Disable the 2015 browser?

[acwtzwegers]

Alright, 2015 introduced an entire embedded Chrome browser for the newtab stuff

(which is a heavy version of the startup screen everyone disabled upon install)...

So you, just like the previous startup screen, disable it (and they didn't even give you a "don't show me this again" switch) and increase the speed-of-use of your CAD (not having to have the extra clicks the newtab introduces)... you think...

Because meanwhile AutoCAD launches, and keeps running, at least 4 (!!!) browsers in your memory - with a minimum requirement of 100 megs. Sure Autodesk probably thinks 100 megs is nothing... but if it's doing nothing anyway....

Nevermind that svhost already does the same, and that it's Chrome, while you may be running IE (if only to keep the overhead on your cad system low) and that AutoCAD also requires you to have that installed (2014 did anyways)

So how do we really get rid of the uneeded/unwanted/unaskedfor/... resource hog 2015 introduced?

The simple option... renaming the C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2015\AcWebBrowser folder seems to work - but what's the likelyhood that acad keeps looking for it and that creating an extra drag?

Anyone has other options?

[pendean]

What embedded Chrome Browser "stuff'? I don't seem to have that.

[acwtzwegers]

With 2015 on, check your task manager, processes... Chromium Host Executable.

I was mistaken to take this as a "Google Chrome" licensed bit, it's not: Autodesk took it from an OpenSource project seemingly based upon Google Chrome.

When you rename the folder, the browser stops appearing in your processes.

Silly thing is more that the browser keeps running and all that even if you don't actually use it (because, you have disabled newtab in this much too round-about way instead of a "don't show me this again" switch).

I have not found any negative effects yet  of the renaming - but perhaps more PC savvy people would have objections.

(Sillily, I have also started to customize the index.html the "newtab" displays to have a company startup screen... it may actually be quite a useful addition to acad (but as usual: only as far as one can customise it) )

[nrz13]

I don't seem to have this process running with my AutoCAD 2015.  I do have NEWTABMODE set to 0 and I always disable InfoCenter in the Windows Registry for AutoCAD installs.  I also don't have 360 installed.  I'm guessing one of those is the culprit.

[Ron-C]

No sign of any addtional "Browser" here !

Ron

[acwtzwegers]

I do think you need to have the newtab mode set. Its at 2 for me at the moment because I'm messing with the index.html.

I've been having all sorts of performance issues here today though, which is why I looked amongst the processes in the first place.

[pendean]

You'll need to ask someone at Autodesk then, we end users like you prefer to turn off what we don't want which seems to be a reasonable solution to me (NEWTABMODE set to 0 here too).

Are you running Win8?

[acwtzwegers]

Nope, I'm using win 7 here... I heard 8 would give me trouble running acad, so I haven't bothered to instal acad on 8 yet.

Anyway, I guess I'll just rename the folder when I want the browser disabled and see what happens allong the way. Thanks.

Customising the index.html is an option though, but it's tricky to run custom commands (we have our own vault-like system for example) out of the html as long as they've not been loaded yet (which acad only does once it opens an actual drawing/template)

[Baker_ADG]

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@nrz13 wrote:

I don't seem to have this process running with my AutoCAD 2015.  I do have NEWTABMODE set to 0 and I always disable InfoCenter in the Windows Registry for AutoCAD installs.  I also don't have 360 installed.  I'm guessing one of those is the culprit.

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How did you disable InfoCenter on 2015?? 

Will it work on Civil 3D 2015?

[nrz13]

Jon:

I don't use Civil 3D so I can't verify it will work there, but what I did was:

1) Close AutoCAD and open the Windows Registry Editor (Window Key+R → regedit → [press enter key] )

2) Do a search for "InfoCenter" or manually navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER → Software → Autodesk → AutoCAD → R20.0 → ACAD-E001 → InfoCenter and rename the InfoCenter folder (I change it to InfoCenterOFF as a reminder, in case I need to change it back in the future)

3) Continue the search for "InfoCenter" or manually navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SOFTWARE → Autodesk → AutoCAD → R20.0 → ACAD-E001 → Infocenter and rename the Infocenter folder

4) Close the Registry Editor and reopen AutoCAD.  InfoCenter should then be absent.

Note:  It's always good practice to backup the registry (File → Export...) before making changes to it in case something should go wrong.

[Baker_ADG]

That worked for Civil 3D as well (so far... )

[zzz144]

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@acwtzwegers wrote:

disable it .....................................

The simple option... renaming the C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2015\AcWebBrowser folder seems to work - but what's the likelyhood that acad keeps looking for it and that creating an extra drag?

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Dear Sir who wants speedy AutoCAD... 

Autodesk has subverted my attempt of renaming that folder, I also renamed the .exe file just in case... and blocked it in my firewall... 

But the pest came back... 

Gone are the good old days when AutoCAD was fast and free of all this spyware. YES SPYWARE. 

Why does autocad need 3 or 4 browsers? SPYWARE! Licensing my a$$! 

[seanemd]

This totally worked for me - thank you!!  After upgrading from Arch2014 to 2017, my ~new Surface Book w/PB ran crazy hot with fan on all the time, even after idling for 30 minutes plugged in, screen off & pushing two other monitors, nothing open but Outlook.  The high temps made it almost unusable for field work.  Core temps were pushing max (95 deg Celsius), pretty unsettling to carry around in your palm.  After this and restarting, temps back down in the high 30s/low 40s, fan off.

I was all set to blame the Surface Book or Windows 10, turns out it was piggish ACAD software trying to fry my laptop.

[john.vellek]

HI @seanemd,

I am glad that this improved the workability and performance on your computer.  the AcWebBrowser is used by many services (not spyware - honest) such as:

ACAD Welcome screen

Autodesk Desktop App

Autodesk Licensing

DesignFeed,

Geolocation

Help

etc.

Each of these runs in it's own process. This helps to isolate each task so that if something happens to one task it won't crash the others.  If you want to turn this back on, you might be able to minimize the impact by turning off the online help and disabling the welcome screen and perhaps also the Desktop App.

[acwtzwegers]

I understand why they'd have separate instances - but why run these if the functions they are supporting are not running (or have ever been used by the user)?

On-demand resource management seems more logical then "switch everything on so it seems to launch really fast may the user ever want to use the feature" (if only because performance is down so much, any activity seems fast).

Or is it just part of the nerfing of AutoCAD to favor Inventor? 😉

[john.vellek]

HI @acwtzwegers,

I see only a couple instances running on my computer when I do not have AutoCAD (or other Autodesk apps) open.

Here is an article that describes how you might minimize the instances.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[cpadilla]

Win7, Autocad 2015, NEWTABMODE = unknown command, what gives? Can you tell me what that is?

[seanemd]

Thanks John, I don't really use any of those web services and in a week since disabling I've had zero overheating problems.  I think it's pretty irresponsible of ACAD to put in a (non-essential) service that is so resource hungry that it will cause a high end laptop to overheat even when the ACAD application isn't running. 

[pendean]

You probably need to reset R2015 if it's fully patched and giving you that error.

[cpadilla]

Reset? I'm running 2015 SP2, can't find any newer updates, It's the same in 2017.1.2