Single User, Enter Serial or Multi User? Which option to choose for your Autodesk software.

Choices, Choices! 

When you start Autodesk software for the first time, you will be presented with a dialogue that gives you 3 options: Single User, Enter Serial or Multi User. If you aren’t familiar with the different licensing types then this can be a bit perplexing. Well, it should be straight forward so let’s have a look at the options:

Licensing Types:

“Network license” –  I’ll deal with these out of order. Firstly, the right-most option is the Network License option (also referred to Multi-User) is for situations where you or your company have a type of license that has a license server that hands out seats of software that you own as users request them. Your CAD / BIM Manager would most likely take care of installing and activating your software in those cases. NOTE: If you pick this option by mistake then you may have to uninstall and reinstall the software!

“Enter a Serial Number”, the middle choice, looks like an obvious option but be careful as this option is exclusively for those still on the older “Maintenance” system, you will pick the middle option and enter your serial and product key. We do get support cases where people have mistakenly picked the middle option when they are on subscriptions. The software gets in a loop and there seems to be no way to get the software running. If you are reading this because you are stuck in this scenario:

Close all Autodesk software.

Go to the Autodesk Desktop Application. If you are signed in to it, sign out.

Sign in to the Autodesk Desktop Application.

Start the software. You should be presented with the 3 options again so pick the left one. You will most likely find that the software will start and activate itself automatically.

If all that doesn’t work then you may need help to get it up and running. Cadgroup subscription customers are always welcome to call or Email us should they need assistance.

The Sign-in Option (Subscription / Rental):

In most cases this will be the correct option that most people need to select simply because most people are now on subscriptions (also referred to as Rental). Any new Autodesk Software sold by Autodesk these days is on a Subscription basis where you purchase seats of the software, then you assign it to users. The end-user then logs in using their Autodesk credentials and starts using the software. If you own new software (purchased in the last 2 years or thereabouts) then you’ll have a Subscription license. Anyone running a “Collection” will be on Subscriptions. So in that case, click on the left most Icon and sign in and you should be good to go.

If you log in and you get a message that says “Contact your administrator to request permission to use this product”  then you’ll need to ask the person in your organisation who looks after your subscription (possibly an IT, CAD or BIM Manager) to allocate the software to you.

Summing up: Under most circumstances, choose the first option unless you are aware of the fact that you are using a Network or Maintenance based license. If you or someone in your organisation has picked the wrong choice and you are a Cadgroup customer, don’t hesitate to hit up our support staff to get things right…..

© Cadgroup. Cadgroup Australia Pty Ltd - ABN: 21 003 874 084 / Privacy /
Built By Getmilk