topic Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change. in AutoCAD LT Forum

AutoCad default location refuses to change.

curtis_holt — Wed, 10 May 2023 15:39:25 GMT

Hey Guys,

Just a quick question for an issue I am having with a user at the moment. He has been recently upgraded from AutoCad 2022 to 2024, when he goes to open a .dwg file straight from the file explorer with no AutoCad instance open he gets the following message...

Obviously this directory doesn't exist anymore as 2022 was uninstalled, when he opens the drawings from within the app its fine. Whenever I try change the default app for .dwg extensions every single time it just reverts to this file path. Tried manually selection the 2024 app and no use every time from the file explorer I get this message.

Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this?

Thanks,

Curtis

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

pendean — Wed, 10 May 2023 15:59:13 GMT

start 2024.
Open a DWG file.
Close DWG file.
Close 2024.

THEN... https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Double-clicking-a-DWG-file-opens-it-in-the-wrong-AutoCAD-instance.html#:~:text=In%20Windows%20Explorer%2C%20right%2Dclick,dwg%20files.

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

jayhar — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:10:03 GMT

It seems that the file association for .dwg files is still pointing to the previous version of AutoCAD (2022) even after installing AutoCAD 2024. This can happen if the file association settings were not updated correctly during the installation process. Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Associate .dwg Files with AutoCAD 2024: Open the Settings app in Windows and go to "Apps" or "Apps & features." Scroll down and click on "Default apps" (or "Default applications" in some versions). Under "Choose default apps," click on "Set defaults by app" or "Choose default apps by file type." Locate AutoCAD 2024 in the list of installed apps, select it, and choose "Set this program as default" or "Choose defaults for this program." This should associate .dwg files with AutoCAD 2024.

2. Use "Open With" to Set Default Program: Right-click on a .dwg file, select "Open With," and then click on "Choose another app." In the "How do you want to open this file?" window, select AutoCAD 2024 from the list of available programs, and make sure to check the box that says "Always use this app to open .dwg files." Click "OK" to save the changes. Repeat this process for any other .dwg files that are not opening with the correct version of AutoCAD.

3. Repair AutoCAD 2024 Installation: It's possible that there was an issue during the installation of AutoCAD 2024 that caused the file association problem. Try repairing the AutoCAD 2024 installation by going to "Apps" or "Apps & features" in the Windows Settings, locating AutoCAD 2024 in the list of installed apps, and selecting "Modify" or "Repair." Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the repair process. Afterward, check if the file association for .dwg files is correctly set to AutoCAD 2024.

4. Contact AutoCAD Support: If the issue persists, it would be best to reach out to AutoCAD support for further assistance. They can provide specific guidance and troubleshooting steps tailored to the AutoCAD software and its integration with file associations on your system.

By following these steps, you should be able to associate .dwg files with AutoCAD 2024 and resolve the issue of the incorrect default file path message when opening files directly from the file explorer.

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

jayhar — Wed, 10 May 2023 17:17:41 GMT

If the previous suggestions did not resolve the issue with the default file location in AutoCAD, here are a few additional steps you can try:

1. Create a New Windows User Profile: Sometimes, issues with file associations can be specific to a user profile. Create a new user profile in Windows and see if the issue persists when opening .dwg files with AutoCAD 2024 from the file explorer. If the problem does not occur in the new user profile, it indicates that the issue is related to the original user profile. In that case, you may consider migrating your files and settings to the new profile or continue using the new profile for AutoCAD work.

2. Clean Uninstall and Reinstall AutoCAD: Perform a clean uninstall of AutoCAD 2024 and then reinstall it. A clean uninstall involves completely removing AutoCAD and its associated files from your system. To do this: - Uninstall AutoCAD 2024 using the standard uninstallation process in Windows. - Manually delete any remaining AutoCAD-related files and folders from your system, including installation directories and program data folders. - Restart your computer to ensure any lingering processes or services are stopped. - Reinstall AutoCAD 2024 from the original installation media or download. After the clean reinstall, check if the default file location issue is resolved.

3. Use a Third-Party File Association Tool: Consider using a third-party file association tool to manage and repair file associations on your system. These tools can help you modify and fix file associations that may be causing the incorrect default file location issue. Examples of such tools include Default Programs Editor, FileTypesMan, or Creative Elements Power Tools.

4. Consult AutoCAD Community or Support: If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it would be helpful to seek assistance from the AutoCAD community forums or contact AutoCAD support directly. They can provide specific guidance and troubleshooting steps based on your particular configuration and setup.

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

curtis_holt — Thu, 11 May 2023 13:05:00 GMT

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the advice so far, I have another session with the user tomorrow so will give it a try and report back my findings.

Thanks,

Curtis

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

andresgjd — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 18:25:18 GMT

I had this exact same issue. If the problem persists, here's how to fix it (already proven to work in 3 different instances in 3 different machines):

1. First, open the Registry Editor with Administrator rights (Open Windows menu, type 'regedit' and 'Run as administrator'

2. Expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Now you will see various Registry keys (like .3gp, .jpg, .png, .aac, etc.) for different file types.

3. Right-click on the registry key for .dwg/.dxf/.dwt and use the Delete option to remove it.

4. Access the FileExts Registry key using the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts

5. Look for the same registry key that you deleted in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (dwg/.dxf/.dwt) under FileExts, and delete it.

6. Restart your PC and then try to change the default app for that particular file type. Repeat all these steps if you have trouble changing the default app for other file types also.

Credits to the original solution go to The Windows Club article by LaxmanSingh@TWC (I just made some adaptations to the original text according to our specific case)

Hope this helps!

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

alex — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 21:35:27 GMT

This worked perfectly for me. I'm not a power user, but I'm also by no means a novice.

The issue I ran into was that I was running Revit LT 2024 and upgraded to Revit LT 2025. When I uninstalled Revit LT 2024, the default program for .RVT files continued to point at the 2024 tree even though it didn't exist. None of the standard ways to reassociate files with the correct executable program worked: (1) the right click "open with" method, (2) going into settings and default apps method (there are 3 subset ways to do it there).

Editing the registry. In this case deleting RVT keys worked for me. FYI, I'm running Windows 11.

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

paullimapa — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:27:29 GMT

looks like you're referring to LT and not AutoCAD

The LT forum is over here:

AutoCAD LT Forum - Autodesk Community

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

westdts — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 06:16:17 GMT

It works in Windows11 thank you

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

westdts — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 06:17:06 GMT

it works for me in windows 11 thank you

Re: AutoCad default location refuses to change.

qsainisu — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 11:24:07 GMT

Just open registry editor.

In Registry Editor → Press Ctrl + F → search for: acad.exe
Delete any leftover entries pointing to C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2022\
Then close, & change the default app location to autocad 2024