Without A Net

The case of the AutoCAD and the Windows Blue Screen of Death

You are running on Windows 7 x64 and you are running AutoCAD 2012.  AutoCAD was running previously and when you launch it now, you get the Windows Blue Screen of Death.

via upandready.typepad.com

The Return of SP1 for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2013

Almost three weeks ago Autodesk released Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013. Within a couple days of its release the service packs were removed from autodesk.com while the AutoCAD team worked on resolving a newly-discovered fatal crashing error.

The service packs have been re-released (now as Service Pack 1.1) and the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of new update can be found at the following links:

AutoCAD 2013 Service Pack 1.1
AutoCAD LT 2013 Service Pack 1.1

This service pack is only for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT (with or without SP1) and cannot be applied to vertical products that are based on AutoCAD 2013. If you managed to download and apply SP1 before it was removed, you can just apply SP1.1 on top of it. Uninstall of SP1 is not necessary or required.

Before installing Service Pack 1, I strongly recommend you review the associated readme file for installation instructions and details about the primary issues that are resolved by the service pack.

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2013 SP1 Temporarily Unavailable

Due a newly discovered fatal error introduced by SP1 for AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013 the service pack has temporarily been removed from autodesk.com.

The AutoCAD team is actively working on resolving this and a new service pack will be reposted at the same URL as soon as it is available.

New Security Controls in AutoCAD 2013 SP1 Help Combat Malware

Over the last few years there has been an increasing number of malware attacks on AutoCAD. These attacks typically leverage the legacy autoloading process of the stock customization files (acad.lsp, acad.dvb, etc.) that come with AutoCAD. Modified versions of these files end up getting automatically loaded into AutoCAD and can cause data loss, corruption, and general annoyance. Here is a typical scenario…

A customer receives a ZIP file containing a variety of files including drawings, fonts, and a modified version of a stock customization file such as acad.lsp. The customer unzips that archive to a folder and double-clicks on one of the drawings to launch it. Launching the drawing this way makes that folder the current working directory–check DWGPREFIX to see for yourself–and because the current folder contains an acad.lsp file, it gets loaded automatically and begins doing whatever malicious tasks it was modified to do. To make matters worse, that file might be flagged as hidden so the customer may not even know that it's in the zip file.

Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD 2013 introduces new controls that enable you to do the following:

• Restrict autoloading of default customization to a specified location ONLY.
• Disable autoloading of default customization files.
• Disable the ability to load any AutoLISP file, automatically or manually.

Note: These same controls will also be added to AutoCAD 2013 for Mac and AutoCAD 2013-based verticals when their respective service packs are released. AutoCAD LT does not run AutoLISP or VBA applications and does not require these security measures.

AUTOLOADPATH system variable

The AUTOLOADPATH system variable controls the folders from which AutoCAD automatically loads the following AutoLISP and VBA files:

• acad.lsp
• acad.fas
• acad.vlx
• acaddoc.lsp
• acaddoc.fas
• acaddoc.vlx
• acad.dvb

The default value of AUTOLOADPATH is the empty string ("") or period (.) which is legacy autoloading behavior so you'll want to change this to the unique folder where your authorized applications are located.

AUTOLOAD system variable

The AUTOLOAD system variable–no relation to the (autoload) AutoLISP function–controls whether the default AutoLISP applications and acad.dvb are automatically loaded at startup. When set to 0 it prevents those previously listed customization files from automatically loading.

/nolisp Startup Switch

A new /nolisp switch can be added to the shortcut properties of your AutoCAD icon to disable the loading of all AutoLISP applications in the current AutoCAD session, including all LSP, FAS, and VLX files (I haven't check it myself but I presume this affects MNL files as well). If your system has already been infected, this switch can help you limit the impact of the malware by stopping all AutoLISP from being loaded, either automatically or manually using APPLOAD, drag-n-drop, or the (load) function.

A new LISPENABLED system variable reports whether AutoLISP is enabled in the current AutoCAD session. If LISPENABLED is 0, AutoLISP has been disabled by the /nolisp startup switch.

Note: Disabling AutoLISP also prevents the Express Tools and some AutoCAD command tools from functioning and should only be used in emergency situations.

Other changes include:

• The acad2013.lsp and acad2013doc.lsp files will now be loaded only from their default installation folders.
• The "Load acad.lsp with every drawing" checkbox on the System tab of the Options dialog box (ACADLSPASDOC system variable) will be disabled when AUTOLOAD or LISPENABLED has a value of 0.

For a more detailed explanation of these new controls and recommended setup and repair workflow, refer to AutoLISP and VBA Security Controls in AutoCAD 2013 SP1.

Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT 2013

Autodesk has released Service Pack 1 for AutoCAD 2013 and AutoCAD LT 2013. 32-bit and 64-bit versions of this update can be found at the following links:

AutoCAD 2013 Service Pack 1
AutoCAD LT 2013 Service Pack 1

This update is only for AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT and cannot be applied to vertical products that are based on AutoCAD 2013.

Before installing Service Pack 1, I strongly recommend you review the associated readme file for installation instructions and details about the primary issues that are resolved by the service pack.

This service pack introduces new system variables for managing malware issues in AutoCAD. Details can be found in the readme file and in the technical solution, AutoLISP and VBA Security Controls in AutoCAD 2013 SP1.

AutoCAD for Mac and Mountain Lion

The next version of the Mac OS X operating system, Mountain Lion, is expected any day now and Autodesk just released a technical solution regarding support for this new OS:

AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT support Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)

The short version is that no AutoCAD for Mac or AutoCAD LT for Mac products are currently supported on Mountain Lion however they are actively working on adding that support. As explained in the solution, there will be beta programs announced for service packs for AutoCAD 2012 for Mac and AutoCAD 2013 for Mac that will add support for Mountain Lion. Until a service pack is available, they recommend NOT installing Mac OS X 10.8 on any systems running AutoCAD 2013 for Mac, AutoCAD 2012 for Mac, AutoCAD LT 2013 for Mac, or AutoCAD LT 2012 for Mac.

I know I've said this before but I tend to be cautious when upgrading operating systems anyway. Two of my daily-use machines are Macs and I just can't afford the risk of disrupting my workflow because some critical applications are not yet supported or because the OS fundamentally changed something that affects how I work (I still have a Snow Leopard partition on one machine for this very reason). Even if AutoCAD for Mac and AutoCAD LT for Mac were fully supported on the same day that Mountain Lion is released, my personal recommendation would still be to wait a bit before upgrading.

There is a reason it's called the "bleeding edge".

AutoCAD for Mac - how is it different from AutoCAD?

Wondering about how specific commands or functions work in AutoCAD for Mac, compared to the familiar AutoCAD in Windows?

Here are some tips where to find helpful information:

The recorded class A Crash Course in AutoCAD for Mac from Autodesk University 2011 provides an excellent introduction to AutoCAD for Mac and what the main differences to the Windows version are. (You may need to register on the AU website to see the recording).

You can find a detailed feature comparison chart in the Knowledgebase Article
How is AutoCAD for Mac different from AutoCAD.

If you want check if there are any differences in specific areas or commands, you can look up the command or variable in the AutoCAD for Mac Online Help.

Another great resource is the AutoCAD for Mac Wiki Help  which has many great tips from the user community in addition to the normal help content.

The AutoCAD for Mac Discussion Group is another great place to look for information, and to ask any questions you may still have.

If you would like some more in-depth technical information on differences in areas like customization and CUI, and configuration tips for a mixed environment, the materials from the Autodesk University 2011 class Working with AutoCAD® in a Mixed Mac® and PC Environment have lots of great advice. (Unfortunately the class was not recorded, but the handout and presentation slides are very comprehensive)

And - last but not least - the best way to find out things is often to just go ahead and try it out for yourself  :-)

You can downlod a fully functional 30 day trial version of AutoCAD for Mac here:
www.autodesk.com/autocad-trial 

Product Keys for Autodesk Software

Product keys are required for installation and activation of Autodesk products and are used to differentiate products that are both sold independently and as part of one or more product suites. For example, the AutoCAD you receive as a point product is identical to the AutoCAD you receive as part of a suite except for the license it requests. It is the product key that tells us what was purchased so it can be activated appropriately. Thus, a user installing AutoCAD 2013 as a point product would use product key 001E1, but a user installing AutoCAD 2013 from the Autodesk Product Design Suite Ultimate 2013 would use product key 781E1. The exact same AutoCAD gets installed in both cases but it is the product key that differentiates one package from the other.

Product keys were first introduced in the 2010 releases and since that time we have received a pretty steady volume of support calls from customers who don't know where to find their product key. This has resulted in the creation of solutions such as How to find your serial number and product key in Subscription Center and How to find the product key for your Autodesk product. Even with those references, some customers still seem to have trouble finding their product keys, or they work in an environment where that information is not readily accessible to them, e.g., they don't have their product media, they don't have access to the Subscription Center, etc.

To help address these issues, the following four technical solutions have just been published to the Autodesk support knowledge base listing the individual product keys for 2010-2013 Autodesk products:

2013: Product keys for Autodesk products
2012: Product keys for Autodesk products
2011: Product keys for Autodesk products
2010: Product keys for Autodesk products

Important Note: Make sure you use the correct product key for the Autodesk product and version you are installing or activating. Entering an incorrect product key can result in activation errors for that product.

SP2 for ACA and MEP now available

Service Pack 2 for both AutoCAD Architecture and AutoCAD MEP are now available. Please see below for links:

AutoCAD Architecture: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=19684160&linkID=9240658

AutoCAD MEP: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=19684112&linkID=9240938

Hotfix for Autodesk 360 Sync errors

A new hotfix is now available that addresses persistent Autodesk 360 Sync errors in the system tray.

The hotfix can be downloaded from here:

Hotfix - Persistent Autodesk Sync error in the system tray