Autocad 2017 Online help

[Anonymous]

Just installed Acad2017. Clicking on "Help" always launches Acad 2017 Mechanical online help, not just plain Acad help. Does this still exist, and if so how do I point Acad to it? I want to use the online help so it is always up to date, rather than the static downloadable offline (local) copy.

Thanks

[rkmcswain]

Not sure why it's doing that, but the AutoCAD 2017 online documentation is here:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2017/ENU/

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. But how do you point Acad to that url? The "Help File Location" option in the Files tab of Options dialogue is pointed to:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2017\Help\index.html

There doesn't seem to be a way to point it to a specific url. It will not accept the url as a valid location.

Is this a registry thing?

[pendean]

Did you actually install MECH2017, or are you trying to run MECH2017 "as AutoCAD" using the custom profile that you specifically need to select as part of the installation?

FWIW The basic HELP files online are not "updated" during a release cycle: the only thing they update as videos and answers to specific questions from forums and AKN topics and then only "periodically". So using local HELP is not a handicap at all.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

Have you tried going into Options >Files tab to put in the http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2017/ENU/ that Dean gave you?  I haven't tried this myself but it might be a fix.

I have done a quick search in the registry and have not found a key that stores this value.

I have reached out to a couple of sources internally to see if I can come up with a better answer.

If you log on as a new user to your computer does help show up in the correct product?

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

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Dean -

Installed ACAD MD as part of complete PDS Ultimate, which includes both ACAD and ACAD MD.  I suspect this has something to do with the order in which the products were loaded by the installer, so the last product installed wrote the help URL to the registry, possibly overwriting the plain ACAD help URL. I just don't know where in the registry to look.

There must be something that is pointing ACAD to that URL, somewhere, else how does know where to go?

[rkmcswain]

john.vellek wrote:

Have you tried going into Options >Files tab to put in the http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2017/ENU/ that Dean gave you?  I haven't tried this myself but it might be a fix.

Does not work. The documentation states "Specifies the location of the local Help file."

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

Does this still happen if you logon as a different user? Or, if you do a Repair, or Reset Settings to Default?

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

The product code affects the Help URL that is used which I think can be changed using the /product and /p command switches.  If you right-click over the desktop shortcut and choose Properties, the Target path should include /product ACAD instead of what I think is /product AMECH_PP (or what the AutoCAD Mechanical code is).  That and maybe the use of the /p command switch to ensure the AutoCAD profile is set current.

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

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

Did you try the suggestion in my last post? I am hoping that will resolve the issue for you.

[Anonymous]

This is my current shortcut target:

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2017\acad.exe" /p MY_Acad_2017 /product ACADM /language "en-US"
Changed it per your suggestion to:
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2017\acad.exe" /p MY_Acad_2017 /product ACAD /language "en-US"

Still does not work, per below:

[rkmcswain]

Someday, maybe they will fix this over two decade old problem. The Augi wish I made on how to fix it is over 10 years old. SMH