Launching AutoCAD 2023 errors and EBWebView

Issue:

AutoCAD-based 2023 applications fail to launch due to a variety of errors, including “Unable to run AutoCAD” or “We couldn’t create the data directory” referencing EBWebView.

Unable to run AutoCAD error message

We couldn't create the data directory error message

The application may also fully launch but all icons and ribbons are missing. You may also receive an error “Customization file load failed. File not found.”

AutoCAD message

An attempt to run the “Reset Settings to Default” utility produces an error “…There are no settings to reset.”

Reset settings error message

Causes:

The problem is likely occurring due to a recent update to the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime or a bad version is currently installed. At the time this article was written, Microsoft released the latest update for Edge WebView2 Runtime on February 2, 2023.

Microsoft Update Catalog

Solution:

To resolve the problem, uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime.

  1. Open Control Panel>Programs>Uninstall a program (type appwiz.cpl into Windows Search).

Microsoft Search

  1. Search for Webview and Microsoft Edge Webview2 Runtime should appear. Select and then Uninstall. *Please make a note of the version of the WebView2 Runtime that is installed. In the image below, the latest version 109.0.1518.78 is already installed. *

uninstall

  1. Visit the Microsoft link below to download the latest version of Microsoft Edge Webview2 Runtime.

https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webview2/

  1. The simplest option is to select the “Download” for the Evergreen Bootstrapper. This option “...downloads the Evergreen Runtime matching device architecture and installs it locally.”

Download the WebView2 Runtime

Or you can manually select the appropriate installer that matches your device architecture.

  1. Run the installer for the Microsoft WebView2 Setup.

Run the installer

Follow the prompts to install.

  1. Launch AutoCAD 2023 and the program should open properly.

About the Author

Shawn Heator

Technical Support Specialist

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