topic Re: Toolbars not visible in AutoCAD Forum

Toolbars not visible - trial of AutoCAD 2026

jglombGY4A5 — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 15:24:45 GMT

I'm working a trial of autocad2026. But I'm no stranger to autocad.

I want to add a toolbar to my screen. From the "Tools" drop down I click on "Toolbars", then select "ACAD", then select the tool bar I want to display; in this case UCS.

The menu closes, but there is no tool bar.

I tried to open a few others. MODIFY will open and docks at the right side of the screen. LAYER opens in the middle of the screen. ORBIT does not open. One of them, i don't remember which, opened out of the autocad screen. I'm running a multi screen setup, and yes I do have the up to date Nvidia driver.

Anyone have a solution?

Very frustrating. I've done this a thousand times on earlier versions and never had a problem.

Beginning to have my doubts about continuing with autocad.

@jglombGY4A5 The post title has been modified to include the product name and version - CGBenner

Re: Toolbars not visible

RSomppi — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:30:57 GMT

@jglombGY4A5 wrote:
Beginning to have my doubts about continuing with autocad.

Over one toolbar not showing up? Might as well get it over with and be done with it.

Betreff: Toolbars not visible

cadffm — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:36:02 GMT

By command

-TOOLBAR

you can set the position.

Try 0,0 or 500,500 or whatever

to show up the toolbar.

Not showing up sounds offscreen = monitor setup or resolution issue

Re: Toolbars not visible

jglombGY4A5 — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:52:14 GMT

You are right . I'll look elsewhere.

Re: Toolbars not visible

dmfrazier — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:26:17 GMT

You can see more info about the default Appearance properties of toolbars via the CUI:

Maybe this will uncover the cause.

Re: Toolbars not visible

jglombGY4A5 — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:29:37 GMT

Many thanks. .... More than the other response I got.

I tried that. But I may not have used the correct coordinates. I will try again.

Thank you.

Re: Toolbars not visible

RSomppi — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 21:36:29 GMT

I thought it was good advice.

My other helpful suggestion was to tell you to start using the ribbon but didn’t think you would appreciate that.

Re: Toolbars not visible

dmfrazier — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 11:54:29 GMT

You could also show us a screenshot (like mine) of the TB properties on your setup. It might be something other than the coordinates.

Do you think it's possible that the TB is docked somewhere, maybe where you don't expect it, or in a place that's just not obvious? Try right-clicking in the area where toolbars dock and make sure the checkmark is next to the TB name. If it is checked, uncheck and re-check it to see if it becomes more noticeable.

Re: Toolbars not visible

jglombGY4A5 — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:48:55 GMT

Your advise has been helpful, but cannot find a permanent solution.

The problem seems to be coming from working on 3 screens. Almost all the toolbars open off screen, but are not visible. If I turn off all the screens except the one where Autocad is active the tool bars appear on the Autocad window. I have also noticed that when I get the toolbars to show, (and then turn on the other monitors), I can't just drag them, I have to use the Ctrl drag trick; and when I do, I see the outline of the tool bar moving around on one of the other screens. Very odd, very frustrating.

I did try messing around with the XY location of a toolbar, it didn't appear to have an effect. Using the 3 screens I'm not sure where 0,0 would be located. Any ideas?

Re: Toolbars not visible

RSomppi — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:04:35 GMT

I would disconnect all but one monitor. That should force all the toolbars to show and you can dock them to the AutoCAD window. Set up the toolbars the way you want and then plug the other monitors back in.

Re: Toolbars not visible

dmfrazier — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:08:31 GMT

Sorry, but I have no experience with multiple monitor setups.

The only other idea I have is that maybe this is a DirectX issue. Have you tried switching the application to use DirectX 11 instead of 12, via the infamous GFXDX12 command? (GFXDX12 = 0.)

Re: Toolbars not visible

jglombGY4A5 — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:25:34 GMT

Not familiar with dealing with DirectX issues.

But take a look at the attached screen video, you will see how strange this is getting.

With all but one screen off I have the ORBIT toolbar on the autocad window. With the customize window open I change the XY coordinates of the toolbar, apply the changes and nothing happens. I change the toolbar from floating to dock right, apply the changes and nothing happens. This isn't a multiple screen issue, this is an issue inside autocad. And it's frustrating that I can't contact Autodesk directly for an answer.

I did get a toolbar to open on the autocad window, but it's stuck down on the command line and I can't move it at all.

Very very frustrating.

Re: Toolbars not visible

dmfrazier — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:32:14 GMT

The DirectX issue is an easy one to test.

At the command prompt, simply enter GFXDX12, and then respond to the prompt with the numeral 0 (zero, to turn off DirectX 12 and change to DirectX 11).

You have to re-start AutoCAD for the setting to take effect.

Test your issue again.

If it doesn't resolve the issue, you can either leave it that way or set it back by responding with the numeral 1.

Re: Toolbars not visible

RSomppi — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:36:15 GMT

Just turning off the monitors is not enough. They need to be physically disconnected.

If it is an issue inside AutoCAD, it is not functioning properly (from the sounds of it). Maybe a clean install might fix the issue.

Using the ribbon would definitely get you around the issue. Since the ribbon was introduced, I thought toolbars would go away at some point so I adopted it early. I didn't want to change, just thought it would be forced on me at some point and thought it would be prudent to at least learn to use the ribbon.

Re: Toolbars not visible

pendean — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:01:40 GMT

@jglombGY4A5 Are these toolbars content migrated from an older AutoCAD version (or 3rd party add-on)?

Are any of your monitors not running at 100% display setting? And/or with text resizing? These are Windows10-11 Display settings.

Did you reset AutoCAD 2026 yet then try again?

Do you have the very new 2026.1 update installed? ABOUT command will confirm. Restart your PC if you need to install it.

Do you have this same issue if you installed and ran AutoCAD2025 across all three monitors?

After you find and move all the content back on-screen as noted by others, are you taking the time to use WSSAVE command to save to your active current workspace? Repeat for every other AutoCAD profile you might use too.

Re: Toolbars not visible

jglombGY4A5 — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:58:13 GMT

The toolbars are from the default setup of Autocad 2026 trial version.

I’m not sure what you mean about monitors running at 100% or text resizing. I use 3 monitors all at native resolutions, running off a Nvidia RTX A2000.

The trial Autocad is the most current version; I’ve been running it for 11 days. I’m not sure I can “reset” my trial version. This morning there was a message about an update so I did that; so I am running 2026.1.

I never ran Autocad 2025; I have 2007 on an old machine, Autocad LT on a newer machine, but the 2026 trial is on a machine that has never run Autocad.

I could take the time to “find and move” the toolbars, and I could save that workspace, but then what? If I’d like to load a new toolbar in the future, do I go through this all over again? Is this what I will be paying 2 grand a year for; constant “work arounds”? This is why I am working with the trial version; to avoid wasting my money.

I would like this to work out, but this has become very frustrating.

Re: Toolbars not visible

jglombGY4A5 — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:58:54 GMT

Thanks for the idea.

I tried it, but no change.

Re: Toolbars not visible

RSomppi — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:10:12 GMT

You're welcome. It should work.

Re: Toolbars not visible

pendean — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:39:09 GMT

@jglombGY4A5 AutoCAD2007 is a very long time ago: but AutoCAD 2026, when it comes to legacy toolbars, has changed very little from back then. No one has ever had to move toolbars around after creating, nor find and move them every time they turn on/off either. Much like AutoCAD2007, WSSAVE command is designed to freeze all locations once established if the default is not working.

I am sitting right here in AutoCAD 2026.1 turning on and off every single toolbar just like you said you were doing, they all appear under and in the drafting area under the toolbar on the monitor that is designated as #1 in Windows display settings. Nothing is vanishing or disappearing at all. Dual monitor setup here.

Not sure what a reset will do to your trial, but for anyone else that's the next logical step to take.

Sadly with the trial version you will not have access to Autodesk Support, just us end users that are not running trials.

Re: Toolbars not visible

dmfrazier — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:32:38 GMT

I would think that you can use "reset settings to default" on a trial version without jeopardizing your trial period.

It seems to me that your issue is caused by some rather unusual circumstances that are not shared by other AutoCAD users and are certainly difficult for anyone else to replicate.

Do you have access to another machine that you can install on?

If not, to possibly start to isolate the cause, can you start "simple", with just the main monitor, and then add one monitor at a time?