AutoCAD Freezes when switching to "start" tab

[esheeran]

AutoCAD freezes for about 5 minutes (longer over VPN) when switching to the "start" tab, or closing your final drawing. 
We loaded a custom profile (.arg) with our deployment. We realized if we didn't use that profile, the switch to the start menu works fine and causes no delay. 
We rebuilt the profile and all seemed to be working well. 
However, when we exported that profile and reimported it to test applying it to other computers, the issue with it freezing when switching to "start" happened again. 

Has anyone experienced this? 

[J-Porter]

Did you try this?

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Slow-performance-w...

If not, is this happening in all drawings or just one specific?  Have run and AUDIT on the drawing?  

[esheeran]

This is not drawing specific. Switching between layout tabs or switching between drawings works fine. 

This is only occurring when we try to select the "start" tab, or close the final drawing we have open. 

And it only occurs when we use the profile that we loaded for the deployment. If I start Civil 3D without our custom .arg file the switch to the "start" tab works fine.  

[J-Porter]

I'm sure you're not going to be happy with this idea, but could it possibly be a corrupt profile?  I have run into corrupt profiles many times over the years.  Even though it's "been the profile we've used for years" they can still become corrupt.  If the out-of-the-box profile works then it's probably safe to assume the software is working correctly.  

Does this happen for everyone in the office or just you?  

[BhaskarMurari]

The issue of AutoCAD freezing when switching to the "start" tab or closing the final drawing appears to be related to the use of a custom profile (.ARG). When the custom profile is not used, the switch to the start menu works fine without delays. Rebuilding the profile initially resolved the issue, but exporting and reimporting the profile caused the freezing problem to reoccur.

To address this:

1. Ensure the custom profile is correctly configured and does not conflict with default settings.
2. Avoid using default names like "Unnamed Profile" for the custom profile, as this can cause conflicts.
3. Reset AutoCAD to defaults to clear any damaged registry keys or settings files.
4. Verify the deployment package and ensure the custom profile is correctly cited in the installation process.

Identify the path by following these steps:

1. Reset AutoCAD to defaults. See: How to reset AutoCAD to defaults.
2. Launch AutoCAD.
3. Create a new blank drawing.
4. Go to AutoCAD application menu > Options > Files.
5. Add the custom paths one by one, testing the behavior every time, until the problematic one is identified.
   • Note: it might be necessary to close and reopen AutoCAD after adding each path.

[esheeran]

Ok thank you. I have rebuilt the profile item by item. When I do that, there is no issue with switching to the start menu. Yay! 

How do I go about checking if the issue is happening in the deployment or with exporting/importing the profile? 

This issue is happening across our company (300+CAD users). I would like to rebuild the profile and then be able to share it with all the users. 
In my testing so far, if I import the freshly created profile I end up with the same issue of the Start menu freezing.