Error occurred while attempting to create the Directory

[Anonymous]

Trying to install AutoCAD Mechanical 2022 on my company laptop. I'm a local admin. But the install tries to use the C:\Users\Public to store documentation. It gives the option to change the folder location, which I did, but the install still tries to install in C:\Users\Public. As of Windows 10 20H2, Microsoft has the folders in C:\Users\Public blocked as a Ransomware Protection. Because we are in a corporate environment, we can't change the policy on local computers to allow applications to write to the Public folder. I thought changing the location would copy the documentation to that folder, but part of the install still tries to save in the C:\Users\Public folders. How do we change that? I can't install the software if the files can't be changed from saving to the C:\Users\Public folders. Our Central IT group said that the vendor needs to change their install application to not write to the C:\Users\Public folder.

Here is what out global IT group says about it:

Microsoft has added a Ransomware protection system to Defender ATP that will block not trusted applications to write to specific folders on the computers. This is so a ransomware virus can't encrypt the users files on this specific folders. Ransomware is one of the most costly viruses out there today and it can lock down an entire company if not correctly protected against it. So it is here to stay and is for your security. The protection is targeting some specific folder by default and this is not something we can remove or should remove. This protection has been in Windows for a few years but the patch to Windows 20H2 the security was tighten by Microsoft causing many application to fail. 

This is the folders that is protected by this by default and we have currently no additional folders added:

• C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Documents
• Due to OneDrive is set on target to Documents this will automatically be protected as well.
• C:\Users\Public\Documents
• C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Pictures
• C:\Users\Public\Pictures
• C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Videos
• C:\Users\Public\Videos
• C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Music
• C:\Users\Public\Music
• C:\Users\[USERNAME]\Favorites

[natasha.l]

Hello @Anonymous, 

Thank you for sharing this detailed information. Autodesk installers by default use C:\Autodesk, nothing has changed on our end. It is mentioned that when trying to change the location the operating system continues to save to the C:\Users\Public folders, this is a system directory issue. I recommend reaching out to Microsoft and having them make exceptions to allow the install or temporarily disabling security features to install your Autodesk applications. 

What permissions are required for Autodesk software installation

When installing it is recommended to use an admin account with antivirus and Windows UAC turned off to prevent installation blockage. 
 

User accounts should have full rights to the following folders:

• C:\Autodesk
• C:\Program files\Autodesk  
• C:\Program files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared
• C:\Program files (x86\Autodesk
• C:\Program files (x86\Common Files\Autodesk Shared
• C:\Program Data\Autodesk
• C:\Program Data\Flexnet
• C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Autodesk\
• C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\
• C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\Autodesk\ 

Ensure that these registry keys also have full-control permissions: 

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk

Related Articles: 

Unable to run AutoCAD as a restricted user

Unable to launch Autodesk Products as a restricted user

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response. We are a corporate environment. We have over 20,000 computers and manage over 500 applications. If our global IT had to provide exceptions for every application, that would be unmanageable micro-managing that many applications (our global IT can can temporarily remove the restriction, but that's added work for them). As we are a small company compared to other companies that have more employees. As per the Microsoft document, no install applications should be writing to the protected folders, as per Microsoft best practices ( Protect important folders from ransomware from encrypting your files with controlled folder access |... ). For AutoDesk, this will be a bigger problem for any companies that start to enforce Microsoft Best Practices as it's a security risk. Specially as it's going to be tighter security best practices in Windows 11. This is not a setting that the local user can bypass. Our security team is questioning why a company as big as AutoDesk, is asking end users to turn off Anti-virus and UAC instead of correcting your install software to not trigger unsafe install practices as this makes a computer vulnerable, even if it's temporary.

[pendean]

@Anonymous Autodesk is not going to change in time for your immediate need: and no one asked you all to change settings or "all software" either.

So.... how would you like to realistically proceed today? "autodesk" already responded to you officially.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I understand that. I'm just responding with what my global IT Team said. They said it's not a new issue and that they have asked AutoDesk about it before. They will have to temporarily remove the restriction for this time, but they said that they have been getting this issue with other users over the past year or longer (specially after the Windows 10 20H2 update). They just want to know if AutoDesk is looking at changing their install program any time soon. AutoDesk has not responded to that yet, only that they want end users to turn off Anti-virus and UAC and the Microsoft Protected Folders restriction. 

The note that I got from our global IT group said that the Microsoft protected folders was put in place years ago (Windows 10, version 1709 and later, which came out in October 2017). They said that they asked AutoDesk before about this and have yet to hear a timeline as it affects a growing number of companies. They've been asking other software companies, that they have been having this issue with, about their timeline for addressing this in their installation programs and they have been getting timelines. AutoDesk has not been one of those companies.

As a sidenote, I managed to get AutoCAD installed after the folder protection was removed manually.