First Run Initialization

[rms390]

Im full admin, re-created my profile, windows xp sp3 (fully updated), The other Autodesk 2012 Products do no have this issue (Inventor and Revit). 

[david.lau]

What products are having the problem? We need a bit more detail on the problem. Can you attach a screen capture of the issue?

[rms390]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/263/unledhyg.png/

except where it says initializing on the bottom left. It says "First Run Initialization..."  It only does it after I restart my computer but its a headache and it then takes autocad 5 minutes to start up.

[david.lau]

I have noticed that AutoCAD 2012 on XP seems to take a long time to start up.    This is true also for creating and installing the product.  

When if you you plan to upgrade, I would go Windows 7 x64 with a minimum of 8 GB of RAM.

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/09/general-systems-what-is-the-difference-between-32...

[jim]

I have the exact same problmem with AutoCAD 2012 for Windows. Every time I restart my computer, then start AutoCAD 2012, it does the "First Run Initialization". This should be a simple problem to fix. Autodesk, please just fix it!

[david.lau]

Are you an administrator and do you have Windows UAC turned off?

[rms390]

"When if you you plan to upgrade, I would go Windows 7 x64 with a minimum of 8 GB of RAM."

That would be ideal i guess but its not even close to necessary.  I'm in an office environment where one can't just get a new computer.  The computer I operate is a dual core 2.8 GHz processor, 4-6 GB of RAM, and I think a low end graphics card with 512 MB dedicated memory.  The operating system is windows xp 32 bit.

I do not have issues running or starting AutoCAD (after the first start).  It doesn't take long to load and there are no real issues with AutoCAD itself.  The same holds true for Inventor and Revit MEP.  Inventor only has issues when i get into large files and complex assemblies.  Revit has only recently become a little laggy because I have the mechanical system 75% completed for a three story building on one file and keep the detail level set to fine and shading option set to realistic.

Windows UAC wasn't introduced until Vista so I do not think that will do anything to solve the problem since a fair of amount of xp-users are experiencing this issue.

I only dabble in coding but its a logical process.  So I'm trying to point out the logical things.  The first run initialization only happens after a restart.  That means that whatever gets written during that initialization actually gets written.   If it required administrative rights it would send up an error and try to do a first run initialization every single time regardless of a restart.  I have any services/processes from AutoCAD turned off for a computer start up, that meaning that whatever happens during the first run initialization isn't being undone by some un-noticed thing during a computer's start up.  I would have to think that it is an error in the coding of what prompts AutoCAD to do its first run initialization.  Thats just my two cents.

[jim]

I have full administrative rights, and UAC is turned off. Can you please advise if there is a registry setting I can make to keep the First Run Initialization from happening every time I start AutoCAD. There must be a flag that is supposed to get set in the registry, that is not getting set for whatever reason. Please advise. It appears there are many other users having this same problem.

[david.lau]

Right mouse click on shortcut and choose "Run as Administrator".

[jim]

Thank you for the help. I had already set up the program to run as Administrator. That has not fixed the problem. Any other suggestions?

[david.lau]

Can you create a new user account and run that account? I found this post, I don't think it would apply but are there any restrictions?

http://forum.thewindowsclub.com/windows-7-management-support/31167-problem-restricted-user-windows-7...

[jim]

I added a New_User as a member of the Admin group. I then logged on as that New_User and started AutoCAD 12. It went through First Run Initialization just fine. I closed AutoCAD 12 and then reopened it. It did not do First Run Initialization. I then restarted Windows 7, logged in as New_User and started AutoCAD 12. It now went through First Run Initialization, again.

This is exacty how it behaved previously. So, the problem still exists. In my humble opinion, there is a very simple solution. Get wtih engineering/programming and find out what flag it sets (firstrun=completed) after the first run. For some reason, this flag is not being seen, gets deleted, or something, after the computer is restarted.

Without this input from programming, we could try different things for a long time to come and never solve the problem.

[david.lau]

Please read the expected behavior for AutoCAD here. under "Expected AutoCAD startup behavior ":

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1055299

NOTE:  You will need to check extrapolate the 2006 values with the current 2012 values in the solution.  Also check permissions on this file folder:

• C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2006\UserDataCache
• C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2012\UserData Cache

This folder is 'Hidden" by default via Windows settings.

[rms390]

when i click on the link it tries to open up the microsoft outlook exchange web application.

[jim]

Again, thank you for the help, however after spending about 2 hours of going through all the directory and file permissions, backing up and deleting the AutoCAD registry keys so it would recreate them from scratch, checking user profiles, making sure the program is set to run as Administrator, extrapolating all the input from the article you referenced in your previous post to AutoCAD 2012, revising Win7 file permissions to even get access to the files in Documents & Settings because that is now locked in Vista and Win7; the same problem still persists. If I reboot the computer, it does a First Run Initialization upon starting AutoCAD.

I have spent numerous hours over the last 6 weeks trying to resolve this issue, and as I am not the only one with this problem, I am still hoping that AutoDesk will take it upon themselves to troubleshoot and provide a solution!

P.S. - Your previous post with the link to the referenced article is incorrect, it does open the interface for OWA (Outlook Web Access). I got to the article by pasting the link directly into a brower, rather than clicking on it.

[david.lau]

I know that you are a Subscription Customer.  Can you log  a case at:

www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin

Make a note to assign the case to me.  Thanks!

[peterchristie1938]

Did anyone ever come up with a fix for this issue? I am running Win7/64 and am having the same problem. I have tried many of the suggestions (running as admin, turn off romaing profiles, etc) and still, after every reboot Acad2012MEP goes thru the "first run initializing" routine.

TIA

[jim]

No, we do not have a solution yet. AutoDesk knows it is a problem, but there is no fix that we have been told about.

[rms390]

People pay thousands of dollars for this.  FIX IT.  No Customer Service. 

[Unitedfireprotection]

I have installed MEP 2012 on my work computer and home computer.  First Run Initialization shows up on my home computer in the same manner as it is affecting everyone else with this issue.  I have also tried some of the suggested fixes...run as administrator, new profile, etc, etc....with no luck.  On the work machine (connected to a network with usernames, etc) it runs fine.  Both machines are almost identical - Windows 7 64bit, 8 gig Ram.  I also have 2 coworkers with the same issue: Install MEP 2012 at work and at home.  Work machine works fine....home machine has the first run message and takes forever to start.

Could this be a bug in the way Autocad is installed network vs no network?  Or possibly the way user files are setup??  I have no idea.  I'm not a programmer.  I may go to Subscription to start a case as instructed by Autodesk.