Need Serial Number for previous version of C3D (2016)

[Anonymous]

Our company purchased multiple seats of Autocad Civil 3D in 2017.  We primarily use C3D 2016 as it is compatible with the majority of our clients.  I got a new workstation and found that C3D 2016 was no longer directly available from my Autodesk account.  Although I was able to find out how to install C3D 2016 from AVA, I am unable to find a serial number of product key to complete the installation.  Can anyone help?

PROBLEM: Unable to view a serial number or product key for Civil 3D 2016 even though my license covers it.

[Anonymous]

Hi, 2016 has dropped off the list of eligible previous versions:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/account-management/users-software/previous-versions/...

Seeing as you purchased the licenses in 2017 (so did not have them in 2016) I shouldn't think you'd get a green light to use 2016 for a bit longer but I'm not 100% sure as Autodesk's Previous Version rights are notoriously vague. It might be worth chatting to an Autodesk agent to check your eligibility.

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous 

Multiple seats as in a single user subscription license or as a multi-user (network based) subscription?

If the former, 2016 would no longer be entitled version to user

If the later, 2016 would be part of your license file so you could review your license file to get that serial # since the serial # would be the same for all versions.   However you are not technically allowed to use that given version since its fallen off the radar as @Anonymous  pointed out..   Its only there in your license file to give you more time to transition to a newer version.

[Anonymous]

I have found the serial number but I am unable to recover the product key

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous 

Did you google it...     https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/download-install/activate/find-serial-number-product-key/product-key-look/2016-product-keys

[rkmcswain]

@Mark.Lancaster wrote:

However you are not technically allowed to use that given version since its fallen off the radar as Pola_S pointed out. Its only there in your license file to give you more time to transition to a newer version.

That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. So Autodesk puts the data in the license file that allows a particular product/version to run, but you're not supposed to run it, according to some agreement? Then why put it in there? @Mark.Lancaster 

That aside, I know for a fact that subscription customers with network licenses can negotiate with Autodesk to legally run versions older that the standard "3 versions back". Speak to your reseller @Anonymous (and hope you have a good one who will go to bat for you).

[Anonymous]

As far as I understand, the oldest version in the license file is included to allow users who are still on that version to finish any outstanding work and move to a newer version. It is *NOT* meant for NEW users to download, install and activate that version. See https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/network-license-administration/managing-network-lice... for Autodesk's explanation.

Also see the FAQ at https://knowledge.autodesk.com/customer-service/account-management/users-software/previous-versions/...

[Mark.Lancaster]

@rkmcswain 

The info is in the license file to allow customers more time to transition to a newer version.  Most time when customers have a network license file they have a large quantity of users and migrating them to a newer/allotted version may take some time.   But in the end (technically) its not really a mechanism for you to install these legacy versions on additional machine.   However its not something that's governed.

And yes you can get an exception for those retired versions but lately the "denied rate" is increasing for these execptions..