How to make DWG files open in AutoCAD 2019 Mechanical from windows explorer

[Anonymous]

When I double click files to open from Windows Explorer, it opens them in AutoCAD 2017. I would like them to open in AutoCAD 2019 Mechanical. I read about the launcher thing, but the launcher only opens them in 2017. This is the same for all drafters at my company, none of us can get them to open in AutoCAD 2019 Mechanical by default. We barely use 2017 anymore, but for some reason AutoCAD drawings will only launch that. Even when we have 2019 or 2018, it wont just open the drawing in the open program, it launches a whole separate instance of 2017. How do we fix this?

[john.vellek]

HI @Anonymous,

Have you tried associating the DWG extension with AutoCAD Mechanical instead of the DWG launcher?

Have you considered removing the older applications if you are not using them? This should correct the behavior as well.

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

[Anonymous]

Well, I thought about that but every version of AutoCAD shows up as "AutoCAD Application" in the screen where you pick a new default with the same icon. So i have no way of telling which is AutoCAD 17, 18, or 19, or Mechanical, Electrical verticals. Would rather not play the guessing game on 10 machines. I can't remove the old versions because we have them on other licenses and they are the last version that is 100% working with our customizations so sometimes we still need them. Every new release breaks functionality with existing scripts. Even if i go and browse and point to the acad.exe in the AutoCAD 2019 folder, it opens in AutoCAD Mechanical 2017. 

[john.vellek]

Try checking the registry keys to make sure each product is pointing to the correct application.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\DwgCommon\shellex\apps:

• If that all looks correct, then try to again re-associate the dwg extension with the DWG Launcher.
• Then restart the computer and launch AutoCAD Mechanical 2019.
• Open a file and then save it.
• Close AutoCAD Mechanical.
• Now, from Windows Explorer, double-click a dwg file. 

Which application opens?

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

[Anonymous]

The registry is pointing to 2017. Shouldnt that be updated when installing 2018 and 2019? The inventor one is pointing to inventor 2019. How do I get AutoCAD to update this registry?

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

If you are comfortable doing so, please manually edit the key and then see if it behaves properly. I am not sure why this is not set to your current product. A clean uninstall and reinstall might correct it but the regkey adjustment might be much quicker.

You can backup your registry as a precaution and perhaps even take a screen capture of the existing values before you edit.

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

[cheryl.buck]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am checking back to see if you were able to resolve your issue or if the suggestions John made helped you with your problem.

If a post was helpful, Likes are always welcome.

Please also select the Accept as Solution button on any posts that helped solve your issue or answered your question.