The new Autodesk Access will replace the Autodesk Desktop App on March 15th, 2023.

Autodesk has plans for the future with Autodesk Access, but at the moment, this first release of Autodesk Access only has two tabs at the top. 

The first tab at the top on the left is for "Updates". You will see available software updates, new features, and hot defect fixes for your products. Once Autodesk Access is installed, users will be able to install updates if they have administrator rights.

• A simple registry key will allow admins to disable a user's ability to install updates. Please see my blog for the registry setting to disable the updates for users in Autodesk Access: https://resources.imaginit.com/support-blog/how-to-disable-updates-in-autodesk-access

• Important: For customers in managed environments, Autodesk recommends setting this registry key for your users before March 15th, 2023 (see the above URL for guidance on the registry key)

The second tab at the top is a link to the Products and Services page in your Autodesk account.

FAQS from Autodesk

How do I get Autodesk Access?

You can get Autodesk Access in four ways starting March 15, 2023:

1. With any new 2022 or later product installation after March 15th.
2. As an automatic self-update of the Autodesk installer.  This will be a progressive, percentage-based rollout ending around mid-May 2023.
3. As an update to ADA starting April 3, 2023.
4. Direct download of the installer from the Access landing page (starting March 15).

Do you need to uninstall ADA before installing Access?

No, when Autodesk Access installs, it will uninstall ADA. 

Does Autodesk Access work for Enterprise or other large customers?

Yes!  All customers will benefit from Autodesk Access.  We have many plans for new features this year to make getting updates easier.  For those customers that manage their own updates, we included admin controls to disable user’s ability to install updates.  Users at large companies can benefit from Access by getting information about updates that may be available, even if they can’t install them.

Do the Autodesk Access services consume resources on my device?

All long-running services consume some resources.  Autodesk Access, and specifically the Autodesk Access Core, consumes 34 MB of RAM and 0% CPU while idle.  The only time it is not idle is during startup, and when it is installing an update, where it would consume some resources related to installations as expected.

Can I remove or uninstall Access?

Currently, Access is part of the Autodesk Installer and can’t be removed.  Admin controls previously mentioned provide the ability for you to control your user’s ability to update products, and because it consumes a very small amount of resources, we believe that it is not necessary to remove it.

Our goal is to provide a great, transparent update experience. This is the first step in an exciting roadmap to give customers control and easy access to new product features. We will continue to build on the new Autodesk Access platform with capabilities to make updates easier and with the controls you are looking for.

About the Author

Installation Technical Support Specialist<br><br>Ken Williams has over 20 years of experience as a systems administrator helping organizations with installation, configuration, and maintenance. At IMAGINiT, Ken puts his knowledge of Microsoft, SQL, servers, and Autodesk to work ensuring clients are able to stay up-and-running, install their software easily, and maintain their solutions.

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