Fusion 360 will no longer launch after July 31 2023

[Shea.w.kirk]

Having a pretty bad panic attack right now after launching Fusion 360. I was greeted with a notification that I will no longer be able to even launch Fusion 360 after July 31 2023 due to my current hardware.

I am not the richest person and the newest OS my computer's can run is High Sierra. I have spent hours and hours making models and learning Fusion and the idea of not being able to even access any of my projects is truly terrifying.

I understand not being able to access all the newest updates and improvements on older hardware, I totally get that, but being completely locked out and not even able to launch already installed software seems a bit harsh.

What can I do to still have access to my projects and models with High Sierra??

"Prior to July 31, 2023, you'll need to update to version 2.0.15775 or newer. Failure to do so by this date will prevent Fusion 360 from launching."

2.0.9937
macOS 10.13.6

[RajkumarIlanchelian]

@Shea.w.kirk @High Sierra is a non supported macOS version and hence in the link you opened up section is what applies: 

I am currently on a nonsupported OS. What do I need to do? 

Prior to January 8, 2024, you'll need to update to version 2.0.15775 or newer. Failure to do so by this date will prevent Fusion 360 from launching. You will need to move to a supported OS. 

There are significant changes we have made to our security and login in security that we cannot support older versions any longer. This is the reason we are pushing to get on to the newer versions of Fusion 360. 

we do normally allow the last supported version of Fusion 360 to run on an unsupported version but with this change we cannot do that and hence the time until next January. 

Regarding other options , if your hardware will not support a macOS update then I can see if you get parallels installed you could use it on the same hardware but on windows. This is the only alternative I see of course other than getting a new Mac hardware or a windows hardware.

Please let me know if I can help answer any other questions.

[Shea.w.kirk]

So there is no way to continue to access my work and just run the old software locally after that date? How do I best preserve all of my work and move elsewhere? Can I export all of the dimensioned sketches? This seems like a dangerous situation to be in for any creative after investing so much time into designing and sketching models to be locked out due to hardware. I have ancient files from old apps from the 90’s that I can still open and edit in their native OS. I can understand not being able to access files created with newer versions of the application but this seems like a kick in the teeth for people who can’t afford to run newer machines.

[RajkumarIlanchelian]

@Shea.w.kirk @Unfortunately there is no other way in this situation. As mentioned Fusion 360 is a cloud connected product with many micro services and this is one of the reasons we always ask to be in the latest version as possible. 

in this case the change is to the login and authentication method and security and hence the difficult choice to put those notifications out there. This is also the reason we are giving those extra six months for non supported OS hardware to help with time to move to new hardware etc. 

After that date you can still access your file from Fusion team login.autodesk360.com and choose to export files from there. 

[Shea.w.kirk]

You might ask for me to be on the most up to date OS, but you’re certainly not going to upgrade my hardware for me are you? Instead you will just lock me out. This is really crumby and I think it perfectly illustrates all that is wrong with cloud based subscription services. The user never really owns anything and can lose everything in the blink of an eye. Society seems stuck on this idea of continual growth, the backbone of the capitalist machine, when for some people the current tools do a fine job for what they need.

My hardware runs fine. It is healthy and well looked after. It has a massive amount of RAM and a stack of fast SSDs - pushes around huge files with ease.

In my photography studio I regularly shoot cameras that are more that 100 years old but to access CAD files made this century I will soon not be able to use my computer because it’s a few years old. What a crazy world we have created.

[estherrimington]

I totaly agree with you, i just upgraded my mac to the best i can afford and still cannot run fusion. I have a lot of work to do but am now locked out of the system as it will not even let me install it.

[lance.carocci]

My hardware runs fine. It is healthy and well looked after. It has a massive amount of RAM and a stack of fast SSDs - pushes around huge files with ease.

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@Shea.w.kirk, hardware has little to do with it from our end - that decision is made by Apple.

Crucially, your operating system is no longer receiving code updates from Apple that software developers like Autodesk depend on for ongoing app development - not just for new Fusion 360 features, but for data security, too.

Apple dropped support for High Sierra in November of 2020, and we are not able to maintain support for an OS any longer than Apple or Microsoft do themselves (though we certainly try to for as long as possible). By all means, if you are able to install a supported OS on your hardware to continue running Fusion 360, we encourage you to do so.

[Shea.w.kirk]

That has been explained and I’ve explained that this just continues to reinforce the ephemeral and almost throw away nature of files created with cloud based software, if this is the path developers take. As mentioned, I have 1000’s of working files created in applications that are no longer ‘supported’ running on what is now classed as ‘legacy’ operating systems.

From any archival perspective (again, as stated) this is terrifying. And yes you can try to shift the blame to Apple but it doesn’t change the fragility of the user experience within this ecosystem you have chosen to operate in.

[lance.carocci]

@Shea.w.kirk, from an archival standpoint, you are able to export to a number of formats from both the Fusion 360 desktop app, as well as Fusion Team via web browser. Just because your specific app version will be blocked, does not mean you lose access to your files; it does, however, mean you won't be able to make new changes to them from that device until it is updated.

I understand that regular product updates are not mission-critical to your operation, but please understand that Fusion 360 was built on the concept of collaboration from anywhere in the world. We have an obligation to keep user accounts and data secure if we expect customers to trust us with storing their data.

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Out of curiosity, what model and generation is your Macintosh?

You could also investigate emulation/VMs (VMware, Parallels, VirtualBox and similar applications) to execute Fusion 360 as a Win32 executable from macOS, without having to boot into Windows itself, however, note that many of these apps have dropped High Sierra support for the same reasons we have.

[Shea.w.kirk]

I understand all of that. What I find most worrying is the future is uncertain and having access to your working files limited isn't future safe for any creative industry wanting security in maintaining an accessible archive. What would happen if Fusion360's popularity drops off in 15 or 20 years and you close your servers?

I also find it difficult to believe that me running an older OS system poses much or an added security threat.

iMac (27-inch)
3.4 GHz Intel Core i7
32 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
1tb Samsung SSD
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2048 MB

Which runs version 2.0.9937 of Fusion with zero issues for me.

[Anonymous]

There is no technical reason why this program cannot be allowed to run offline indefinitely on the OP’s current operating system without updates. Programs from the early 2000’s and prior still run fine, and there are no safety issues with running a program offline, or on a dedicated machine. Any security issue would be part of the cloud-based nightmare that's being created by having to connect online constantly.

The thing people must come to understand about software that needs internet connection, and a subscription just to run, is that in times of emergency and internet blackout, or if you cancel your internet service, this stuff locks you out of your own documents. Even on your local machine you will not be able to edit a design file.

These programs should be made available for purchase like other devs do, without time limits or internet requirements. I’ve offered to buy a couple times via feedback.

[jamespond402]

Exactly

Why Autodesk care if i use an obsolete OS and Fusion? I will not get any update but if is fine by me why preventing it....

Not a nice move, thats for sure

[jamespond402]

It has to be a joke....

Sure sure, i am going to trust 100% a company that locks the software, very trusty brand

And the data is very secure thanks to forcing users out https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/02/autodesk_solarwinds_hack_victim/

[Anonymous]

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@jamespond402 wrote:

Exactly

Why Autodesk care if i use an obsolete OS and Fusion? I will not get any update but if is fine by me why preventing it....

Not a nice move, thats for sure

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That's the key question. On the surface, the problem with the move to SaaS (Software as a Service) and cloud-based computing/storage is that it opened the door to security breaches, because it's online. That makes it easy for a company to say they need you to connect every 14 days, as "updates are required to ensure your safety and security".

The reality, however, is that if the software was permitted to be used offline indefinitely and wasn't trying to connect online, there is no possibility of any threat.