Issue:
The Autodesk uninstaller for 2022 applications will not only uninstall the AutoCAD vertical that you want removed but also core AutoCAD. This is a problem if you are removing one of the AutoCAD verticals (any AutoCAD based application) but still plan to keep other AutoCAD based applications on the computer.
Previous versions of Autodesk applications could be uninstalled using the Autodesk Uninstall Tool or Control Panel. Autodesk has discontinued the Autodesk Uninstall Tool for 2022 applications and introduced an uninstaller for each 2022 application that is installed on your computer. These uninstallers are in the following path: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Uninstallers
Each Autodesk application that is installed will automatically create its own sub-folder in the Uninstallers folder location.
In the example below, the AutoCAD Architecture 2022 Toolset can be uninstalled by right clicking on the AdskUninstallHelper.exe to Run as Administrator. This will remove AutoCAD Architecture 2022 from the computer.
A side effect of using the AdskUninstallHelper.exe to remove an AutoCAD 2022 vertical is that it will also remove the acad.exe required to launch core AutoCAD. After running the uninstaller, attempting to launch any AutoCAD 2022 based application will produce the following error.
Causes:
The AdskUninstallHelper.exe includes all the information related to the initial installation of the application. Running the AdskUninstallHelper.exe removes all the components associated to the installed program even if they are shared components used by other installed applications. In the above example, the AdskUninstallHelper.exe for AutoCAD Architecture 2022 has removed the core Acad.exe required to launch vanilla AutoCAD or other AutoCAD verticals.
Solution:
Reinstalling AutoCAD 2022, or any vertical based on AutoCAD 2022, will restore core AutoCAD to the computer and allow other AutoCAD verticals to function properly.
From the above AutoCAD Architecture 2022 example, reinstalling vanilla AutoCAD 2022 restored the acad.exe file to the appropriate location. All AutoCAD based applications on the computer will then work normally.
AutoCAD verticals that are uninstalled using Control Panel will not remove core AutoCAD. The downside to using only Control Panel is there may be some remnant components of the AutoCAD vertical left on the system.
The AdskUninstallHelper.exe for each program is a more thorough uninstall tool than Control Panel to remove Autodesk applications. It is a good tool to use for removing other Autodesk applications, but it should be used with caution when removing AutoCAD verticals. The AdskUninstallHelper.exe is a great tool if you are uninstalling a problem AutoCAD 2022 vertical installation and plan to reinstall the program afterwards. Upon successful reinstall, any other AutoCAD 2022 based applications that are still installed on the computer will function normally.
