AutoCAD 2011 License Transfer Issue

[Neptune48]

Employee A has been using a permanent standalone license of 2011 for years. We just bought her a new computer and a new subscription license for AutoCAD 2020. Her new rig is up and running. I used the transfer utility on her old machine to export the license. New employee B arrives with a new laptop. I installed the 2011 version onto his computer. I registered the license. It works, but it sent an email to employee A congratulating her on activating her old license. I launched the 2011 license transfer utility to import the 2011 license to employee A's new machine, but it only offers an export option, not an import option. Well, maybe if I export it again it will let me import it. When I tried that it said I had already exported the license and I can't do it again. So I cannot import the license to employee B's machine where it belongs, even though it is activated and working. No I don't particularly care if someone at Autodesk gets wrapped around the axle over this unresolved license transfer, but I don't want my company or employee A or B to get in a jam over it. And I can't find a way to get a human to help (my 2011 reseller is gone). That virtual AI Help Lady is useless. Can some human being please help me resolve this? Thanks.

[pendean · Accepted solution]

Your AutoCAD2011 is not supported in Win10, which means Autodesk is not interested ever in helping you with any issue, it does not mean anything else you might read into "supported" http://autode.sk/1IY4C2X

And it turns out there is no such thing as a permanent license, read this, 2011 starts to fall off after March 2021 https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/simplecontent/content/previous-ver...

The Autodesk licensing team can help with a reactivation. So open a ticket with the Licensing support and check all information and options they may offer you if any https://knowledge.autodesk.com/contact-support/installation-activation

In the meantime, if you still have your old Win7 PC and all works well, hang on to it for as long as it will last, then figure out a new option if you are unable to join Autodesk Subscription for newer software. If you find Autodesk software subscriptions too expensive, there are many other CAD packages out there with no subscription options (initial cost may still be comparably high) that you can go get and use.

HTH

[Neptune48]

Thank you Pendean, that explains a lot. That brings up the next question, which I will test later: can I run 2011 on a Windows 7 virtual machine in Windows 10? If so, we can keep using 2011 in our department. If not, I'll have to warn management that next year we will have to replace seven otherwise perfectly useable "permanent" seats with subscription seats. In the meantime, as long as 2011 is working on employee B's machine, I'll not worry about the license transfer. I'm using one license per employee in the real world.

[pendean]

>>>...can I run 2011 on a Windows 7 virtual machine in Windows 10?...<<<
Yes.

[Neptune48 · Accepted solution]

Thanks again.  I'll discuss the options with management.

I'm especially grateful for the heads-up on 2011 expiring.  That's the first I heard of it.  Given the struggles with Autodesk of late, I might just consider retiring before having to do battle yet again with the evil demons of licenses.