Why can't I activate a previous release of AutoCAD software - Solved

• 1. The license you own does not match the product you are trying to activate
• 2. Your Subscription contract expired since you upgraded
• 3. You own a license on Subscription, but are trying to activate a product more than three releases prior to the current release

There are several reasons why you might not be able to activate a previous version of Autodesk software. The top three are described here.

1. The license you own does not match the product you are trying to activate

First, confirm the type of license that you own, since it will determine the version(s) of Autodesk products that you can activate.

As Subscription Customer, you can access this information by logging into Subscription Center and selecting Contract Administration and then Coverage Report. This report will show you the number of seats per license that you own, the level of technical support that is available to you, and a list of licenses you purchased on Subscription.

If you are not a Subscription Customer, complete the license request form (attached below) to request additional information about the licenses that you own.

Second, review the guidelines below for using previous versions, based on the type of license you own.

Licenses purchased with Subscription

As a Subscription Customer, you can download and activate the latest release, or use previous versions, of most Autodesk products. You can activate one release of a product per license, purchased on Subscription. 

To access previous releases of product software that you are eligible to activate, log into Subscription Center and select Access your subscription benefits, then Downloads, then Download your product software. In the Previous release tab, you will see the software releases for which you are eligible to activate.

Licenses purchased without Subscription

Since you are not a Subscription Customer, you may only activate the license you purchased to use a specific release of Autodesk software.

2. Your Subscription contract expired since you upgraded

If are you no longer a Subscription Customer, you can activate only the latest release of AutoCAD that was available to you before your Subscription Contract expired. Once you upgrade and activate the latest release, you have 120 days to uninstall previous versions of AutoCAD from your systems.

A Practical Example:

In April 2010, you have two options:

1. Renew your Subscription by contacting your Autodesk Authorized Reseller for price quotations and assistance in placing orders for subscription
2. Upgrade to AutoCAD 2010 and within 120 days, remove AutoCAD 2009 from your system

3. You own a license on Subscription, but are trying to activate a product more than three releases prior to the current release

As a Subscription Customer, you can download and activate the latest release, or any of the three previous releases, of most Autodesk products. You can activate one release per license, purchased on Subscription.