Unable to Execute the Tool When Clicking on a Tool Palette in Civil 3D

Issue:

You install or run Civil 3D and get this error when clicking on a tool in the tool palette (typically subassemblies):

Unable to execute the tool

Causes:

The most common cause to this issue is a missing or incorrect registry key

Solution:

Close Civil 3D and all open AutoCAD-based software.

Open the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)

Navigate to the following keys (for 2022, 2021 and older have similar keys, but this section will change: \R24.1\ACAD-5100:409\) :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.1\ACAD-5100:409\Profiles\<<C3D_Imperial>>\General

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.1\ACAD-5100:409\Profiles\<<C3D_Metric>>\General

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.1\ACAD-5100:409\Profiles\AutoCAD\General

If you have a custom Profile, you will need to modify that key as well:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R24.1\ACAD-5100:409\Profiles\<custom profile name>\General

In each of the General Hives, locate this specific key:

Locate the RegisteredToolsPath and change the value to be this:

%RoamableRootFolder%\Support\RegisteredTools

Change all the values above (some may not be there, if you have not launched that profile), then close the Registry Editor, Launch Civil 3D and see if the issue has been resolved.

Be aware that updates to Civil 3D and any of the add-ons (like Grading Optimization), may alter this value after the update is installed, so you may have to change it again.

Warning! Problems caused by improperly editing the Windows registry could render your computer/operating system unusable. Microsoft provides a wealth of critical information that you need to know about the registry in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.  Use the Microsoft® Registry Editor only at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as well as the system.dat and user.dat files as outlined for your operating system in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.  Additional information about the registry is also contained in the Help topics in the Microsoft Registry Editor.

About the Author

Sr. Technical Support Specialist<br><br>An AutoCAD Certified Professional, Ryan is responsible for taking client cases and assisting with issues with the software - everything from regular glitches to software deployments and whatever else goes wrong. He's proficient in AutoCAD (including customization), VBA, LISP, and Civil 3D.

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