Autodesk Desktop Application (ADA) is being replaced

[pendean]

On March 15, 2023, Autodesk Access will replace Autodesk Desktop Application (ADA) to provide the foundation for future capabilities, making it easier than ever to manage new product updates. Autodesk Access is built with trust, security and choice in mind and offers many benefits, including: Access to updates, new features, and defect fixes to stay productive without interfering with your workflows  Better control over the user update experience Enhanced security and better performance

How to update to Autodesk Access

You’ll automatically receive Autodesk Access if you currently have the Autodesk Desktop App or install a new product on or after March 15 Starting March 15, you can download Autodesk Access here.

Important Notice

Once Autodesk Access is installed, users will be able to install updates if they have administrator rights. To prevent users from manually installing updates via Access, use the following Registry Key. We recommend completing this step before March 15th. For more guidance on how to set this key for your users, please see this support article. Create a new key in the HKCU/Software/Autodesk/ODIS folder. Key name: DisableManualUpdateInstall DWORD value: 1 Our goal is to provide a great, transparent update experience. This is the first step in an exciting roadmap to give customers control and easy access to new product features. Thank you for choosing Autodesk.

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Autodesk and the Autodesk logo are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

@pendean - This reply has been edited by the moderation team as the legacy links were no longer valid

[GaryOrrMBI]

Saw that email this morning.

The question is: will it really be all that different? Hopefully it will actually address the wish list items and give us some control... Guess we'll see.

It would be nice if we could preview it so we can have an idea as to what's coming and how we want to handle it within our organizations before it just starts showing up.

[DarrenP]

you can if your on any of the Autodesk product betas

[Joe-Bouza]

What exactly does automatic mean? will users just wake up to Access instead of Desk top app?

[pendean]

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@Joe-Bouza wrote:

What exactly does automatic mean? will users just wake up to Access instead of Desk top app?

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Looks like it unless your PC is locked down by IT

[rkmcswain]

Nothing to do here, since nobody has desktop app installed. Still amazed at firms that allow end users to install software (i.e. have local admin access).

[jbutlerB9NSL]

Wrong forum, please excuse 

[pendean]

@jbutlerB9NSL There is nothing in my post to indicate you have to install anything today or this week or even this month: and there is nothing in it about AutoCAD.

So I'm not sure what it is you are asking about: perhaps you need to start a separate post in the I&L forum over here https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/installation-licensing/bd-p/24

[mmermel]

Just guessing, but there is a setting on the desktop app allowing it to be automatically updated.  My guess would be that the update on March 15 will simply update the ADA to Autodesk Access.  Similarly, if you install a new product, the access component will be part of the installation.

Like I say, just guessing.

[mmermel]

Agreed.  A little more detail about the experience would be nice. Like, is there a way to use Access to push specific updates to staff. Can we get it to stop showing updates we don't need? Whole host of questions.  I just can't WAIT to be disappointed again.

[pendean]

@mmermel from the public information released so far, the finer details we all crave may not be available to any of us before the release date... the Ides Of March 😉

I do hope it is better too.

[Joe-Bouza]

That is how I read too. looking for consensus to report back to the top

thanks

[Simon_Weel]

Reading the announcements, it looks like Autodesk still doesn't get it. This app could be useful for a home user. But it's not suited for a corporate environment, where you don't want regular users to install anything.

As for updates, I want something like WSUS so I can decide a) what updates are installed b) when they are installed c) on which machines they are installed.

[pendean]

@Simon_Weel Agreed.

tell Autodesk about you wishes and desires here where they look for feedback https://www.autodesk.com/company/contact-us/product-feedback

[mmermel]

I know they claim to listen.  They don't.  They may take the top 10 from the AUGI wish list and give us 1 or 2 items, but they don't really listen.

[handjonathan]

Hi Guys,

Some more updated information can be found here. 

[Simon_Weel]

More information about Autodesk Access: Introducing Autodesk Access - Autodesk Technology Manager Community

Since the 'old' ADA wasn't of much use anyway, I never bothered to install it on user machines. And if it did, I just removed it as part of the installation procedure. But what I read in the aforementioned article, it will no longer be possible to remove the new Autodesk Access. Really? According to the same article, it's a program under development and as such, I would rather wait for a more final version to try out and then, if it actually is of any use, roll it our over the organisation.

[gerard_sheal_moray]

Autodesk really need to take a leaf out of Adobes Creative Cloud App book. Non admin installations and updates would help us in the education sector with student labs that have hundreds of workstations and students with non admin credentials.

[TCMadlem]

You can have desktop app installed & still not allow end users to have admin privileges? This statement is clearly not coming from an IT manager..

[pendean]

@TCMadlem ADA is a dead product, read about it's replacement coming soon here https://blogs.autodesk.com/technology-manager-community/2023/02/22/introducing-autodesk-access/?_ga=...

Once that is installed and running with no issues for most of us, you'll get more information from Autodesk about Manager controls over users better as it will be more obvious inside the new tool as updates are pushed out for it throughout the next 3-6-12-18-24-346 months.