Fusion 360 install location on Windows

[patrik-web]

Hi,

I have a machine with an SSD, but the Users folder is on a large network drive. It appears Fusion 360 installs itself completely into my Users/username/AppData folder, not in C:/Program Files as is customary. This means all the installed files are on the network drive, which makes Fusion startup much slower than it could be. I would like to only keep my design data in Users/username and move the program itself onto the SSD. Is there a way to specify the installation location for common files?

Thanks,

/Patrik J.

[marshaltu · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Unfortunately we didn't provide the option to specify installation location during installing. 

I am not sure if you have permission to create a folder link in your network drive? If yes, maybe a workaround for you would be to create the folder link "webdeploy" in your user folder of network drive, which points to a folder in your SSD disk. For example:

mklink /D ".../Users/username/AppData/Local/Autodesk/WebDeploy/" ".../your SSD disk/Program Files/Autodesk/WebDeploy/"

mklink is Windows command. 

Thanks,

Marshal

[patrik-web]

Hi Marshal,

Thanks, that worked like a charm. It now starts in 10 seconds rather than 3 minutes! I just hope that any future updates will correctly follow the link and not recreate the webdeploy folder in AppData.

For future reference, these are the exact steps I followed:

1. Start a command prompt as administrator.
2. Go to the Autodesk directory in AppData:

   cd C:\Users\patrik\Appdata\Local\Autodesk

3. Copy the webdeploy directory to a directory I made under C: (which is on the SSD): 

   robocopy /copyall /mir /xj webdeploy C:\Fusion360\webdeploy

4. Move the old copy out of the way:

   move webdeploy webdeploy.bak

5. Make a junction point (I made a junction rather than a directory link, that only matters if you access the disk over the network, so either way probably works fine):

   mklink /j webdeploy C:\Fusion360\webdeploy

6. Once you've verified that it works, delete the backup copy.

   rmdir /s /q webdeploy.bak

[Anonymous]

Fusion360 and addons (by Autodesk, such as Slicer) inconsistent with Autodesk default installation location and with each other.  Would be nice if company was consistent, and fixed this.

[Anonymous]

are there plans to deploy a proper installer for this program anytime soon?

[dmartinS68QJ]

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@Anonymous wrote:

are there plans to deploy a proper installer for this program anytime soon?

---

This might be an option for you.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/fusion-360-design-validate/installing-fusion-changing-default-location/td-p/6656891

[Anonymous]

This only works for lab licenses..  not for indivuals.

We’re sorry, this product is available for educational institutions on multiple computers and/or network servers only. It is not available for students and educators on a personal device.

[lordmasik]

Thank you for the step by step instructions, it helped enormously and worked like a charm.

[abdalla.safwat]

I don't get it, I am not aware how to use the cmd and if I need to move it from the C directory to another location on another hard drive, how can I use that method, if you can help, please. 

Thanks

[cfisichella]

I think the choice to use that location is a good one. I have no installation rights on my machine, and it was a pleasant surprise to immediately start using the software. I was expecting the user access dialog to appear and it did not. 

[Anonymous]

Alright man, i just did it myself and i guess i'll try my best to help, note that I am a complete newbie on cmd as well

so basically, you locate the Fusion 360 file by right clicking the icon and open file location, then go back few times until you're on the page mentioned, the one containing webdeploy. 

now you wanna follow patrick instruction on 2: TYPE         cd (spacebar) then type the location of fusion360, for example, if it's installed on your C drive, then it will be C:\User\..........      you can get it by clicking twice and copy on the file folder space.

then follow his instruction, like creating a new folder on your C, then new folder name Fusion360, the  new folder name webdeploy. 

the just copy and paste what he written to your cmd, waiting each process to finish before copying and pasting the next command. 

Oh man im so bad at explaining, but i hope you get it, try digging into some google search and dont give up the first time! This is my 4th time retrying over a period of a month plus (procrastination), only then i got it

[faline.custodio.da.silva]

@patrik-web @Anonymous @abdalla.safwat 

Hey there! I'm checking in here to see if anyone was able to test a Fusion 360 update after using this method to change the install location? I'm currently developing an article for our knowledge base so that this information is easier to find.

Thanks for your time!

[Anonymous]

Hello, I have set it to update automatically.

So since my comment, are there any new updates? If yes then I still able to
use it. 🙂

If no, then please remind me next time after the updates.

[Anonymous]

I honestly can't believe this. Maya installs in Program Files. Max installs in Program Files. The Autodesk Desktop app installs to Program Files. All my other PROFESSIONAL software installs to Program Files. But Fusion installs... in my user folder?? How am I supposed to manage my apps when they're scattered all over the place?

I can't even FIND the Fusion app on my hard drive, because "AppData" is a hidden file on my computer. I want to assign it to open STP files but I can't because I can't browse to the hidden folder that Fusion is on.

How about, rather than asking us to make forced folder redirects, you install the app in the PROPER place? And give us the option to change where it installs? Like every other app I use?

[Anonymous]

Installing application in a location outside C:\Program or C:\Program (X86) with mixed executable and data files, makes my PC vulnerable for virus attacks. Applications are expected to be able to read and write to the user folder AppData\Local which makes it really difficult to figure out how the the anti-virus system should be configured to protect each and every of the files that could contain some executable code.
It is therefore a significant security risk to install Fusion 360, and it suprises me that a company like Autodesk lets a design like this pass their quality review. Looks more like some hack a teenager could have been producing for personal use.   

[engineer1984]

I got to this thread for the same reason... I'm not a computer whiz, nor do I want to be.  I was just trying to assign a STEP file to always open using Fusion and then realized it was going to be a PITA.  I'd really prefer NOT to go down a Google / YouTube / Forum threads rabbit hole to change / redirect / whatever my Fusion location. 

I have no goal to be an IT person, I'm a furniture designer & general contractor who uses 3D CAD...   

BTW, I have Autodesk TrueView and it is located in C:/Programs.

[danielbadde]

I even have TWO times 2.8 GB folders with almost identical Fusion 360 subfolders sitting below some hexadecimal code named folders. Not only that Autodesk doesn't let you chose the installation location, which would be beneficial given my small system hard disk, it also doesn't install at a standard location but in a by standard setting hidden subfolder, inside of which subfolders with cryptic names are being created where the app is being installed. Every single update, I get a new one of these subfolders, and I don't know which one is safe to delete. Please, Autodesk, GET THIS FIXED!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your aid! It's the only solution that worked for me when installing the program to a different drive. I really appreciate your help.

[Risa.Oram]

I find this program download and setup so utterly annoying. I wasted at least 3 days recently of both mine and my IT department trying to sort this out. It was working, but when I renewed my license I was locked out of my account. We are going in circles trying to load the software and getting nowhere with Autodesk Helpdesk. This is our "test run" of whether this should be our future default program for our team. So far its failing.

[calian.mihai]

Thanks for this, I was running out of space on my C drive! 🙂