Panel > Region and Language > Keyboard) - of course, you ought to be able to spot differences if you type it out in Notepad.

[j3f]

Yes the password is being entered correctly, as stated in the original post, I have verified this. This issue exists whether it "makes sense" or not.  A corrupted .dll, .exe file, a missing add on, I don't know. I am hoping to find someone who has had a similar experience, or someone who knows something about the password subsytem.  In this way I can resolve the issue directly.  Instead of nuking the system with a reinstall, crossing my fingers, and hoping it doesn't happen again.

[rkmcswain]

j3f wrote:
......Instead of nuking the system with a reinstall,

Have you tried a repair or reinstall? ±10 minutes.

[j3f]

So instead of a reinstall, I should try... a reinsatll?

[drjohn]

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@j3f wrote:

So instead of a reinstall, I should try... a reinsatll?

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RK meant there are 2 options in control panel.  One to uninstall and one to REPAIR INSTALL.  The latter is less invasive and quicker.

Give it a shot if you are to that point.

Regards,

DJ

[rkmcswain]

j3f wrote:

So instead of a reinstall, I should try... a reinsatll?

I don't understand your question.

In post 8, you said "Should I just nuke and reinstall the Autocad Suite and see what happens? I hate to resort to such barbaric methods.", which I presumed to mean you were considering an entire removal of AutoCAD as described here, and then to install it again.

.

This is quite different that simple running a repair (which replaces missing or corrupt registry entries) or doing a reinstall (which is a repair + it replaces all files) - neither of which are 'barbaric', and it only takes a few minutes.

[j3f]

Yes I am aware of all three methods of remove/reintall, repair, reinstall.  It doesn't matter which one, I was trying to avoid all of them.  I realize it is simplist to just replace everything when one thing goes wrong.  It does not address the core of the issue independtly.  It does not prevent the issue from coming back, or even remaining.  However if it is the only suggestion, it is what I must do.

[pendean]

Since no one can replicate your exact issue at their end, everyone offers tips to fix the problem as they know best.

If you don't want the advise, hang around and wait for one you might like better. If it happens again, bring in a consultant to review your entire workflows and determine where the problem keeps recurring: you're not going to get that through remote assistance from peers.

[pproestos]

Did you find any solution, because I have the same problem.

Suddenly my password cannot be recognised.

thanks for any answer

[j3f · Accepted solution]

I did not find the precise solution. 
Applying the most current updates did not work.
I tried both the "Repair" install and "Re-Install" methods suggested.
These did not work.
I resorted to a complete nuke and fresh install.
This was about 20x more frustrating than expected.
But it worked.
For now...
The behavior has not yet re-emerged.
However, this configuration is effectively the same as it was initially, so I expect the problem will resurface in time.