Local machine vs current user, where does AutoCAD read it's user profiles?

[ottosson_mathias]

Hi

How do I know which user profile is going to be used when I start AutoCAD or accoreconsole?

I have seen user profiles with the same name in both HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE as well as HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the Windows registry. I want to modify some values in a custom profile under current user, but how can I be sure AutoCAD reads from current user and not local machine?

Thanks!

[SENL1362]

it depends to how you start AutoCAD or CoreConsole.

When you Add '/p "..\youreprofile.arg"' to the AutoCAD start (lnk) then the name of the profile will be looked up in de Registry "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.3\ACAD-7101:409\Profiles\...".

When found these Registry settings will be used, otherwise the settings from the Arg file will be loaded into the registry and then used.

Without the addition to the AutoCAD start, the current Profile will be used:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.3\ACAD-7101:409\Profiles\default=CurrentProfileName

[ottosson_mathias]

Thanks, so if I start using the /p switch it will always use the HKCU profiles (if it exist)? My experience is that if the profile does not exist it will be created in the registry. But when will the HKLM profiles be used then?

[SENL1362]

I have never seen any AutoCAD profiles in HKLM, other than the default <<Unnamed Profile>>
Can you show us the Registry location?
And what version of AutoCAD?

[ottosson_mathias]

AutoCAD 2024, profiles located in the same path as for current user, but in local machine.

[kerry_w_brown]

Perhaps save a profile with a unique name, close AutoCAD, then do a registry search for the name.

. . . just to make sure.

[ottosson_mathias]

From what I've seen, new profiles are created in HKCU. But since I'm deploying features to users I need to be sure that they always end up there and not in HKLM. Sure I could do an initial check each time, but that feels excessive...

But the question then is why there are profiles in HKLM if they are never used... In what scenarios are they used?

[SENL1362]

In normal working conditions  HKLM is not accessible for the user. Exceptions are Installations of course.

I suppose AutoCAD copies this HKLM version of the profile during the First Run Operation.

(I'll assume you're company is using a Roaming Windows environment)

Try this (for AutoCAD 2024):

1. Change the HKLM version of the default Profile.

2. Rename HKCU\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.3 and %appdata%\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2024\R24.3
which wil enforce the First Run Operation of AutoCAD (HKCU, etc)

3. Start AutoCAD
After the First Run Operation check the HKCU version of the default Profile for the change you made.