Drawings keep opening in older version of AutoCAD

[scoopthepoop2000]

I am using AutoCAD 2018 but have 2017 still loaded on the computer. How do I get AutoCAD to open in the most recent version? I will have 2018 opened then someone will email me a drawing. I will open the drawing direct from the email and it always opens up in 2017. In years past I thought I was able to right click properties and select "look for another app on PC" find my most recent AuotCAD executable file (in this case acad.exe in 2018 folder) and voila it was fixed! Everything that I would open after that would be in the latest version of AutoCAD. Now it doesn't seem to be the case. Where did I go wrong? Thanks.

[sthompson1021]

Right click on a drawing icon and expand "open with" in the dialog box. Go to the bottom and click on choose default program. Then pick 2018 icon.

[john.vellek]

Hi @scoopthepoop2000,

If you want to open your drawing file with the last used AutoCAD application then select the DWG Launcher with the Open With option.

If this does not work then the file association might be inadvertently set to the wrong application. Here is an article that details a correction process.

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

[scoopthepoop2000]

I assume when the article reads to modify the launch it means to replace 2017 by manually typing 2018? If so that didn't work.

[pendean]

right-click on a dwg file in WIndows Explorer.
Select OPEN WITH then CHOOSE ANOTHER PROGRAM or whatever your version of Windows calls that last choice on the bottom.
A new pop-up appears: select DWG LAUNCHER and check the box that says something like "ALWAYS USE THIS PROGRAM"

Now manually start the version of AutoCAD you wish to use, then use OPEN command inside AutoCAD to open a file. Pan around, then QSAVE and close the file. Then close the program.

Windows will now remember to always use this version of AUtoCAD until you make the mistake of starting up the other one. But the fix will be simple: just manually start the version you want to go back to once to break the cycle.

You could just remove the older AutoCAD version from your PC and cure the problem forever.

[scoopthepoop2000]

Doesn't work I must be doing something wrong. After I go through explorer and select AutoCAD 2018 there isn't a pop up for AutoCAD DWG launcher. However there is an option to use AutoCAD launcher when I right click but I do not get an option to make it use AutoCAD 2018.

[Ed__Jobe]

He didn't say anything about an OPTION to make it use 2018. Just choose dwg launcher. That program uses the last profile of AutoCAD. The fix is to OPEN Autocad 2018 so that it is now the last used version.

[scoopthepoop2000]

His post reads as follows: A new pop-up appears: select DWG LAUNCHER and check the box that says something like "ALWAYS USE THIS PROGRAM". I do not get this as an option to check a box.

[Ed__Jobe]

See the attached images. After you do these steps, then Open 2018 as directed and it will be the last used profile. If you don't see Dwg Launcher as an option, browse to it at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AcShellEx\AcLauncher.exe.

[john.vellek]

Hi @scoopthepoop2000,

I made a quick video that shows how I would suggest you select this application when associating your dwg files with it.

Let me know if this works for you.

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

[scoopthepoop2000]

That worked. Thanks for everyone's help.

[RobDraw]

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@scoopthepoop2000 wrote:

I am using AutoCAD 2018 but have 2017 still loaded on the computer. How do I get AutoCAD to open in the most recent version?

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Start AutoCAD and open the files from within in AutoCAD to prevent this from happening, ever.

[Anonymous]

No it doesn't. I know this an old thread, but using the launcher does not do the trick. Still may open older versions.

Funny, I have 2019 and 2020 and working from home and cannot uninstall 2019 or would gladly do so (admin rights). There is no way to open drawings with 2020 short of opening 2020 first then going and finding the drawing from the open function. 

Any attempt to open with, and even navigating to the 2020 exe file still opens the drawing using the 2019 application. 

[pendean]

This is still the fix for this age-old issue https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Double...