AutoCAD opening new session for each drawing file

[dougmcalexander]

I am teaching AutoCAD Electrical this week with a group of 7 laptops supplied by an Autodesk ATC.  Certain laptops exhibit a problem where each time you double-click a dwg file it opens a new session of AutoCAD, instead of opening a new tab.  SDI mode is not enabled.  I checked and the DWG files are set to Open with AutoCAD DWG Launcher.  My laptop is set the same way and mine opens a new tab when I double-click a dwg file.  If I change the file association to open with AutoCAD Electrical 2015, it will always open a new tab, as expected.  But I also have 2012, 2013, and 2014 on my computer.  The idea of the AutoCAD DWG Launcher is that whichever AutoCAD application is open at the time becomes the dwg editor.  I expect that this is an AutoCAD issue, not Electrical.  The AutoCAD Electrical development team suggested that I contact the AutoCAD support group.  Two of the customers in my class are having the same problem with the computers at their office, so this is not isolated.  

My computer doesn't exhibit the problem.  I was trying to reproduce the issue, so I switched the "Opens With" assignment to True View.  Then when I switched back to AutoCAD DWG Launcher, my computer started exhibiting the same problem.  I was not able to get it working again.  I checked registry entries and I tried multiple times to assign the launcher, even navigating to the actual Launcher executable at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AcShellEx.  I ended up having to restore my computer from a backup and now everything is back to normal.  It seems that there must be an issue with changing the DWG application and then trying to revert to using Launcher.

[pendean]

Same topic? http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-2013-2014-2015/Autocad-relaunching-up-everytime-a-new-drawing-...

[dougmcalexander]

Already tried all of those solutions before I posted here. Thanks anyway.

[pendean]

Dwglauncher requires you to start the DWG application you want to use first before it defaults to that app.
That's why a reimage/reinstall fixed your issue. Sounds like you need to do the same on the other PCs.

[dougmcalexander]

That's exactly right. I want DWG Launcher to open a dwg file in a tab with whichever version of AutoCAD I have running already. I have 2015 open already when the new session starts. I have the last 4 releases on my laptop. Whichever one I have open is the one I want dwg files to open with. It has always worked that way until 2015.

If I change the "Opens With" assignment to 2015 I get a new tab when I double-click a dwg file, as it should. But then when I am using 2014 and I double-click a dwg file, a session of 2015 starts. This is not what I want. I should be able to assign DWG Launcher as "Opens With" and get a new tab of 2015 when I double-click a DWG file. Instead I get a new session of 2015.

DWG Launcher worked until I switched to "Opens With" TrueView. When I changed back to DWG Launcher, the problem started. This is what my customers are reporting and I was able to reproduce it on my laptop. This does not happen with previous releases, only 2015.

[pendean]

Re-image?

It may be an ACAD ELECTRICAL limiation or unique option (or ACADE 2015 quirk)? this is not the forum for that product as you know. Works fine in plain-Jane AutoCAD 2015.

[dougmcalexander]

I had to reimage so I could get back to work. Acade developers told me to try troubleshooting the AutoCAD side. I will tell these customers that they will have to contact Autodesk via the helpdesk.

[felt33]

It sure does happen in earlier releases Doug. It's happening to me right now in 2014 AutoCAD Full Version. SDI=0, task manager lists a seperate running .exe for each drawing that is open. Goint o keep reading through the post. I hope there's an answer eventually.

[dougmcalexander]

If you only have one version of AutoCAD installed, right click on a drawing file, select Properties, and set the Opens With to AutoCAD 2014. The problem for me is when I have DWG Launcher set as the Opens With application. It should open a new tab in the currently open version of AutoCAD. All is okay unless I have changed Opens With to a specific version and then revert back to DWG Launcher.

[felt33]

Ah, I see. Yes, I tried the Opens With yesterday but did not make it default...Ooops.

[modeleader]

Also happening to me now.  

I have only one version and it is AutoCAD LT 2017 (and yes I am aware this is not the forum for LT). 

I was having multiple sessions open whether i double clicked the file or did a file/open from inside the program.  I tried the registry fix listed in the other thread & now it opens in the same session from inside the program (ie. file/open), but still separate sessions when double clicking from windows explorer.  

This is sort of reverse of how it used to work in 2016.  

In 2016, it would always open in the same session unless I launch a new session of autocad and then do a file/open, which is how I'd like it to continue working if possible. Taking a chance, hoping LT works similarly to regular autocad in this regard and I can find some solution by posting in here.  I will also try to the other thread.  Info seems limited on this issue.  This seems like it should be a basic setting of how the program opens a file.  Maybe it changed with Windows 10.  Seems like how the registry is used has been changing dramatically since xp.   

[dougmcalexander]

Have you tried the right-click remedy I mentioned in a earlier post? You right click over a DWG file, select Properties, and assign Autocad 2017 LT (in your case) as the default program to open with.

[modeleader]

Doug, yes, I have tried assigning it to open with acadlt.exe by browsing for the actual exe file because I had a system crash and thought my computer might somehow be confused.  Then I tried opening with aclauncher but it's not found.  I'm not sure where 'aclauncher' or 'autocadlauncher' (or whatever it is called) should be in the program files so I can't find it to choose to have dwgs open with it.

This is very frustrating.  I did uninstall and reinstall just now and had some problems importing settings, but my commands and most of the graphic interface did come in, but drawing still open in separate sessions when double clicking on them.  This appears to be a problem within windows registry but to figure that out, it looks like it takes a degree in C+ programming.

Still launching separate sessions.

[rrlugar]

I had the same issue and I found a fix that worked for me.  When I had AutoCAD set to run as administrator, it would open each file in a new instance of the program.  When I unchecked this option, the program went back to opening the files in a new tab.  In Windows 10, right-click the program icon on the desktop, then click on properties.  Under the Compatibility tab, the last checkbox, "Run this program as an administrator" is what fixed it for me.  Make sure this is unchecked. 

[ben]

I know this is a late reply, but this eventually solved the problem for me too! It was so frustrating searching for hours to find a solution. Thank you!

[charlieMCH7C]

Thanks for this, tried looking for hours to sort it and this has worked a treat!

[dougmcalexander]

I’m glad you found my post helpful!

[RobDraw]

I thought the way to avoid this was to open the files using the open command in the desired program. Opening files from File(Windows) Explorer used to be discouraged. I guess there was some validity to that advise.

"Hey doc, it hurts when I do this!"

"Well, don't do it."

[dougmcalexander]

When multiple versions of AutoCAD and/or AutoCAD Electrical are installed, it is more reliable to open from within the active session of AutoCAD Electrical.  Then the software opens to file in another tab.  This assumes that SDI is set at the default setting of 0 (zero), meaning Multiple Document Interface is enabled.